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| - There are few things in life that make me truly happy. Babies being born, sunny afternoon trips to hang out with a few buddies and maybe the most important one of them all, really good food! The problem with most BBQ places is that there are those who have come to believe that throwing a few pieces of meat on the grill followed by a massive coating of sickly sweet sauce is real BBQ.
Why then would people spend long hours tending smoke filled pits that sometimes look like they came off the back of a old tractor or the family car? Simple because it is NOT REAL BBQ UNLESS IT IS COOKED LOW AND SLOW!!! The smoke is as important as the meat itself when it comes to making lip smacking Q. It not only adds flavor it also adds a nice smoke ring that lets you know that the meat you are stuffing in your face is real BBQ and not some baked in the oven, made at someones mom's house, under flavored mess. I should have known better than go to a place that claimed to be masters of what they call Chicago style BBQ.
First off there is no such thing as anybody with a real taste for BBQ knows there are five main areas or styles. Memphis, Texas, St. Louis, Kansas City, and South Carolina style. Chicago does not even come close to making this list. Each region offers a different take or variation on BBQ and those variations are almost like a calling card that informs others as to the origin of the food they are eating. The food from this place did none of those things. This was my first time visiting this chain restaurant so I went in with eyes and nose open to all they had to offer.
It is no secret that when I walk in to your business that three things must happen in a matter of seconds or I am gone. First off the place should be clean not just look it (clean floors but disgusting bathrooms). The staff must welcome you or at least acknowledge your presence, and finally the prices should be clearly marked along with the items being offered. As I said this was my first time in this place so I walked in and took a look around. They seem to have really put a little time and effort into creating what they believe is the ideal Q eating establishment. Clippings of newspaper write ups on the company founder, the food and even local charities they help (nice). They even have what I like to call a BBQ battle station.
This consisted of three bottles of their sauce in various stages of flavor and heat levels, malt vinegar for those who enjoy a more vinegar based sauce, and even ketchup for little kids who do not like the BBQ sauce. Note: the lack of wet naps that are often handed out at BBQ places should have tipped me off to the lack of sauce issue they have. They do offer free drink refills which is nice given that the cups are on the small side for what they charge, I believe it was $1.59 for a small or $1.99 for a large unless you get a combo meal then it comes with your meal.
The prices range from $2.79 for a Vienna Beef Hot Dog to $14.99 for one of their three meat dinner combos. They also serve Italian beef sandwiches ( the reason I ate there in the first place) which tasted OK but the jar peppers they used over powered the meat and made the bread soggy. I also tried the beans and rice which seemed to be just that and nothing more! No salt, pepper, not even a little shot of onion or any flavor enhancer to be found. Their potato salad was on the sweet side as if it had been made with miracle whip or sugar was added either way yuck. I also had a few bites of their pulled pork sandwich which did have a nice amount of meat but REALLY lacked in flavor.
The meat was almost mushy and only had a small splash of sauce. Now normally some places drown their sandwiches in sauce resulting in everything being overpowered with it but any real BBQ master knows that the sauce should only be added to enhance already well prepared meat. It can not make up for over/under cooked, under seasoned meat period!! But this is one of those times I think it could have made the food better. So to sum it all up I would recommend this place to those who are looking for a OK Italian beef place in the Mesa area but as for the BBQ I would suggest you let this little piggy go otherwise you will be the one crying whaa all the way home LOL.
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