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| - North and South has been on my radar for quite some time, and today I had a chance to stop in and try it for the first time. I'm a huge BBQ fan and I've eaten at some of the very best joints in the country, but I've never been anywhere that blends a seafood menu and bbq to this extent. To be honest I was pretty skeptical, but in the end I was very pleasantly surprised by this first exploration. Here's what i had:
Iced Tea - fresh brewed and very good. Strong and flavorful without being bitter. We were off to a good start!
Fried Pickles - the pickles were sliced into nice, expertly thin chips before being breaded and fried. The breading is light, crisp, and excellently flavored. There was a bit of a taste from the oil but they were not greasy or heavy at all. I also really enjoyed the dipping sauce they were served with. Superb example of one of my favorite sides. Honestly, this got me excited to come back just to try their fried fish dishes some time. If they can execute fish the way they did pickles it will be a surefire winner!
Pulled Pork - moist, smoky, and flavorful without being overly fatty. Nice job on the pulled pork for sure. One important note, this is truly pulled pork, and some of what we were served was a little on the long side in terms of the particular strands of muscle. This is a nice indication of actually pulling the well smoked pork butts, but not the easiest to eat or share. I'm a believer that BBQ should be eaten with the hands! A quick chop or two would have been good in this particular case, but overall a really solid job on the pulled pork!
Brisket - we had slices from the flat, including the very first 'end' cut, which is exceptionally flavorful, if prone to being a little more on the dry side. There was a bit more fat cap left on the flat than I usually like and the fat may have benefitted from just a bit more time on the smoker to render a little more completely (or being served just a bit hotter). The overall taste and texture were very good, probably the best I've had in Madison. The brisket was cooked properly, making it very moist and tender but not falling apart. Serving size might have been just a touch on the small side; another slice would have been very welcome. I wasn't asked if I wanted flat or point, perhaps they only smoke flats? Either way, a good solid job on the brisket as well.
Ribs - these were a half rack or so of baby-back ribs. I general I greatly prefer big, meaty, tasty spare ribs, but for baby-backs these were pretty good. The edges were a bit charred and I wonder if they might benefit from a lower/slower cook, but I've certainly had worse. The meat came cleanly away from the bones, but again, they were not overcooked or mushy, which is rare in a restaurant rib. I think the pork and brisket were both better, but all in all these were not bad.
Chicken - sliced, smoked chicken breast is a weird choice for a BBQ preparation. I was hoping this would be either pulled or served as whole, bone in pieces. To my mind I'd call this smoked rather than BBQed (I know, that conversation is a whole big thing...) and it was okay but noth something I'd order again.
BBQ Brisket Beans - these were a really nice side! Extremely flavorful, with a nice color and aroma; although maybe cooked just a bit more than I'd really like. The texture was quite soft, although not off putting. Very close to being truly excellent, but the overly smooth and homogeneous mouthfeel was just a tiny bit off my preference. I'd order them again for sure, but a little less cooking time might really make them sing!
French fries - good solid order of fries, but nothing special. I'd have loved to see them flavored with a bit of BBQ rub or something like that, but these were just standard fries.
The brisket and pulled pork were both served on a half slice of Texas toast, which was nice but not amazing. It tasted a little oily rather than nice and buttery; overall fine.
I tried all the sauces and each was good in its own right. The Carolina Mustard sauce was an okay representation of the style, but maybe a tad heavy on the vinegar flavor. The spicy whiskey sauce had surprisingly strong flavors of both spice and whiskey! NICE! The smoky sauce was really solid and I think the KC sweet was my personal favorite. Unfortunately the squeeze bottles of sauce at our table seemed to have been out for quite a while and had both separated and congealed a bit. That meant the first application was a runny mess followed by a gloppy, gel-like consistency. Great BBQ doesn't need sauce, but if you're going to put it out make sure you're doing it justice and providing customers something to enhance their meal, not detract from it.
My wife and both our son and daughter really enjoyed the meal as well, and everyone left feeling contented but not stuffed. With tip we came in at just under $50.
N&S is a solid find and I'm sure I'll visit again soon. Not perfect BBQ, but quite good. Next time, fish!!!
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