Roscoe's Root Beer & Ribs

You wouldn't necessarily think of great ribs when you think of Rochester, Minnesota, but this city surprises with a couple of great rib joints. The favorite is arguably Roscoe's. It serves slabs of pork ribs, shredded pork shoulder, thinly sliced beef, smoked chicken and ham flavored with a sweet, tangy barbecue sauce. Opt for the thin-sliced jo-jo potatoes -- rather than typical French fries -- and an old-fashioned root beer, made with their private recipe. You can order by the pound ($11.99) or by the platter, which comes with jo-jos, garlic toast and sides such as coleslaw or potato salad. Rib platters are $14.99 for a six-rib slab. The menu also offers hamburgers and a few other sandwiches from a reasonable $2.50 to about $6. The restaurant opened in 1981 in a former A&W root beer stand on 4th Street, two blocks east of the Government Center. Since then, Roscoe's has won several awards in those ubiquitous rib contests that seem to pop up everywhere, including a first place in 1993 in the national Great American Rib Cook-Off. Along with the original retro location (open only seasonally), Roscoe's has a second year-round location on the north side of town.