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| - This place is quite simply a phenomenal addition to the Willy Street food scene, and to culinary wizardry throughout the Madison area in general. I had been driving past this joint ever since it opened in early October of 2013, always wondering if, just perhaps, incredible and inexpensive barbecue had finally made it's way to the 'hood. Well, it has, and it's glorious.
After just returning from a road trip around the Raleigh-Durham area and eating pulled pork at a variety of some of the country's more venerable establishments, I still have to say that the pulled pork at TBJ is the best I've had in recent memory. My bias certainly comes in the form of favoring midwestern barbecue (Memphis and KC style), but great is great, no matter which way you slice it.
As a previous reviewer said, the star of the show here certainly is the meats. They are perfectly rubbed, and while the three sauces that you can choose from are all awesome in their own right, the ribs just do not require any sauce. The heavy hand with brown sugar and maple smoke shines through terrifically. While I also enjoy the fall-off-the-bone style you can find at Smoky Jon's, purists will probably appreciate that this stuff has a little more bite to it, despite being perfectly tender.
As for that pork, it's loaded with delicious bark but also retains lots of moisture. The brioche-y bun was a perfect choice and meat-to-bread ratio was spot on. The touch of sliced pickles on the sandwich was nice, too.
But one of the things that most keeps me going back to a place is the attitude of the purveyors/staff, and that was almost as much of a draw here as the quality of the grub. Clement, who runs the joint with his mom, spent a good 20 minutes just chopping it up about barbecue with me. You can tell that this guy loves what he does and has a genuine enthusiasm for his food. When he noticed how enamored I was with the 'cue, he was quick to bring out a generous amount of free samples so that I really got a taste of the menu.
This is exactly the type of place that the neighborhood needs. I truly hope word of mouth gets around and this place gets the business and attention it deserves.
I should also reiterate that it's extremely inexpensive, which is a rarity in the Atwood area where even casual joints tend to overprice. If you want a sample of the menu but are short on loot, just get a snack of a few ribs (they serve them individually at $1.50 a piece) or a pulled pork sammy sans sides for $5.
Only criticism would be that the collards could use a bit more vinegar and ham hocks--they were fine, but just a little on the bland side. But yeah, it's about the meat here, and the meat is glorious. I will be telling everyone I know and returning quite often.
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