Few foods can rival the taste of some good, old-fashioned barbecue. As delicious as it can be, great barbecue can be difficult to find outside of the southern reaches of the United States. Thankfully, Big Papa’s BBQ, 5811 Forest Hills Road, in Rockford can give any barbecue fan their fix.

I immediately felt at home when I stepped into the small, yet cozily-decorated space. Not being a huge barbecue connoisseur, the staff was very friendly and helpful with providing recommendations. I started with the burnt ends appetizer, and I’ve never heard of them prior, but I can’t stress enough how good they were. These brownie-sized pieces of fatty meat cut from the ends of brisket were bursting with flavor. Dipping them in the rich, tangy homemade barbecue sauce made them even better.

Being a sucker for pulled pork, I had to try the pork butt sandwich. It was definitely one of the best I’ve had in years; the meat practically melts in your mouth. I experimented with their sweeter and spicier sauces, and I couldn’t get enough. On my second visit, I opted for the sampler platter, which includes ribs, texas toast, a quarter pound of beef and a quarter pound of pork. The portion sizes were much bigger than I expected given the modest prices.

Big Papa’s BBQ is a true gem in the Rockford area; they have daily specials, which are available on their website. I’ll definitely be coming back, and I encourage any barbecue fans to try it themselves.