Real barbecue takes time. Low heat, a good wood smoke, and no rushing. That is exactly what Arby’s says it is doing this summer, and fans who tried the menu last year seem to agree.
The chain just brought back its slow-smoked BBQ lineup for the season. And this year, there is something new on the menu alongside an old favorite.
What’s Back and What’s New
The returning favorite is the Pulled Pork Sandwich. It starts with a quarter pound of pork that is hickory-smoked low and slow for four hours. Then it goes on a toasted brioche bun with pickles. Simple, classic, and from the sounds of it, very good.
Last year, one customer on Reddit described it this way:
“The pulled pork completely blew me away.”
Another wrote,
“Uh, when did Arby’s get this good? This has no business being so delicious. Juicy, tender, still could see some bark on it.”
The brand-new item is the Chopped Brisket Sandwich. Also, a quarter pound of brisket is smoked for 13 hours, more than three times as long as the pork. After smoking, it is chopped so the tender meat blends with the smoky bark. It also comes on a toasted brioche bun with pickles.
There is also a Mac Bowl, a new addition this year. It is built on a base of creamy white Cheddar mac and cheese, then topped with your choice of a quarter pound of pulled pork or chopped brisket. Crispy onions go on top, along with either sweet or spicy Arby’s BBQ sauce.
What Arby’s Says Sets It Apart
Arby’s put it plainly in a press release:
“Most fast food doesn’t take the time to do BBQ right, but Arby’s does. This is meat that’s done right, actually smoked low and slow, not rushed, no shortcuts.”
That is a fair claim if the 13-hour brisket is any indication. A Redditor who tried it last year summed it up simply: “That actually looks really good for a fast food chain.”
The BBQ lineup is available for a limited time only. If the pulled pork sounds like something you enjoyed before (or if that new brisket has you curious), now is the time to stop in.