Editor’s note: This is the first in a “Tour d’BBQ” – visits to local barbecue joints.

The word barbecue most likely derives from the word “barbacoa,” used by the Timucua Indians of Florida and the Taino peoples of parts of the Caribbean. Originally it referred to a fire pit over which a platform of sticks was erected. Meat was then grilled on the sticks. The Caribbean Arawak word for the same fire pit, the “buccan,” eventually lent itself to the English word for a pirate – the buccaneer. Picked up by Spanish, French and British colonists, the word barbacoa made its way to Europe and around the New World and eventually morphed to become “barbecue.” Soon after, English colonists began to fight over Memphis- versus Carolina-style barbecue. Well, maybe not. But they might have.

Locally, Bowling Green is home to a number of very good barbecue joints, along with some folks who haul their smokers out to parking lots and sell plates on weekends. Having eaten some excellent barbecue street food recently, it occurred to me that I might begin a “Tour d’BBQ,” trying a different place each month for a few months to see which ones are the best.

I’ll say right away that I think we have great barbecue in town – as good as any in the area, and certainly as good as “that place” in Owensboro. Except for the mutton, which is amazing, our barbecue stacks up as good or better than meat Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn puts out.

I decided to start with Bar-B-Que Junction, which has take-out, dine-in and catering, and is one of the further ones from my usual haunts. They moved in to the old Dairy Queen building on Russellville Road a few years back, and have been selling good food ever since. A family-run business with friendly staff, the place has customers even during “down” hours.

The pulled pork is smoked for more than 16 hours over seasoned hickory wood, and falls apart when knocked around with a fork. Despite coming from a pork butt, the meat on my plate was not at all fatty. It had the dry texture that one would expect from smoked meat, and was perhaps a bit on the dry side. However, it still retained enough moisture that it could be eaten without sauce. I will say that I found the portion to be bit lean.

The Junction offers three tomato/ketchup-based sauces – standard, hot and fiery. I tried the mild and hot, but my palate tends toward the fiery. That sauce to lived up to its billing. I only added a bit of Tabasco to it.

The smoked chicken was also very good. It’s easy to over-smoke a chicken, leaving a dry piece of meat that tastes like ash. But here, coated in what seemed to be a combination of black, white and red pepper with some paprika, the chicken was smoked just to the point of not going dry. It fell off the bone easily, and had a nice texture. The pepper gave it a bit of spice without being overly spicy.

At the Junction they take a standard baking potato, load it with sour cream, butter, cheese, bacon bits and chives, and then include chicken, pork or beef. The highlight of the meal was that giant potato stuffed with smoked beef. The underlying toppings tasted fresh, and their slight coldness provided a perfect accent sitting on top of the hot potato piled with meat. The smoked beef was delicious – smoky without overwhelming the dish, and full of flavor. Even so, I could taste all the toppings along with the beef. At under $5 for the dish, this makes for an easy, tasty take-out lunch.

My only disappointment was the side dishes. While the cornbread was OK, I found the hash brown casserole a bit generic and bland, the cole slaw and potato salad somewhat flavorless and the green beans mushy. All the sides tasted somewhat industrial, which stood in odd and sharp contrast to the main courses, which were excellent. I’m a sucker for cole slaw and am always a bit disappointed when a place doesn’t come through.

Still, there aren’t many barbecue places I go to for the sides (although we’ll get to those in the coming months). The Junction serves excellent meat with good sauce, can cater big parties and has fast and friendly service. I’d label the first stop on the Tour d’BBQ a success.

— Our anonymous food reviewer gives new restaurants a six-week grace period before reviewing. To comment, contact Managing Editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235 or via e-mail to malexieff@bgdailynews.com.

BAR-B-QUE JUNCTION

2225 Russellville Road

• 783-8902

Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, closed weekends

Cuisine: Barbecue

Price range: $2.19 to $9.49

Specialties: Pork, chicken, potatoes

Libation situation: None

Smoking: No