OK, class, before you grab your bibs and your wet-naps and we head out on our field trip, let's review some basics:

1: The Dinosaur serves some darn good barbecue, but the fact is, the county's rife with places to get sloppy with a rack of ribs.

2: Vocabulary review: St. Louis cut ribs have both more bone and more fat than the baby backs, which some claim make them more flavorful. There are as many variations on barbecue sauce as there are states in the union, some of which include Kansas City (spicy-sweet and tomato-based), Carolina (often vinegar- or mustard-based), Memphis (mild and sweet, used with a dry rub), and Texas (made of tomatoes and vinegar, if any sauce is used at all).

OK, let's eat. Note that this isn't a list of every barbecue joint in the Greater Rochester area, but it'll give you a good finger-lickin' start.

Merchant St. Smoke House

48 Merchant St., Brockport; 637-6020

Vibe: Tucked behind Brockport's post office, the Smoke House's outdoor bar and canopied tables overlook the Erie Canal, affording patrons great views of fit collegiate joggers while they enjoy their pulled pork. Inside it's dim and reminiscent of a sports bar, with fewer down-home decorations than most of the others.

Sauce: Bottled and caddied on each table, homemade sauces include regular, hot and spicy, sweet and sour, smoked chipotle, and smoked habanero "Bombraro."

Meatless options: A portabella mushroom sandwich, wrap, and entree are offered, as well as a veggie burger.

Extras: Daily happy hour specials at the bar.

Cost: A full rack of St. Louis ribs, no sides: $19.95

Taste of Texas Bar-B-Q

122 S. Union St., Spencerport; 352-4BBQ

Vibe: A family-owned place on Spencerport's main drag, this one is a little brighter and more wholesome feeling than most. Order tickets whiz the length of the bar via a nifty steel cable, slamming into a cowbell to notify the cook of their arrival.

Sauce: A house sauce and the spicier Texas Sun are served in hand-labeled squeeze bottles.

Meatless options: A veggie burger is served topped with veggie bacon.

Extras: Kids meals are available for under-12 "calf, pup, [or] foal"; a senior discount of $1 off any meal is offered all the time.

Cost: A full rack of baby back ribs, no sides: $17.95

Nola's BBQ

4775 Lake Ave.; 663-3375

Vibe: Billing itself as "New Orleans Louisiana Waterfront Barbecue," Nola's eschews red, white, and wood in favor of a vast interior, bright colors, and tiki torches. A two-level dining area faces a mirrored stage.

Sauce: Nola's "Famous" homemade BBQ sauce.

Meatless options: How about a house salad?

Extras: Live entertainment is offered most Friday and Saturday nights in the Velvet Room.

Cost: A full rack with two sides and cornbread: $17.95

Beale St. Café

689 South Ave.; 271-4650. | 1930 Empire Blvd., Webster; 216-1070

Vibe: Live music and Cajun-style grub. The South Wedge location offers weekend people-watching from a few sidewalk tables.

Sauce: The house sauce is homemade; a bourbon BBQ glaze is offered on some entrees.

Meatless options: The etouffee (derived from the French "to smother") is available without meat.

Extras: Five nights a week in the city and three in Webster, enjoy a rotating schedule of blues bands.

Cost: A full rack, no sides: $17.99

Sticky Lips Pit BBQ

625 Culver Rd.; 288-1910

Vibe: Battered, bright-red indoor picnic tables are reminiscent of a Texas roadside joint. Add in cluttered, whitewashed walls, and it's country in the city.

Sauce: Choose from four styles: red All-American, Cherry Bomb Brown, mustardy Carolina Clipper, and a Memphis dry rub.

Meatless options: Allotted their own section of the menu, vegetarian dinners include BBQ bourbon tofu steak, ratatouille, a mushroom-black bean etouffee, and a portabella steak.

Extras: The new Sticky Icky Plate is Sticky Lips' nod to the garbage plate: fries, mac salad, and BBQ beans with choice of meat.

Cost: A full rack of St. Louis ribs without sides: $19.50

JC's Backyard BBQ

1789 Penfield Rd., Penfield; 586-1910

Vibe: Not as cozy as some, but bright and spare with LP- and album cover-festooned walls. Large-screen TVs carry the game and your favorite crime dramas.

Sauce: Four homemade varieties: House, Chipotle BBQ, Smoked Honey Cherry, and Sweet and Sour.

Meatless options: Stick with salads or sides.

Extras: Half-price appetizers Friday and Saturday, 10 p.m.-close.

Cost: A full rack with two sides and cornbread: $22.75

Unkl Moe's

493 West Ave.; 464-8240

Vibe: In its seven years Unkl Moe's has become something of an institution, and its sepia-toned interior has an appropriately old-school feel - more neighborhood lunch counter than rib joint. Natural light floods the space, service is friendly and efficient.

Sauce: Homemade house sauce.

Meatless options: Grilled cheese and salad; breakfast is also available.

Extras: Unkl Moe's menu includes a full slate of breakfast items - omelets, french toast, etc.- as well as non-barbecue dinner entrees and sides.

Cost: Rib dinner with two sides: $9.25