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| - If you are looking for perfect barbeque, come on over to Urbana and experience the wonder that is Black Dog Smoke and Ale House. Ooof. I didn't know what a treasure we had in CU until I left the Midwest for the bustling East Coast. There, I kept getting email and newsletters that kept telling me that all the way back in CU was one of the country's best BBQ joints! And boy, can you tell the difference when dining in other BBQ locations (granted, I'm trying BBQ on the East Coast, that's mistake #1).
But I finally got to come back to Black Dog just a few days ago and boy...boy was this a happy moment.
After puzzling through their menu of mouth-watering items (whole platter of burnt ends? Or the pulled pork? Or brisket? Nevermind, got it all), we put down our orders with our very friendly and amused waitress.
While we wait for our food, let me describe the place that is Black Dog. It's a cozy little joint that always has a decent crowd of people milling around the outside of its brick building, all waiting for a coveted table inside. Once you make it in, the interior is kinda small. Full of tall wooden tables towards the front and then lined with a couple booths as you head further back. Right across from the booths is the long full bar. It's a warm and cozy looking place, you know, not upscale or fancy in any way, but with that wooden glow that just makes you feel at home and the smell of all of that meat...
Our bbq platters are brought out on these cute and convenient tin trays. Aside from their meat, their must-try sides are: sweet potato fries, twice-baked potato casserole and their corn bread. Mmmf you can't go wrong with any of those.
Let's start with the meat. The burnt ends. You better get to Black Dog early if you want to sample these babies. Melt in your mouth, smokey, delicious goodness. A perfect ratio of fat and meat. Uuugh. I could have eaten two platters worth of these if I didn't care a wit about my waistline.
Then there's the pulled pork. Not the strangely dry stringy pulled pork you might get from other joints. This pulled pork is long, thick, and moist. The bbq sauce you get on the side is perfect for adding the tang/flavor you want--you don't need it to restore moisture back to pulled pork, that's for sure.
Then there's the brisket. Tender and juicy. Mmmmf. I don't think I've ever had brisket as flavorful or tender as this.
So yes. Champaign-Urbana. You got something good. Real good. I'm super curious about what their new Champaign location is going to be like (it's supposed to be bigger--thank goodness haha). Just don't lose that beautiful quality of yours, Black Dog! I'll bear all the long lines as long as you stay just as good as you are now.
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