Our favourite barbecue spots

Posted 20 August, 2023 Jeremy Rochow

Humans have been cooking over coals for thousands of years. In fact, barbecue is one of the oldest forms of food preparation in the world.

Every culture has their own way of barbecuing. In India grilling is done in a clay tandoor oven which burns at a high heat, exposing the food to open flames.

Char siu – or barbecue pork – is a popular Chinese dish where marinated meat is placed on an elongated fork and roasted over an open fire. This leaves it with a slightly charred reddish-brown colour and a sweet but savoury flavour.

Meanwhile, in Japan Yakitori sees bite-sized pieces of chicken placed on skewers and grilled over hot coals.

There are a variety of barbecue styles in the US, with ribs, brisket and pulled pork some of the favourites.

You don’t have to jump on a plane to enjoy these barbecued treats. Instead try most of them right here in Adelaide. Here are a few of our favourites.

1. Afghan Charcoal Kebab House

Hindley Street

This small hole-in-the-wall style restaurant sells chicken or lamb kebabs packed with big flavours. Served with pita bread or fluffy pilaf rice and an Afghan chilli sauce, the kebabs are marinated with spices and cooked over charcoal, giving them a smoky flavour.

2. Black Bird

Colonel Light Gardens

Specialising in charcoal rotisserie meats, Black Bird offers a variety of barbecue dishes ranging from blackened charcoal chicken served with coleslaw and salsa verde, to chargrilled squid with garlic, olive oil and parsley.

The Black Bird menu is so versatile that it also includes a beef brisket marinated in mustard, celery powder, caraway and coriander seeds served with a parmesan aioli and pineapple relish.

3. Low and Slow American BBQ

Port Adelaide

This southern American-style joint will satisfy your barbecue cravings, with the meat smoked for up to 18 hours over oak and hickory chips.

They serve all the classics, including pulled pork shoulder with a Texas bbq sauce, beef brisket and smoked pork ribs. Don’t forget the sides either. There’s mac ‘n’ cheese, cornbread, apple slaw and more.

4. Sho Yakitori Bar at Shobosho

Leigh Street

This cosy yakitori bar on Shobosho’s ground floor serves bite-sized small plates of skewered chicken breast, tsukune (chicken meatballs) wagyu, pork cuts and more.

With the chef and hibachi grill only an arm’s length from where you’re sitting, you can watch the skewers sizzle and cook right in front of you.

Want a more intimate experience? You can book this restaurant out if you have six to 10 people, and the chef will guide you through the Sho premium barbecue menu.

5. Sosta Argentinian Kitchen

Rundle Street

A traditional Argentinian asado usually consists of a variety of meats cooked using an open fire. And, while a trip to Buenos Aires may not be on the cards right now, Sosta Argentinian Kitchen on Rundle Street is the next best thing. Devour a 21-day dry-aged beef T-bone which has been cooked on a wood-fired grill, or go all out and order the mixed grill. This platter, which includes pork belly, chorizo, lamb, quail and beef, will give you your barbecue fix.

6. Simon Taste Chinese Restaurant

Market Street

Only a few minutes from Chinatown, down a backstreet, you’ll find Simon Taste – a Chinese-style barbecue restaurant.

Here, you can try a range of foods, including grilled enoki mushrooms and potatoes, barbecued oysters and even charcoal-cooked crayfish.

There are plenty of sides as well, including seaweed salad, tofu with preserved egg and shredded cucumber with a soy dressing.