Head to Pleasant Hill, San Jose, Hayward or Gilroy. The Pleasant Hill pitmasters from Back Forty Texas BBQ placed fourth in the 27th annual Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-Off.

From all the items we sampled, there were three I'd go back for: the pork rib dinner ($14.50), for the ribs' juiciness and good ratio of meat to bone; the "Texas Dip" sandwich ($5.75) for its ...