My feelings on the Thirsty Goat are neutral. My experience wasn't bad by any means, but I'm not exactly itching to go back.
The positives first:
+ Nice atmosphere
+ Friendly waiter
+ Sides were very generous - the mashed potatoes, while not groundbreaking, were the best part of my meal
+ Interesting sauces; their house BBQ sauce has basil, which is a flavor I don't believe I've encountered in barbecue elsewhere
Negatives:
- My BBQ sandwich. I went for the pulled pork and is just isn't anything I look for in barbecue. The meat was bland, no smoky flavor. It still had quite a bit of silver skin/connective tissue that hadn't been trimmed off nor broken down. It was wet and sloppy and thus melted the bun; it had to be eaten with a knife and fork. They say the meat is prepared with dry rub to form a crust then smoked over a variety of hardwoods, but what I was served is reminiscent of tossing a chunk of pork into a slow cooker. No hint of smoke, seasoning, or bark. Maybe it just spent too long steaming in a tray after being smoked?
I think this place has potential, but next time I'll skip the pulled pork.