For VALUE-Seeking PORK RIB Lovers
Had a satisfying enough experience here. This is the spot for anyone who wants PLENTY OF FLAVORFUL FOOD for the money, and isn't overly-particular about the grade of ST. LOUIS style ribs. The grade they offer seems to be very similar to the more expensive raw racks sometimes (but rarely) available in grocery stores---not the more commonly found, less expensive SPARE ribs.
Tip ~~~
Always order ribs WITHOUT sauce. (Naked, Bare-Bones, whatever) This way the MEAT ITSELF will be smoked, seared, charred, etc., and ready for YOU to add the sauces you want. (They offer at least three different ones.) Despite what you may have seen on those rib competition specials---repeated slathering of
sauces, over and over again, while it's still smoking---could actually alter the flavor down to the bone. It might even burn---like an unpleasant tacky jacket---coating the ribs. And what if you don't like the flavor of the sauce, or the charred sauce result? Rather than waiting for a new rack, order that first one without any sauce.
Important to note: From my experience, ALL rib places offer their ribs already coated with sauce. FYI, this is an easy way to cover mistakes---like especially burned racks. Skip the sauced---add it yourself.
Accompaniments were all quite good: Fries, Kettle Chips, Cole Slaw, Texas Toast, Margarita, too.
Service: She was great---friendly, etc. etc. Sorry I can't remember her name
---that's because of Margarita. HER name I remember---she was delicious, strong, and very naughty.
This is a ST. LOUIS RIB VALUE SPOT for Hearty Eaters, Bottomless Pits, After- Gamers, Teenage Boys, and Construction Workers. For comparison: two racks of St. Louis (with sides that came with), one Margarita, and one Sam Adams, were about $12-$14 less (before tip) than that "other" one a rib-rack-toss away.
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If you're curious about the "negative" comments at Smokey Bones---or ANY restaurant, bar, club, etc.---go ahead and read the low-starred, but keep an open mind, and remind yourself that these spots are open to "the public". We can all agree that there are many varieties comprising "the public" but that they basically fall into two main categories--- the positives: most often friendly / reasonable / contented sorts, and the negatives: most often jealous / frustrated / revengeful / unreasonable / hostile sorts. (They do sometimes cross over, but someone is essentially one or the other.)
Also, when reading negative comments, ask yourself, "If that was their problem, why didn't they just ask their server to CORRECT it instead of writing that VICIOUS UNFAIR review?" Probably because they WANTED to write that vicious unfair review---before they even walked in the door. It's a negative trait kind of thing---born with it.
MOST issues are easily rectified by giving a business the opportunity TO rectify them. If a legitimate food or beverage issue, all that smart, reasonable, considerate diners have to do is tell their server and I'll bet it's quickly corrected---and we'd never have to read ANY irrational complaints in a review. Low-starred reviews without a single positive comment, but with especially cruel exaggerations and/or laughably trivial criticisms such as, "no quick water refills", "someone seated before us", "she hardly smiled", etc., shouldn't ever be considered when choosing a place to visit.
Employees get busy, distracted, are given unreasonable demands, are insulted, and are sometimes way under-tipped or not tipped at all---often unfairly, out of spite. THAT'S why he didn't have a full-on grin the entire time. They're HUMAN, and unlike some diners who NEVER make them, workers might make mistakes for any number of reasons---maybe her father passed away recently or she just caught her husband cheating, or it's his FIRST DAY ON THE JOB. Not the 100% attention and White House dinner service you expected? Unfair. Play fair, be patient, and give workers room to breathe.
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