Jazzy's BBQ   

Retired NFL player Johnny Ray Smith, a defensive back for the Tampa Bay Bucs 1981-84, opened Jazzy's in the mid 1990s. It didn't take long for the restaurant to gain a loyal clientele of area industrial and office workers, as well as people calling in orders from the farthest reaches of Hillsborough County. With just an order counter, some airbrush art and formation of two-seater tables, the 50-capacity Jazzy's has become a favorite for barbecue lovers all over Tampa Bay. It's all that wood that goes in the pit. You see those hickory logs piling up outside and smell it smoking juicy meat the moment you step out of your car (a torturous tease when driving by). Everything is homemade at Jazzy's: Smith makes the sauce on the premises, one sweet and mild, the other hot and peppery, and the desserts are also prepared by Johnny's wife, co-owner Pam Smith - sumptuous 7-Up pound cake, mini pecan or sweet potato pies. TGIF at Jazzy's: Friday is crowded at Jazzy's, the only day to get macaroni and cheese, cornbread and collard greens made by co-owner and wife extraordinaire, Pam Smith. Bring it to the football party: Not only can you brag that an ex-Buc cooked it, but the price is right. The affordable combo pack includes a slab of beef or pork ribs; hot, medium or mild sauce; a whole chicken, and three pint-size side orders -- baked beans, potato salad and coleslaw. --Julie Garisto (Photo: Julie Garisto)