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| - This was our first time at Ribfest and made us wonder why we'd never been before. It was so much fun and a foodie paradise!
Thanks to Kris U. and Yelp, my husband and I got V.I.P. passes which allowed us to skip the long lines and get to the front of the line to get our ribs right away, which was fantastic because the lines were LONG. The passes also meant we got free (empty) beer mugs and access to the cordoned off V.I.P. lounge which included air-conditioned bathrooms (a HUGE plus in my opinion). The other nice thing about the V.I.P. pass is that it's good all weekend, so you can just keep coming back for delicious ribs and beer and not have to wait in line from Thursday until Sunday!
We were so impressed with the variety of rib vendors (I think we counted 14). Most of them offered the same sides (coleslaw and baked beans), but a couple offered cornbread and/or potatoes. There were also several brewers on site, offering a variety of beers from lagers to amber ales, to dark ales to name a few. We opted for the Cameron's amber ale and it was delicious and refreshing to accompany our rib dinners.
My husband opted for Sticky Fingers ribs with coleslaw and baked beans. The sauce was really smokey and the ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender. The baked beans were basically like the canned type, but not bad at all. The coleslaw was creamy and really tasty.
I had the Bibb's ribs with coleslaw and baked beans. The ribs were also very tender, but I thought the sauce was a bit too sweet and not as good as Sticky Fingers. The coleslaw was vinegar based and also not as nice as the one my husband had. The baked beans were more of a chili-style with little bits of peppers in them. They were also just okay.
Other items on sale included bloomin' onions, ice cream, french fries, popcorn, funnel cakes, grilled corn on the cob and so much more! Most of the rib vendors also sold their BBQ sauce separately.
We really enjoyed sitting in the V.I.P. area with the other Yelpers. We were next to the stage, so we were being entertained while we ate.
This is an event we plan to attend every year from now on.
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