During the summer, there are few things that are more traditional than the American barbecue. Whether you call it a pig roast, a cookout, or a barbecue, it’s a great way to get friends and family together for some outstanding weather and some excellent food. When you’re having a fun event outdoors, it seems only natural to have the smell of smoked meats permeating the air. Here are a few reasons why barbecue is a great choice for your next summer event.

Plenty of Options

One of the great things about home catering is that you have plenty of options available to satisfy your guests for your main entree. Many guests have diverse tastes, and the tradition of having just burgers and hot dogs might not be the right way to satisfy the most number of guests. By bringing in barbecue, you can choose a multitude of both meats and sauces, making sure that you have plenty of opportunities for each guest to get exactly what he or she wants.

For example, pulled pork is a great choice for barbecue, especially in the Southeast. If you’ve got guests from around the area, you have a wide range of choices for sauce to go with it. A guest from North Carolina, for example, might prefer a mustard-based barbecue sauce, while somebody from Tennessee might be more accustomed to the vinegar-based sauces found closer to Memphis. You might even want to offer white barbecue sauce, which seems strange to much of the country but is prized in northern Alabama for the flavor it brings to both pork and chicken. Your guests can even choose whether to go for a sandwich or opt for the knife and fork, giving yet another way for them to satisfy themselves as they wish.

Super Side Dishes

With some entrees, you’re kind of limited as to what side dishes you can reasonably serve that complement the meal well. With barbecue, you’re only limited by your imagination. Baked beans are a natural pairing. So are cole slaw, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, cinnamon apples, and a host of other great options. You can opt for the most basic of options by letting guests grab a handful of chips, or you can try for something that takes hours to make, such as au gratin potatoes. Whatever your guests might be in the mood for as a side dish is acceptable, because you really have no rules when it comes to barbecue. With so many meats to choose from as an entree, you’d be hard-pressed to find a side that isn’t a perfect fit for your meal.

When people go home after a party, one of the main things they almost always remember is the quality of the food. If you served a great meal, they’ll think positively about the entire experience. To make sure as many guests as possible are happy, it’s hard to beat the flexibility you get from barbecue catering in Atlanta!