Pitmaster Roderick Williams loves his smoker so much he named it after his daughter, Gabrielle. The state-of-the-art device — which he showcases in the front of his Pleasanton restaurant — is as spotless and polished as the floors. Gabrielle looks like something you’d find in Willy Wonka’s factory, a big, shiny stainless steel box with tubes and wires coming out from all ends. An order of Roderick’s brisket, and you may want to adopt Gabrielle as your very own. The beef comes out delicately perfumed with smoke, not fumigated, and every last stringy, fatty bit has melted away. Ask for the sweet sauce on the side, so you can dab at will, and eat this ‘cue close to your chest, because it’s so moist it might just disintegrate before it hits your mouth.
Readers’ Pick:
Everett & Jones Barbecue
Multiple locations
