Well, the first key to your post is that the best barbecue doesn't need sauce. Sauce is a nice addition to bbq, but it shouldn't really have anything to do with the meat itself. People who don't have the best meat worry about sauce.
Second, you've obviously not tried enough Texas BBQ if you think some of those things. Unfortunately, DFW is a wasteland for BBQ, so I can't say that I blame you. I've heard the new Pecan Lodge is pretty good, but beyond that, there isn't a really great BBQ place in DFW. The best near that area is Clark's in Tioga. But, the key is -- there are some great, thick, sweet sauces. Heck, Franklin actually has a pretty good sweet sauce as one of their three offerings. The sauce at Stiles Switch in Austin is fantastic -- sweet like you say.
If you're ever down in Austin, hit me up -- there are quite a few places we can go that I bet would change your mind.
Jack Stack is fantastic. I've been there twice, most recently about a month ago. Their brisket sucks, but the ribs are fantastic. Their sides though...man. I normally say that anytime you have to talk about the sides that means the BBQ isn't good, but JS is the exception. Jeez they are good.
Early- to mid-30's.
There is a lot of great stuff outside of Texas. BBQ just isn't one of them.
Well, I think most regional rankings nationwide always seem to have Memphis and Kansas City as the top two spots in Barbeque. It's all about preference. I saw a show on Food Network once when they compared regional BBQ and the winner ended up being North Carolina and Memphis, while KC ranked pretty low. I get what you're saying about the sauce, but everyone already slow cooks their meat for 20+ hours, so sauce and seasoning are the big differentiators. However, since all the regions do it differently, it really is like comparing apples and oranges. A better argument is to say: best KC/St. Louis style BBQ place, best TX style BBQ Place, best Memphis style place, etc.
