Readers' Choice: Where is the Best Barbecue in Santa Cruz County?

It's a long drive to Oakland, but if you want the best barbecue this side of Texas or Kansas City, it seems like that's where you have to go.

Just like if you want great Jewish-deli style corned beef, you have to drive up to San Francisco.

Or am I wrong? Is there a BBQ joint down here that is as good as its Bay Area cousins with a lot less driving?

I've had some great burgers and ribs at in Scotts Valley, but I sure miss Aptos's , which I would put up against almost anyplace. I miss Armadillo Willy's which was a fine quick fix for a good beef sandwich. I ate there once a week.

But overall, I'm sorry to say that if I'm looking for great barbecue around Santa Cruz I'm at a loss, unless they are barbecuing tofu.

Help me Cruzans countywide and steer me to a good place for steer before I go veg.

I've heard is experimenting with 'cue, so I'll try that. There's a new place, Sid's, which has taken over my beloved Smoqe. Haven't been there yet, but will go if you say it's great.

is a favorite in Watsonville. There's , which looks the part, but, well, let's just say it's no Arthur Bryant's. There's the Aptos BBQ, which used to be Cole's and has live blues some evenings. But where can I find something like what we lived for in the Midwest?

If you've been to Kansas City you know what I'm talking about. In KC the meat is so good, they still serve it on white bread because they don't want anything to distract from it. If you live there, you are required to eat at Bryant's once a week. Even vegetarians go Old Testament and figure, hell, God says the animals are there for us to eat.

I gave up 15 years of vegetarianism in the KC home of 'cue and had no regret. The meat tastes like no other, like it walked over to your table because it wants to be there.

Sorry, I'm masticating here. Help a red-blooded meat eater who may switch to healthy tempeh if you can't give him 'cue to die for.

has a Kansas City-bred owner who knows his way around a steak and the does justice to ribs. in Scotts Valley comes highly recommended.

Lay it on me. Where should I queue up for 'que and have some great meat here without having to drive up to Flint's at 2 a.m.?

Vote in our great barbecue Readers' Choice poll. Voting ends at 9 a.m. Friday. The winner gets a Patch Readers' Choice certificate and a lot of new hungry customers. What's better than barbecue to start off the summer?