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| - BBQ is an art, like any form of cooking and to be good at it requires a lot of passion that can make you look like an obsessed freak or misunderstood artisan. Many people I meet that fit this description (mostly chefs) are single or divorced. A few I've met actually sleep in their kitchens so that they can check on the dough for the baguettes or tend to the smoker. I've seen a lot of that in my years in a kitchen, and though I have never really gone that far, I can say that I'm a little obsessed when it comes to cooking.
Big T's is a place that I've always driven past, but never eaten at. Since they took over the space years ago from a Spanish paella resto, they have been churning out BBQ ever since. The stadium location, I imagine doesn't hurt as well, considering that most football fans love meat an whatever form it may come in. Let me tell you about my first visit.
The first thing that will hit you as you walk into the casual space is the aroma of smoke. It's a welcoming aroma that usually signals that something good is going on here. The decor is the usual BBQ joint decoration, with the signs, chalkboard specials and other Deep South bric-a-brac you usually associate with this kind of thing. Not overly packed at lunch, but there were quite a few tables full of regulars to keep the service staff busy.
Big T's doesn't specialize in any certain style of BBQ, like many of the US meccas like Kansas City, Texas or Carolina. They smoke meat, using Okanagan applewood that results in a unique and flavourful assortment of whatever you fancy. On this day, I opted for a 2 meat (on a bun) combo with beef brisket, andouille sausage with a side of dirty rice and their house slaw.
The sides were done well, showing an attention to detail. The rice was a mix of long grain and wild, giving a nice textural contrast and visual appeal. It's cooked with green and red bell pepper and diced andouille sausage with a nice blend of spices. I can honestly say that I'd be good with a big bowl of that rice. Being Asian, I can say that the amount of meat just in the rice would be enough to carry it as a meal in itself. Great job.
The slaw was also done very well, preserving its crispness and just enough acidic bite in the dressing.
The Andouille sausage is different from the varieties available in the South, but that doesn't necessarily make it bad. The fat distribution and texture of the filling is much more even, which results in a juicy and plump end product. I would've liked it with a little more spice, but that's what hot sauce is for.
Speaking of sauce, Big T's has 4 types of signature sauces that are made in-house (Original, Maple Bourbon, Smoking Hot and Carolina Mustard). All are tasty, depending on whatever meat you are enjoying.
Brisket was nothing to write home about. It's served sliced and when you're gonna serve smoked brisket sliced, you have to do it to order. This order was uniform brown throughout and sadly showed no evidence of that signature smoke ring that you should see in good smoked brisket. Was this brisket smoked offsite and brought in? Flavour was fair, but of course the resulting texture was not very juicy.
With a vast selection of meat, appetizers and sides to choose from, Big T's won't disappoint the picky. In fact, if you're in for a meat feast, there's the infamous Elvis platter - a $95 platter of almost everything that walks, with a selection of sides and buns.
All in all, I think that pricing is fair, the food is good and that Big T's does a good job in reminding us that it's nice to be on the top of the food chain.
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