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| - Most folks in Phoenix don't know good barbecue from good baking, and so I am unfortunately surprised to see so many positive reviews of Stacy's.
I visited the small restaurant on a late Friday afternoon, just a couple of hours before the traditional weekend dining rush begins. There were only two other customers in the place.
With three employees engaged in conversation behind the counter, nobody acknowledged my attempt to order. The hand scrawled menu is a bit too chaotic for me, thanks. There is little sense of sequence to it. From left to right, it reads: drinks, desserts, ribs, fish, sandwiches, and a confusing array of sides in a confusing array of sizes.
After finally ordering, the cashier used a calculator to add the following: $4.50+1.50+1.50+1.50. It took her three attempts to get it right.
My food arrived: a pulled pork sandwich, a side of slaw, side of ranch beans, and a soda. The pork was rather dry and swimming in an overly sweet BBQ sauce. The slaw was nothing but average. The beans were quite nice, a nice spicy bite (not too much), and a hint of smoke.
Stacy's really loses on atmosphere. The place is as bare as bones can be. Plain white walls with virtually no decoration. No music, spartan, slightly dirty, nondescript chairs and tables. Everything is served in cheap plastic baskets and styrofoam. Drinks come chilled in bottles, unaccompanied by cups and ice (a big sin in hot summer Phoenix).
Staff were unattentive and altogether indifferent. They brought the food to the table and walked away. Which is exactly what I did after trying Stacy's food. Sorry. I cannot recommend this place to anyone. Better to go to Honeybears or visit a city with a well educated BBQ population.
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