Curtis' Barbecue on Rte 91: A free ad for our pal Curtis

How anybody can drive up Route 91 through Vermont without stopping at Curtis' place (just west off the Putney exit, next to Ron's gas station) for some authentic Mississippi barbecue is beyond me. Curtis is a Mississippi-born and bred barbecuemaster, but he spends spring to fall in Putney, VT (of all places), cooking over hardwood smoke all day long, with his pet pigand dog following him around the smoky pit. Now he sells his own Curtis' Root Beer and Barbecue Sauce too - but only at his place.

He is a busy old codger, but he will chat with you if you have anything worth saying to him.

You do not see many places like this in New England.

Posted by Bird Dog in Food and Drink, Our Essays, The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 12:14 | Comments (15) | Trackbacks (0)

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Curtis' place is great. His pig is really, really fat. I thought I heard it died, though...can't remember.

#1 Jephnol (Link) on 2009-09-02 10:22 (Reply)

Now that is a good sort of multiculturalism.

#2 Gringo on 2009-09-02 22:43 (Reply)

I think it's cruel to expect your pet pig to preside over the barbecuing of its relatives. We don't do stuff like that down here in Texas.

Marianne

#3 Marianne Matthews on 2009-09-02 23:27 (Reply)

MM, that was one of the happiest pigs I ever saw...don't think he cared about his fellow pig, but I'll wager he ate at least three of 'em. :-)

#4 Jephnol (Link) on 2009-09-03 11:14 (Reply)

It definitely a unique flavor I can tell you that much, they've got a branch in Bellows Falls Vermont that I believe his daughter owns as well...

#5 Andrew Robinson on 2009-09-03 20:02 (Reply)

Top Of The Hill Grill on the Putney Rd in Brattleboro, I thought, was better BBQ - it just doesn't have the romance and poetry that Curtis does. i.e, looks like the real deal in some Mississippi backwater. I haven't been to either in a few years so not sure if Top Of The Hill is still the same owner and quality.

#6 greenmtnpunter on 2009-09-04 14:52 (Reply)

2010 Update: Top Of The Hill Grill, Putney Rd., Brattleboro VT. Stopped on the way home from an Easter Dinner in MA. Same owner, same wonderful BBQ. Highly recommended. Curtis is fine, too, certainly more the kind of operation you would see down south in BBQ-land. Both places serve sinfully good BBQ, and only 1 exit apart on I-91. Try one for lunch, the other for dinner!

#7 greenmtnpunter on 2010-05-31 12:28 (Reply)

That pitstop looks old,old school(bus) even for Dixie...plate looks tasty though.I've never really had bad BBQ(pig or cow).

#8 RickTn on 2010-05-31 12:48 (Reply)

Yes it does.
One order is enuf for 2 people, too.

#8.1 bd on 2010-05-31 13:00 (Reply)

You're right, BD, not many left. We lost Joe Grates place (but not NC native Joe or his lovely wife) a few years ago here in Hamden, CT. For Yankee BBQ (steamers, lobsters), try The Place on Route 1 in Guilford, CT.

#9 Steve in CT on 2010-05-31 13:07 (Reply)

Yankee Smokehouse at the intersection of 16 and 25 in NH, on your way to North Conway.

#10 Assistant Village Idiot (Link) on 2010-05-31 19:10 (Reply)

Great memories! Good to see he is still cookin'.

Back in the early 90s I was traveling up that way with a poor southern rock band and we were looking for something to eat, frustrating by the lack of signage on the Interstate. We decided we were going to just have to settle for convenience store food and we randomly got off at the next exit, which happened to be Curtis. I truly understood hog heaven at that moment.

Had some outstanding ribs, and a great conversation with Curtis, truly a fine gentleman.

#11 B Moe on 2010-05-31 19:58 (Reply)

You Yankees need more of our southern culture up there. Though I am glad to see that you can get decent BBQ in at least a few places.

#12 Dangerous Dean on 2011-07-31 20:38 (Reply)

We do try!

#12.1 Bird Dog on 2011-07-31 21:39 (Reply)

BBQ looks good, but unfortunately he is Pepsi not Coke.

Does he sell beer?

#13 dhmosquito on 2011-08-01 11:53 (Reply)

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Sunday, July 31. 2011

Curtis' Barbecue on Rte 91: A free ad for our pal Curtis