B
Bruzilla
Guest
I've never considered myself to be much of a bon vivant, but I do know BBQ, and I do know that "good BBQ" and "in Maryland" are not words that belong together in the same sentence. I thought I had some good BBQ growing up, but it wasn't until I got stationed in Florida that I found out what really good BBQ is. Maryland may have the crab thing down, but I never found any really good BBQ in Maryland during the 12 years I lived there... and I looked hard as I am a true BBQ junkie.
I think that for BBQ to be really good, the following conditions must be met:
1. They have to cook the meats over a hardwood fire, preferably seasoned oak. If they're using chunked misquite or hickory forget it... they're just posers. And if there's no burning wood or smoke to be seen or smelled, then the place is not a BBQ outlet as they're just throwing sauce on oven-baked meats.
2. One should encounter a nicely detectable smell of smoke near the place, and get hit in the face with it when they walk in the door. Where there's smoke there's BBQ. Where there's no smoke, there's ovens and that isn't BBQ.
3. The place should offer sweetened tea as a beverage. This does not include cans of Nestea. This also does not include unsweetened tea and a handful of sugar packets.
4. There should be at least one tomato-based sauce and one mustard-based sauce on the table. If they only have one or the other, forget it. A really good place will have six or more sauces available.
5. They should offer pulled and chopped pork, not just pulled.
6. The meat should be lean and tender, and have a nice pink tint. If it's not pink, then there's no smoking going on.
7. They should offer side dishes like fried okra, fried corn, corn nuggets, and Brunswick stew. If all they have is fries and a weak vinegar-laden cole slaw, forget it.
8. They should provide at least one slice of garlic ranch toast.
9. After the meat, the place's BBQ beans are one of the most telling features. They should be thick, heavy with molasses, and have chunks of meat.
10. When you get ready to leave, your waitress should offer you a refill in a to-go cup as a matter of habit.
The closest thing I ever found to decent BBQ in the area was Bear Creek... at least they actually went to the trouble to smoke their meats. On the downside their side dishes are horrible and everything you drink comes from a can or bottle... plus the prices were too high. If you'all every come to Jacksonville, let me know and I'll take you over to Lou Bono's BBQ and let you taste what BBQ is all about. For under $10 you can get a big plate of chopped pork and beef, a pile of fries, some really thick & creamy cole slaw, two slices of garlic toast, an ear of fried corn, and a big Luzianne sweet tea with lemon to wash it down. It doesn't get any better.
I think that for BBQ to be really good, the following conditions must be met:
1. They have to cook the meats over a hardwood fire, preferably seasoned oak. If they're using chunked misquite or hickory forget it... they're just posers. And if there's no burning wood or smoke to be seen or smelled, then the place is not a BBQ outlet as they're just throwing sauce on oven-baked meats.
2. One should encounter a nicely detectable smell of smoke near the place, and get hit in the face with it when they walk in the door. Where there's smoke there's BBQ. Where there's no smoke, there's ovens and that isn't BBQ.
3. The place should offer sweetened tea as a beverage. This does not include cans of Nestea. This also does not include unsweetened tea and a handful of sugar packets.
4. There should be at least one tomato-based sauce and one mustard-based sauce on the table. If they only have one or the other, forget it. A really good place will have six or more sauces available.
5. They should offer pulled and chopped pork, not just pulled.
6. The meat should be lean and tender, and have a nice pink tint. If it's not pink, then there's no smoking going on.
7. They should offer side dishes like fried okra, fried corn, corn nuggets, and Brunswick stew. If all they have is fries and a weak vinegar-laden cole slaw, forget it.
8. They should provide at least one slice of garlic ranch toast.
9. After the meat, the place's BBQ beans are one of the most telling features. They should be thick, heavy with molasses, and have chunks of meat.
10. When you get ready to leave, your waitress should offer you a refill in a to-go cup as a matter of habit.
The closest thing I ever found to decent BBQ in the area was Bear Creek... at least they actually went to the trouble to smoke their meats. On the downside their side dishes are horrible and everything you drink comes from a can or bottle... plus the prices were too high. If you'all every come to Jacksonville, let me know and I'll take you over to Lou Bono's BBQ and let you taste what BBQ is all about. For under $10 you can get a big plate of chopped pork and beef, a pile of fries, some really thick & creamy cole slaw, two slices of garlic toast, an ear of fried corn, and a big Luzianne sweet tea with lemon to wash it down. It doesn't get any better.
Don't keep up in suspense...