Gracie’s Serves up House-Smoked Barbecue From a Refurbished Vallejo Gas Station | Eater SF

"What began as a 16-foot trailer on Springs Road on December 15, 1999, has grown into a refurbished 1930s gas station at the corner of Sonoma and Virginia that turns out an extensive, mostly scratch-made menu of barbecue to hundreds of Vallejo customers every week. Despite never having been to Texas or other barbecue hubs, the food — including smoked or roasted chicken, baby back ribs, pulled pork, and burnt ends — tastes like classic barbecue and is smothered in Gracie’s barbecue sauce. The southern-style sweet tea is served in a Mason jar, brewed with a coffee maker and loaded with sugar, the lemonade is made on site, and their “Swamp Juice” is an Arnold Palmer made with sweet tea; the only thing not made in-house are the Louisiana hot links, which come from Courage Production in Fairfield. I appreciate how customer feedback shaped the sides: the coleslaw was rebalanced with Granny Smith apples and cranberries after being deemed too sweet, cornbread gained creamed corn for density and moisture, and the sweet potato pie was improved by roasting the potatoes after boiling to caramelize their sugars. Named for Ingersoll’s daughter, Gracie’s is as much about community as it is about food — Ingersoll has invested in Vallejo beyond his restaurant, including helping fund the city’s July 4 fireworks in 2009, and he says the best part of the restaurant is the community he’s built." - Ray Levy Uyeda