Uh, somebody’s travels are a little revealing. Austin, New Orleans and Miami are the only southern locales. The rest are typical fare for limited northeasterners who are apparently afraid they’ll fall off the edge of the earth if they go into, for them, uncharted territory. Aiiiyeee, there they be dragons, lol.
You said it. Limited “Southern” Exposure, ie. to the area of the country with the finest real regular folks cooking there is in the US. They would... as a general politically correct move, never have tried Maurice’s in South Carolina— and the unique SC mustard sauce on a huge truly pit cooked pulled pork sandwich. Or for that matter— in NC... Hursey’s or Stamey’s BBQ or any of the 20 or so excellent BBQ real pit restaurants in Lexington, NC. At least they got in a truly great sandwich— the Cuban media noche or pressed cuban ham sandwich on real cuban bread (with a cafe’ con leche doble or a Materva- yerba mate soda on ice).