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| - I grew up in Texas and Oklahoma, so I know real barbecue. And I love it. Unfortunately, living in Ohio, it's difficult to find an authentic barbecue joint. There are maybe 2 or 3 in between Columbus and Cleveland that I know of, that serve it up like they do down south. Bullies Real BBQ is not one of them.
My dad and I made the trip up from Green to try it out last Saturday. I had heard some good things about Bullies from a couple of friends of mine (albeit they're Ohioans and therefore, not used to eating good barbecue), so our expectations were higher than usual.
To sum it up, we were pretty disappointed. We both ordered their "pick any two" combo platter with the ribs and the brisket. The ribs were severely overcooked, dry and grey inside, with a hint of pink showing in the thicker portion of the rib meat. The brisket was atrocious. Out of all the barbecue joints I've eaten at in my lifetime, I've never seen it prepared like Bullies prepares it. It resembled Arby's roast beef more than brisket - shaved like deli meat and overcooked, either in some type of au jus or in a microwave. When it came to the table, it was hiding under the ribs, in a pile. It had a tough, rubbery texture and was almost tasteless. The sauces were fine, but nothing to rave about. We also got french fries, cornbread and dry rub wings, all of which were decent.
And so the quest for good barbecue in Ohio continues. For now, I'll keep going to Old Carolina (Akron, Canton), City Barbecue (Columbus), and Famous Dave's (North Olmsted).
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