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| - Spent the afternoon sampling pretty much everything that Earl's has to offer... the thing about BBQ is that when its good, its just awesome, but its so prone to #fail and bad BBQ is inedible. I'm pleased to say there was nothing inedible on Earl's menu and some items were pleasant standout surprises.
- above all, the ribs were just as perfect as ribs can be. Did the half and half, and the beef ribs had a perfect rub finish to them, weren't overdone but had that carmelized crispiness that is just awesome. The pork ribs didn't suffer from overcooking, which I find so often. They had a meltiness to them from preserving some of the fat that was delicious.
Collard greens are just tough, but these were delicious. Not overcooked, still had a bit of bite, and weren't masked in pork products. bright green and fresh.. I loved them.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the tasty bits... the pig tails were absolutely delicious. I'd compare them to roasted turkey necks. I question if they need to be fried.
The fried pickles and okra were exactly what you want from them: a bit of crunchy, a bit of salty, a bit of sweet and a lot of dressing.
I tried a few other items including bone marrow, which I enjoyed mostly for its smart addition of okra though I wish it was a bit less cooked, and pork belly, which lets face it, can never be bad. This version, with onion rings and some other accoutrements didn't disappoint.
Though nothing fell flat, I felt some items didn't stand up to the truly great menu pieces: macaroni and cheese came in two forms: in a crock and as a deep fried ball. Oddly, the ball had more texture and was thus more interesting, but neither were spectacular next to the ribs.
Worth noting as well were the cocktails. inventive, fresh, and served in mason jars, they were the perfect accompaniment. The barkeep came out to make a suggestion to match my mood and followed up to find out if I liked it.
Overall, the vibe of the place and the food lends itself to a perfect dinner out with the family, or pre club activity. Plenty of food to share at a table, and the drinks to match. This might be the perfect Southern antidote to Arizona summers.
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