Analysis of THC BBQ was done through interviews, sampling, and the review of related literature while on a weeklong trip to the THC. THC BBQ was sampled from restaurants that were either recommended while conducting an interview or from a list of places that were outlined by preliminary research before traveling to the THC. Restaurants visited for sampling included Rudy’s Texas Bar-B-Q in New Braunfels, Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood, and Ronnie’s Ice House Barbeque in Johnson City. In addition to taste testing, informal interviews were conducted with random THC residents, tour guides that lead the class on each of the day’s trips around the THC, and restaurant employees. Typical questions asked included:
· How would you define THC BBQ?
· How is THC BBQ sauce unique?
· What types of wood are used to smoke THC BBQ?
· Is THC BBQ your favorite type of BBQ?
· What is your favorite BBQ joint?
After interviewing each of the various people, we also asked their favorite restaurant to serve as an example of what they had described. Responses to this question lead us to Ronnie’s Ice House Barbeque in Johnson City which provided a good example of what a more hole-in-the-wall BBQ joint was like compared to Salt Lick BBQ and Rudy’s Texas Bar-B-Q which were both much more commercialized.
· How would you define THC BBQ?
· How is THC BBQ sauce unique?
· What types of wood are used to smoke THC BBQ?
· Is THC BBQ your favorite type of BBQ?
· What is your favorite BBQ joint?
After interviewing each of the various people, we also asked their favorite restaurant to serve as an example of what they had described. Responses to this question lead us to Ronnie’s Ice House Barbeque in Johnson City which provided a good example of what a more hole-in-the-wall BBQ joint was like compared to Salt Lick BBQ and Rudy’s Texas Bar-B-Q which were both much more commercialized.