Let me just cut to the chase. Jim ‘N Nick’s was everything, and I do mean everything, I want in a restaurant. Great atmosphere, great service and most importantly outstanding food. And what is most astounding is that this is a chain restaurant. The meal we ate last night more than made up for the nightmare of a meal we had the previous evening.
The meal came with with baskets of these cheese biscuits/rolls. Eating one of these was impossible so we inhaled a couple baskets of them. Eating one of these biscuits made the meal better than the previous nights whole meal.
Continue reading Memphis In May #5: Jim ‘N Nick’s Is What I Needed
I ate lunch this week at Phat Matt’s BBQ in Oakland, California and there is no way I can get around the fact that this review is going to sound like an advertisement. I’ve been thinking about writing this review for a couple of days and I have no idea how to get around the ad problem. But I can’t
So let’s get the hyperbole out of the way. Phat Matt’s BBQ is the second best BBQ restaurant I’ve ever eaten at. I’ve eaten a lot of really bad restaurant BBQ, I’ve eaten a lot of mediocre restaurant BBQ. But only twice have I eaten great restaurant BBQ. Up until this week the only other place I have eaten great restaurant BBQ was Dinosaur BBQ in Rochester, New York. Dinosaur may remain my all time favorite BBQ restaurant but Phat Matt’s is a close second.
There are a couple of things that make a BBQ restaurant great. Certainly the food is critical, and we’ll get to that in a minute, but atmosphere is important. I’ve eaten at a lot of BBQ restaurants and most of the them are decorated as you would expect a regional cuisine type restaurant to be decorated. But the staff and cooks are all pretty sterile. Phat Matt’s has a rather sterile decor but it’s more than made up by the friendliness of the staff.
Continue reading Phat Matt is where it’s at!
I recently had the opportunity to visit Rochester, New York on a business trip. I have to admit the training was good, but having a chance to visit Dinosaur BBQ was what really made the trip something I wanted to do.
Anticipation is not something I normally experience when trying out a new BBQ restaurant. Usually I’m only eating there because someone else wants to or because I just want to see what kind of mess I can get served. However, I knew I was in for a treat with Dinosaur BBQ. I had been flying their colors with my Dinosaur BBQ hat and using their rubs for almost two years.
Just walking up to the place made me feel at home. You immediately can see they take their low and slow serious with numerous pits right out front for the world to see.
You could smell the smoke. My biggest disappointment with most BBQ restaurants is that they are void of any resemblence of a smoke smell. Smelling the smoke is part of the atmosphere. If you don’t smell the smoke, chances are you aren’t going taste it either.
Continue reading Dinosaur BBQ: It Doesn’t Get Any Better
Was in Oakland the other day on business and when I stepped out of the office building I was in and saw the Everett & Jones BBQ Restaurant I knew where lunch was going to be. I’ve heard about Everett & Jones for years, but never made the trek out to try them. So I was pleased to see that I was right there.
Lots of hype. And the experience lived up to the hype.
I ordered the Brisket Plate with corn bread and greens. And all of it was fantastic. I made sure I ordered the sauce on the side so that I could check out the meat before I ate it. Nice smoke aroma, awesome bark and fantastic smoke ring. The brisket was moist, tender and not to fatty. It may have been the best restaurant brisket I’ve ever had.
Continue reading Review: Everett & Jones (Oakland, California)
I had a little time recently in the Kansas City Airport so instead of sitting there wasting time I figured I would get me some famous KC bbq. I looked up restaurants and since I didn’t have time to make the drive anywhere else I headed off to Smokehouse Bar-B-Que. And since
Continue reading … Review: Smokehouse BBQ in Kanas City
Lee Roy Selmon, defensive lineman for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, may have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame but his restaurant in Tampa, Florida won’t ever be confused with hall of fame bbq. As far as bbq is concerned tonight’s dinner was strictly Pop Warner.
The BBQ was as ordinary as
Continue reading … Road Trip: Lee Roy Selmon’s
Got a chance to eat at the famous Sonny Bryan’s Smokehouse this past Monday. What a treat! I had been told by several that the place wasn’t as good as it once was. Well, if it’s gone down hill then it must have been pretty amazing, but I really enjoyed the meal.Of course,
Continue reading … Road Trip: Sonny Bryan’s
I enjoy eating great BBQ and rarely do I find great BBQ in restaurants. One of the exceptions would be Yunece 61 BBQ on Folsom Bvld. in Sacramento. I had the chance to eat a late lunch there yesterday and it was well worth the drive from Rocklin.
The food was fantastic. You could
Continue reading … A Great Sacramento BBQ Restaurant
