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| - Note: I'm assuming that Duke's Rib House & Grille is affiliated with Duke's Station in Bethel Park, which I've seen a bunch of times but have never been to.
When you enter on a Friday night, you'll find that the atmosphere is a bit rambunctious. Jolly suburbanites, most of them middle-aged, will be whoopin' it up after a busy workweek. The place itself is rather grand and features cathedral ceilings, a fireplace, an aquarium, 4 levels, and a deck. It felt as if I was attending a party at a wealthy relative's cabin or weekend home. A 90's themed night must have been afoot being that the DJ stridently spun hits from Pearl Jam, The Spin Doctors, and The Black Crowes.
I recall a fairish review written last year by The City Paper's Jason and Angelique of the Bethel Park Duke's, and because of that, I almost didn't bother despite being reminded of the Greentree location each time we've gone to the Giant Eagle in Virginia Manor Shoppes, but I'm glad Kay and I rolled the bones for I at least had myself one felonious bargain of a dinner.
The Pork Sampler comes to your table on a platter that has surely served many meals with 2 sides of your choice (mine were a very good cole slaw and a baked potato), a half-rack of Kansas City-style BBQ ribs (Duke's signature menu item), baked beans (don't like 'em, never eat 'em), a mound of pulled pork, and a grilled pork chop, all for the staggering price of $16!
And aside from the baked beans (I have never acquired a taste for them), and a somewhat limp, overdone tuber, I appreciated the rite between vinegar and saccharin that was the crimson sauce. Topping the chop, pulled pork, and ribs, all of it unctuous, supple, and riddled with flavor, the sauce would perplex bees by attracting and repelling them with its union of sweetness and snap.
The cole slaw was tangy, crisp, and coolly countered the zing and sugar of that sauce, therefore working well within the context of a BBQ meal.
Their trio of unimaginative dessert offerings include an Oreo Hot Fudge Sundae, New York Cheesecake, and a Pecan Ball. Kay and I ganged up on the sundae and found that it was merely Oreo chunks, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream littered onto some scoops of vanilla ice cream. It was the sort of thing I'd throw together at home for myself and was nothing extraordinary.
The service was nothing less and nothing more than competent.
I have a feeling that BBQ dogmatists (that army of downers who think there's close to zero good eats in Pittsburgh, period, let alone BBQ) may not enjoy Duke's offerings as much as I did, but I will stand by my review. 'Twas the stuff storied cookouts and picnics are made of. While the Max and Erma's next door may have gotten just as good a rating from me...well, you know I always root for the mom-n-pop bottom dogs, right?
P.S. As I alluded to earlier in the review, Duke's can be a bit loud, but bear in mind the time and day that we visited. It didn't bother me enough to reduce my rating, however, but I can see how some people might be put off by it.
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