Being a huge smoked food aficionado - I was really excited to try some local smoked BBQ close to home (instead of going to our usual spot next door.) We were seated promptly and our waitress was eager to take our orders. I ordered the House Special Old Fashioned to drink. We ordered the pulled pork sandwich... but were disappointed to hear that "we are out of pulled pork." Instead we ordered a brisket entree, and the smoked ribs entree... and just to make sure we are sampling all the smoked goodness possible - and order of smoked BBQ wings as an appetizer.
While waiting for our drinks - we couldn't help but notice how loud the place was... just with ambient noise. We could hardly conduct a conversation without feeling like we were shouting, and it was difficult to hear. And - the place was only half full...!!
The Old Fashioned arrived - and there were full sugar cubes in the bottom of the glass. They had not been muddled or dissolved. Not the end of the world - but not a good cocktail.
The wings arrived - and they were fantastic. Smokey, sticky, cooked to perfection, and a nice presentation. Sadly - that was the highlight of the meal.
The brisket - instead of being shaved or in strips cut across the grain ... were served in 1" cubes. They were tough, dry and rubbery. Did NOT taste like they were slow cooked at all. There was no fat or char... no burnt ends. We both sampled one cube - and left the balance of the plate to sit there. It's an odd offering - with slaw, hash browns, and a toad-hole?? Why not just slaw, beans and fries?
I had the ribs. They were not quite dry rubbed... not quite sauce covered. Something in the middle. Tender enough - but not particularly enticing. The veg was overcooked and mushy.
I really wanted to like this place - but if it were not for the wings - the meal would have been a total disaster.