Check out this interview the Lakeland newspaper did of Joel, Bubba's brother, after his restaurant's ribs took second place in a Florida BBQ competition.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1569844333/bclid1425858110/bctid1743197881

Good Buddies
Published: Thursday, August 21, 2008 at 12:01 a.m. Last Modified: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 at 5:57 p.m.
No. 2 on the best-ribs list is a relative newcomer to the local restaurant scene: Good Buddies BBQ on Kentucky Avenue in Lakeland.

What makes the ribs at this 2-year-old restaurant so good?
Two things, says owner Joel Vann: Good Buddies uses only baby back ribs and its cooks prepare them with a special 13-spice rub that the restaurant developed.
"We use baby back ribs to try to be a bit different from other restaurants," Vann said.
Vann's cooking technique varies from the Rib House. "We strictly smoke our ribs - with oak and white oak," he said. "We do not put them on the grill or in the oven at all. We pull them out when the ribs start to sweat the second time, when they look nice and moist."
The whole process takes about three hours, said Vann, who grew up on barbecue partly because his father was a meat manager for Publix for 30 years.
The rub, along with the smoky taste and sweet sauce, makes these ribs among the most flavorful around, well worth the $15.99 per rack and two sides.
To view the menu, go to http://www.goodbuddiesbbq.com/.