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| - It's hard to review Can't Stop Smoking BBQ without referencing Rudy's BBQ right across the street. I give Rudy's the edge on atmosphere, and the meats themselves were juicier and a little more flavorful... but EVERY other possible advantage goes to Can't Stop Smoking (CSS). The sides, sauces, portions, value, variety, healthiness, accessibility, etc all favor CSS.
Upon entering, you grab an impressively heavy aluminum tray and go through a cafeteria line acquiring sliced meats. I got a 2-meat combo, with a half-ear of corn, 2 sides, cornbread muffin, and a drink for $10. (They also email coupons and have a stamp card.... which knocked the price down closer to $7.) The turkey and brisket were both super lean, which I happen to like, even though that made them somewhat dry. The turkey had a nice smokey flavor, but the dry rub on the brisket was uneven and overly salty/spicy in some bites. No big deal because I enjoyed both the standard and spicy BBQ sauce options much better than the sauce at Rudy's.
The muffin and mac & cheese were both above average. Amazingly, the corn wasn't totally overcooked like at most places, but I discovered that I hate mustard greens and had wasted one of my choices of sides. Some of my friends ordered the ribs and said that was the best thing on the menu.
So where does that leave us? Is it possible that I like the meat better at Rudy's and still like CSS better? Yes, I think so. I didn't have to wait in a huge line, struggle to find a table, or slice huge hunks of fat off my brisket. (I also didn't feel gross when I left.) I was able to order a combo, instead of "decoding" the menu to determine how much meat to order for my Wonderbread. Can't Stop Smoking is a more commercial, more conventional experience than Rudy's, but I liked it.
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