RedWood Smoke Shack — Virginia Beach

This outpost on Nimmo Parkway runs Texas barbecue the way it's meant to be run: open Tuesday through Saturday, serving until the day's smoke is gone. The hours say six o'clock, but the meat decides when closing time actually arrives.

It's straightforward work — pit, post oak if they're doing it properly, and the kind of brisket and ribs that don't need a speech. They're closed Sundays and Mondays, which is the correct number of days off when you're tending fire the rest of the week.