I don't know who was the first to decide that Bub's was good barbecue, or how they managed to convince/deceive the people they must have recommended the place to, but it certainly was no one with any discernible taste of what barbecue is. Maybe they had only seen barbecue on tv, or heard that there was pig and sauce involved, but either way, Bub's is not it.

First, and foremost, take note of the smoker out front that, depending on the day, may be belching smoke into the air, and then take note of the fact that there's no one out there tending to it, or a work area anywhere around it. Yes folks, this smoker is purely for show. Someone comes from inside every hour or so and throws a couple logs in, just to (falsely) advertise their barbecue. I say falsely, because Bub's doesn't actually smoke their pigs, they use propane. Knowing absolutely nothing else about Bub's, I would almost completely discount the quality of their food. If I wanted faux barbecue, I could have (and I have) stuck a pork shoulder in the oven and wait 12 hours.

But okay, maybe you don't mind that there's no bark or natural smokey flavor in Bub's barbecue, even then, when you do get your pulled pork, or brisket, or what have you, it's absolutely swimming in sauce. When I got my pulled pork it was in a puddle of sauce. A puddle! I've always thought that barbecue should be perfectly fine without any sauce whatsoever, and that the sauce is just the cherry on top of an already quality meat. In short, barbecue is not the sauce, it's what you put the sauce on. And Bub's could not ignore that principle any harder if they tried. Not that the sauce itself is bad, it's perfectly serviceable, but there's just so, so much of it, and even if I was the type of person who drenched my barbecue in sauce, it just adds so much to the disingenuous feel of Bub's.

I don't mean this to be offensive to the nice folks at Bub's (and they are nice), but to anyone who has had real barbecue, the food they're passing off is just that, offensive. On the plus side, some of the sides are decent, but they're a bit strange. Mostly it just seems that the spices are not what you would expect, and that's fine. Weird, but fine. I did like the roasted potatoes, the onion rings are good, the hush puppies are alright, but ultimately, Bub's is just a disappointment.

I moved to western Mass from NC this past year, and in preparation, I was checking out some restaurants in the area, and almost everything I saw in the way of barbecue was how great Bub's was, and that it was the best New England had to offer, and just weeks after moving, bright-eyed and excited, we went to Bub's and to be honest, it was just plain depressing. I was worried that this would be my only option for barbecue within an hour's drive, then I discovered the amazing RJ's Grub, just a mile or so down the road from Bub's in a trailer, and not only was it the best barbecue I've had since moving, but it's among some of the best barbecue I've ever had (in good company with some of the best BBQ places in NC, TN, SC, and TX). Sadly, they had to leave their place in the parking lot of the former Snowzee's, and haven't settled back down yet, but if and when they do, I highly recommend ignoring Bub's and tracking down RJ's, wherever they may be.