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| - I am always looking for great barbecue, which is why I was excited when a friend told me about T. C.'s Rib Crib. The name alone sounded authentic enough. She said she loves this place because their ribs are oh so fall-off-the-bone good. I couldn't wait to try it! A small place, located in a strip mall on the corner of DI and Durango, I thought I was in for some good barbecue, and quite possibly some great ribs! Upon entering, I noticed a smell...not the smell of sticky/smoky barbecue, but the generic smell of all-purpose cleaner. No biggie, I thought, at least the place was clean! I order from the photocopied pink paper menu and was excited to see that they serve Kool-Aid as one of their beverages. "Now THAT's authentic!" I thought. I was even more excited. I ordered the full rack of baby backs, an order of brisket, the pulled pork, fried okra, the beans, greens, and donut bread pudding. Hey, I was hungry, and I was planning on taking most of it home!
What a disappointment. The ribs were NOT barbecued. It had no smoke flavor and no smoke ring. Ditto on the brisket. Ditto on the pulled pork. Yes, all the meat was tender, but tasted like boiled meat slathered in sauce. The beans were...well, beans. The greens were almost too salty to eat. The donut bread pudding was crusty and stale around the edges and tasted like it was a couple days old. The best thing I had there was the fried okra and the Kool-Aid.
The employees are cheerfully nice, restrooms were immaculate, and the food was edible but not enjoyable. I will never willingly go back. If I am forced, I will just get the fried okra and Kool-Aid. But don't let my strong opinion stop you from trying it out yourself. You just might like it there, as my friend does. But, before you consider going to T. C.'s Rib Crib, I would recommend you consider the following:
-Do you love the flavor and tenderness of meats that have been slowly smoked for hours at low temperatures? If so, don't go to T. C.'s Rib Crib!
-Do you like your "barbecue" to taste like it was made by boiling and/or pressure cooking the meat until tender, slathering barbeque sauce over it, and slapping it on the grill a few times to caramelize the sauce? If so, by all means go to T. C.'s Rib Crib and have a blast!
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