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| - This relatively new addition to the NC scene (first restaurant in 2005) is definitely of the barbecue emporium mold, offering a variety of smoked meats, and in copious amounts. There are now 5 locations, with the recent openings in Greenville and Fayetteville.
This is a sports bar,upscale biker bar, good friends and family all around kind of place - large screen TVs, lots of wood, a number of "high" tables, as well as more traditional, and more comfortable, booths. The row of parking slots directly in front of the restaurant are reserved for motorcycles.The waitresses efficiently scurry around in cutoff jeans, and food out of the kitchen is quick. I can see why these restaurants are so popular, there is something for everyone, and it all works.
Besides the smoked meats (pulled pork, brisket, wings, sausages, St Louis ribs, baby back ribs, and even smoked turkey), the menu includes sandwiches, burgers, a few salads, a few plates (like Shrimp & Grits, Fried Catfish), and a nice array of appetizers. And, of course, that have a large beer selection - bottled and on draught.
We came for the meat, of course, and settled on the Whole Lot Combo Platter ($28 with 4 meats & 4 sides). Our choices were Pulled Pork, Smoked Sausages, Beef Brisket, and St Louis Style Ribs. The sides included Collards, Green Bean Casserole, Onion Rings, and FFs.
Everything comes out piled on one platter (even the side dishes), which kind of makes for a train wreck, and tastes get mixed up, and some get lost - I wouldn't order a platter like this again - if I had wanted all the flavors merged I'd have ordered stew. Everything was at least pretty good, some items were excellent.
The Pulled Pork was very, very good - nice smokiness, good overall flavor, though a touch dry out of the kitchen, some of the house sauce (there are 4 choices) helped this. Though I much prefer chopped pork rather than pulled ( it's a texture thing), the pork here is nice, and I'd definitely order it again.
The Beef Brisket had some nice flavor, but was more heavily sauced out of the kitchen than I care for, and it was far from the most tender brisket I've tried in the area. The Smoked Sausages were excellent - nice sharp smokey flavor, well cooked. The ribs were pretty good - tender, but over-sauced for my tastes.
The Collards were too sweet, and the Green Bean Casserole was buried under the ribs and brisket, and was soaked in 2 different sauces - not sure what the real taste was here. The Onion Rings were just outstanding - nice, fresh slices of sweet onion, hand cut, perfectly battered and fried. The FFs were nearly as good, and the complimentary Hush Puppies had a nice outside crust, but were a bit sweet.
All in all, an enjoyable, and very filling meal. This is not a traditional NC BBQ joint in any sense of the term - though the pork is excellent. I would definitely eat here again, if in the area - reordering the pork and the sausages - and I'd probably give the brisket another go, but unless it came out more tender, with some outside crust, that would be it.
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