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| - I've been up and down Roncesvalles more times than I can count, and I can count pretttty high, so the opening of a smokehouse definitely caught my attention. Roncesvalles has plenty of great restaurants that will satiate anyone's hankering for pizza, sushi, pub food and the like, but what about BBQ?! For those who had been previously denied meat of the smoked nature, Barque must have seemed like a southern dream coming true when it opened its doors for the first time.
I've heard that the brunch is drool worthy, but I was only lucky enough to get in for lunch one day. I say lucky because this place is always jammed and the waiting time can often be up to an hour or more. However, if you have your eye on the prize (ie. a rack of baby back ribs perhaps), you'll endure the restless wait. My lunch consisted of a spicy caesar and the smoked Barque burger. While it did not make me fall of my chair (I'm surprised a few caesars didn't either), it was tasty and the arugula salad on the side was a nice complement to the dish. My friend had the Halibut, which I enjoyed more than my own meal. Why I always want what my lunch date orders I'll never know, but I managed to steal a few bites and the fish was fresh and cooked perfectly.
In addition to the food, the atmosphere is casual and the restaurant well-designed with some high thick wooden tables and the lower variety where families can gather round to devour plates of saucy brisket, ribs, wings and chicken. With that said, vegetarians will be happy to find a few items on the menu that they can equally enjoy while not having to worry about BBQ war wounds being left on their cheeks.
Barque is a feel good joint (and a bit of a carnivore's dream)...a little Texan, a little Cuban, and a whole lot good!
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