As soon as we parked in the unassuming strip mall and got out of the truck, I knew by the smell of the air we were in for a treat. The onsite smoker for this barbecue joint had the air full of mouth watering flavors.
When we walked inside I was a little in shock. I expected a typical 'strip mall restaurant' but was surprised to find a restaurant that could easily be found in Scottsdale Quarters. The dining room tables, all stainless steel with steel 'patio style chairs,' were warmed up with dark tufted leather high back booths and linen wrapped silverware. The lighting was perfect and accentuated the reclaimed wood and high shelves covered in prohibition period art and decor.
I was excited to see a one page menu. Food on one side and drinks on the other. We were greeted quickly by Stacey, a server that clearly enjoyed her job and had a strong knowledge of the menu.
I started off with the Catdaddy Old Fashioned (made with moonshine instead of bourbon) which was light but full of flavor. Typically an old fashioned feels a little thicker or heavier in the mouth but this was light. My boyfriend said it felt like drinking Dr Pepper (that's not a criticism for him).
For an appetizer we had the Kitchen Sink Guacamole. It is a chunkier guac that has pieces of Avacado and nopales. I was most excited to see they provided enough chips to actually finish the appetizer. Nothing's worse than being left with a dish of guacamole and nothing to eat it with.
For dinner we took our server's suggestion and ordered the BBQ Sampler for Two which came with 5 meets and coleslaw. The coleslaw was fantastic. Perfectly and lightly dressed bite sized pieces of crisp cabbage and vegetables.
Ribs: two ribs came with the plate and they were my favorite. The meat fell easily off the bone with each bite.
Brisket: about six slices came with the platter. The perfect amount to share. It was juicy and tender with great flavor on its own.
Hot links: two links with the plate and the experience was a surprise. I typically don't order hot links at a bbq joint so I'm glad I got the sampler. The crisp bite and slight heat notes at the end made this a great surprise.
Pulled Pork: this was served sauce less but was amazingly moist with slightly crisp ends. The flavor was spot on and the plate came with a generous portion of about 1 cup.
Turkey: a great way to finish off the plate. It came with four thin but meaty slices. The meat was smoked pink and very tender.
Served with the platter were three sauces: traditional, spicy and Dr Pepper. They were all great but we were both partial to the Dr Pepper sauce. It also came with fresh (what seemed to be hand made) tortillas. We suggest trying all the meats as they arrive and then getting creative and making tacos with the different meats, sauces and coleslaw. Every bite is a different and a new experience.
For sides we ordered the Smokes Sweet Corn with Chulula Lime Butter and the Mac & Cheese. The corn was crisp and flavorful, although I couldn't taste the lime. The chulula was great on the corn. The Mac & Cheese was gooey and cheesy and house made. It's a must.
Overall the experience was great. The service was good. My only complaints were, 1. My water glass sat empty for quite a while. And 2. It would have been nice to have a warm wet linen or even a wet-nap to wash off my sticky hands from the ribs.
We look forward to sitting at the trendy but unsuspecting bar on our next visit.