Van's Pig Stand

It is said that the secret of any great barbecue is time – time the meat spends on the pit – but here is a case where greatness is also owed to the long time that Van's has had to perfect the menu, the side dishes, the whole operation. We love the place itself, a rustic, wood-paneled eatery with reams of graffiti on the wooden booth backs (and a warning to customers not to inscribe any on the tabletops!). Each table is outfitted with a roll of paper towels and plenty of toothpicks – both essential for happy barbecue eating. And of course, the aroma in and around the old building is the irresistible perfume of sweet pork smoking.