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| - Bootleggers is an interesting take on the classic American comfort food of BBQ, in that they're trying to fancy up a cuisine that's known more for licking fingers and swigging beer than fancy tablecloths. The place came highly recommended by my sister--who's no BBQ aficionado, but certainly knows good food when she sees it. They're conveniently located in Old Town Scottsdale, so they're a perfect place to stop and load up on the calories to fuel your shopping spree. I ordered my set standard of the combo plate so I could taste all of Bootleggers smoked meats.
BBQ Sampler:
Sides- The Sampler plate comes with Coleslaw and Tortillas; nothing really special here as both seemed pretty standard to me. I would've preferred they add one more side to the meal, but whatever. 3*
Meats:
Brisket- This was by far my favorite meat here at Bootleggers; excellent smoky flavor and I liked the rub they use. My only critique is it was a bit dry. 4.5*
St. Louis Ribs- These were also excellent; great smoke that didn't overpower the pork and they were super juicy. Unfortunately, the rub was a bit too salty for my taste. 4*
Pulled Pork- Juicy, Porky and a great rub. I didn't really get much smoke from it, though--I think they had too much BBQ Sauce on there and it kinda overpowered it for me. 4*
Schreiner's Hot Links- I was happy to see Bootleggers makes their own Hot Links; that's pretty rare these days. I thought they were pretty good, but I would've liked more spice to them. 3.5*
Turkey- Good rendition of Smoked Turkey that wasn't overly dried-out and had a nice smoky flavor that didn't over power that Turkey flavor we all crave. 3.5*
Service & Ambiance- Service was pretty good; our waitress was very friendly and the food came out quickly, but I think she kinda forgot about us there for a bit towards the end. Bootleggers pulls off the whole fancy BBQ thing fairly well as the place is really nice without being overly cloying. There is still a bit of a rustic ambiance to it, and I highly recommend sitting on the patio by their fabulous smoker--I love the smell of smoked meat in the morning. 3.5*-Service/4.5*-Ambiance
Value- I think the BBQ Sampler is actually a very good value at $32--it's more than enough food for two people and $16/head is pretty good for a BBQ place. 4*
I liked Bootleggers quite a bit; my only qualm is I wish they would serve their BBQ Sauce on the side instead of pre-slathering all their meat for you. I like my Q East Texas-Style: dry rub only and sauce on side. Also, I think this would be one of the few BBQ spots that could pull off a romantic Date Night--just saying. If you're in the Old Town Scottsdale area and are hankering for some good Q, then Bootleggers is the place for you.
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