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| - Okay, honestly, Honey Bear's couldn't hang in Memphis, Birmingham, Houston, or Lockhart ... and fortunately for them, they don't need to 'hang' because they are smoking their meats in the BBQ wasteland of Phoenix, AZ.
Because I fancy myself a BBQ expert (note: I'm more of a brisket purist), its difficult to rate HB's based on the integrity of the THEIR OWN meat and not as a comparison to others Valley and Nation-wide. This is exactly 'why' I think many of their rating suffer because everyone has undoubtedly had better BBQ elsewhere, wherever you may hail from, and it takes a stringent push from one's own natural reflexes to resist matching HBs up to 'local awesome BBQ joint'. BBQ connoisseurs are funny like that.
So, overall, HB's earns a 3-star based on the following:
Pork Ribs - I'm more of a beef rib expert, but these ribs were generous and plentiful in their combo plate. I was surprised that there was very likely a whole half-rack on my plate. They are very tasty even without the sauce, with a nice peppery rub that did not dry out the meat.
Smoked Chicken - Juicy but slightly greasy. This is amongst the most difficult smoked meat to pull off due to the propensity for it to become a stringy, dehydrated mess. I don't think I would order it again, but the flavor was pretty decent and I don't regret trying it.
Pulled Pork - I got a 1/2 lb of pulled pork as a side meat, along with a couple of extra buns to make as a half-sandwich (a glob of meat on a half bun, folded over like a taco). This is the only time I typically use sauce to counterbalance the white bread, whether its pork, brisket, or sausage. I was surprised by how dry the pork was, particularly because pork is fatty and juicy, but here at HB's it was extra lean. I thought I would hate the pork bc of this fact, but the sauce saves it from being a choking bolus of pig and flour. Now I understand why they typically put this on a full bun and drown it in sauce. As the 'specialty' of this restaurant, its kind of a gaffe that the quality is poor, but as a consumer, I'd order it again in limited amounts, and only as a 'side'. Why? Because I can provide my own perfect ratio of bread:pork:sauce. Otherwise, I don't think that HB's could build me a pulled pork sandwich I could be happy with.
Sauce - If you don't know any better you'd think it was tip-top. Sure, its 'pretty good', but its most-definitely a one-note mixture. Too sweet for their peppery rubs. A spicier sauce would do the trick better, IMO.
Corn on the Cob - Serviceable, but soggy and strangely devoid of spices typical of southern cuisine.
Cowbro Beans - Awesome. Smokey flavor, thick sauce, and chunks of their smoked sausage. Great compliment to a BBQ dinner.
Soda Fountain - The city's best. BBQ restaurant staples such as 1a) Dr Pepper 1b) Big Red. Their 'cola' is RC and they have Hines Rootbeer, Sunkist, Country Time Lemonade, and 7-Up. They did some solid research on the fluid necessities of BBQ palates. They also have a fridge of beer.
Price - All that, which I described above came out to $33 with a large tip because the guy behind the counter was very cool. It fed two hungry people during the season finale of LOST, with plenty extra for leftovers. Very pleased in this area.
Overall - Hey, its PHX, and here we are better adapted to 'fill-ins' for our favorite spots back home. It happens in every culinary category, from philly cheesesteaks to fish n chips; gnocchi to Q. Why should this place be any different?
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