Bad Boys offers boneless ribs, short ribs, broccoli saladand baked beans that are cooked for 24 hours.

Summer and Fourth of July are here, along with gatherings in backyards for barbecues and other traditions. It may not look the same as in the past. Still, it’s an opportunity to support a local restaurant by getting takeout barbecue. Grab some excellent summertime grub and socially distance with friends in your backyard. Or, share a meal as your quarantine group sits together watching fireworks, safely distanced from your neighbors.

A few years ago, I was certified to be an official Kansas City Barbecue judge. It taught me a lot about barbecue as well as how to determine what was considered the best quality.

According to the Kansas City Barbecue Society , there is a difference between grilling and barbecuing. Grilling is fast. Food is cooked over direct heat — either live coals or gas — at high temperatures. Barbecue requires slow, low heat. Smoldering hardwoods simultaneously smoke and cook the food at temps between 250 and 350 degrees.

Different regions of the U.S. have different barbecue styles. Kansas City Barbecue uses a dry rub with sauce added at the end of cooking. In North Carolina, sauces have a mustard base. In the Deep South, many prefer barbecue meats with a sweeter tomato base. In East Texas, the best ribs are when meat is “falling off the bone.” In Kansas City, that’s considered overdone.

It’s all a matter of what you prefer. Despite the differences, good barbecue has a balanced mixture of spices, tender meat, with just the right amount of charring on the outside and juiciness within.

Where other cuisines excel when flavors complement each other within the recipe, the side dishes balance the tangy, sweet notes of barbecue. Creamy dishes like coleslaw and potato salad, cheesy flavors like mac and cheese or au gratin potatoes and sweet dishes like baked beans, cornbread or corn pudding satisfy the taste buds as a whole.

In Central Oregon, Baldy’s Barbecue with east side and west side locations in Bend, and another in Redmond, offer an authentic and quality experience. The only other brick -and -mortar barbecue restaurant is Cody’s Country Catering in Bend.

A few restaurants offer authentic barbecue dishes on their menu. Sisters Saloon & Ranch Grill has a smoked 1/2 chicken rubbed with spices and smoked for two hours, as well as Uncle Mike’s House Smoked Ribs. Tumalo Feed Company has a family meal with three pounds of slow-roasted dry-rubbed ribs with house-made barbecue sauce, served with mashed potatoes. For a fast-food option, consider the Hawaiian barbecue ribs or chicken at Aloha Cafe.

With so few dedicated barbecue restaurants, I decided to include The Bad Boy BBQ Food Trucks in Redmond and Bend.

Baldy’s BarbecueThe cute bald head with the bandanna logo of Baldy’s is a caricature of owner Brian Dioguardi. He opened the first restaurant in Bend 15 years ago. Growing up in Chicago, he met a barbecue chef from the south who shared his secret recipes with Dioguardi.

At Baldy’s, Dioguardi rubs baby back ribs with brown sugar, chili pepper, garlic, cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper and smoked paprika. After cooking for a couple hours, the ribs are steamed with his tangy vinegar barbecue sauce, apple cider and apple cider vinegar, then charred on the grill. The preparation makes the ribs moist and tender, perfectly cooked — just shy of falling off the bone.

We shared a brisket plate and a smoked 1/2 chicken plate for a recent meal. It was a generous serving of thick-cut, smokey lean brisket smothered in house-made barbecue sauce. The dry-rubbed chicken had been smoked for hours over seasoned hardwoods. Its charred skin and juicy meat were so flavorful that I skipped the barbecue sauce.

Baked beans enhanced both the brisket and the chicken. A side of creamy, sweet coleslaw complemented the tangy, slightly spicy vinegar flavor of the barbecue sauce. The corn pudding was a sweet touch that went well with the sour, salty and spicy tastes.

While these were “individual plates” with enough food for two, Baldy’s sampler plate, the Extravaganza, will feed (at least) four. It includes a full rack of baby back ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket and a smoked half chicken.

Other available sides include the jalapeno cornbread, au gratin potatoes, french fries, baked potato, garlic toast, Caesar salad, mac and cheese, sweet potato fries or fried okra.

Cody’s Country Catering

In its third generation of ownership, Cody’s Catering on Wilson and Ninth Street serves sandwiches or family meals to feed 3 or 4 people. You can pick up a lunch, but you’ll need to order before 1 p.m. to pick up a family dinner later.

We opted for the pulled pork dinner. Along with pulled pork that was juicy with some crispy edges, we ordered chipotle coleslaw, beans and bacon green beans. The man taking my order recommended that I get the rolls rather than garlic bread. This was a great suggestion, as I piled pork on a split dinner roll with some chipotle coleslaw, then topped it with barbecue sauce. It’s a delicious take on a “Memphis style” pulled pork sandwich. For a creamy contrast to the spicy, savory flavors, be sure to get the potato macaroni salad with fresh red onions, shredded carrots, peas, red potatoes and celery. It tastes homemade.

Bad Boy BBQ Truck of Central OregonThe Bad Boy BBQ Truck is a real find. Chef and owner Gary Dale is self-taught, but the delicious barbecue offerings would never give it away. His passion for great food and trying new recipes more than compensate for any lack of training. One of the food trucks is located at General Duffy’s in Redmond and the other at Bridge 99 Brewery in Bend. Order takeout food and have a seat at the outdoor tables at Bridge 99 or get delivery via Door Dash.

I had a sampler plate of meats. Dale urged me to try the boneless beef ribs. The beef had been marinated in honey Jack Daniels, teriyaki, brown sugar and cajun spices. It was slow-smoked with alder wood. The flavor was a perfect balance of sweet and smokey with just a hint of spice. The pulled pork and short ribs were juicy and flavorful. My favorite was the brisket. Smoked for 15 hours then finished up by steaming with apple juice, the sweet, smokey, incredibly moist meat could be pulled apart and savored.

The baked beans were another over-the-top item. Rather than merely using navy beans, the Bad Boy baked beans are made with eight different types of beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, molasses and brown sugar. They are simmered for 24 hours. The sweet, savory flavor perfectly complements the barbecue meats.

I’m always happy to have a broccoli, bacon and raisin salad. This side was only lightly dressed though very fresh, with small florets. They don’t have a creamy side dish option at Bad Boys.

If you are planning a group barbecue, give them a call. You can get individual meals or order meats by the pound (best if you call in advance but not essential). They accommodate a variety of needs, including providing frozen, vacuum-sealed meats.

Whether you are putting together a last-minute picnic with the family, or are planning a socially distanced backyard bash, there are delicious barbecue options available. Though not necessary, if you have a larger group, consider calling a day in advance.