We tried the new Champaign location. It was difficult (for us to find), but we were very happy with the new space when we did. This is a hip, spacious interior, better than we could have envisioned for the expanded second location. The place was so packed (early on a Saturday night) that we sat at the bar for dinner. I had the ribs, and of the meat, I have to say it was good but not great. I reflected long and hard after about why, since so many people rave about Black Dog.
In the past, I've written about my reservations on Black Dog's sauces. I prefer a thick tomato-based sauce with both savor and sweetness, like Lil Porgy's. None of the sauces at Black Dog compares. The meat at Black Dog is much more consistently smoked. The ribs had that beautiful pink smoke ring that's a hallmark of quality barbecue. So what were these ribs missing?
Two things.
First: They are utterly lean. No fat. None. Now, that might appeal to the diet conscious, but I'm not eating bbq pork ribs to watch my waistline. The lack of fat doesn't make the meat tough in this case, because it's been babied through the low and slow smoking process. The meat is tender, but not falling-off-the-bone tender. It's just barely tender to the tooth. It's tight like meat that has a lack of good marbling or rind. Because fat transmits so much flavor, a leaner cut doesn't have as much; in this case, that means the smoke overpowers the meat in taste.
Second: The ribs have no bark. Bark is the crust that meat can get when it's cooked low and slow. It's crunchy and packed with flavor. These ribs have none of that -- not any caramelization, not any crust, no bark whatsoever. And that's a shame.
Here's a link to an article about the wonders of bark: http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/bark.html.