There was scuttlebutt about bar-b-que and I needed to know more. You know that intense smell of outdoor cookin', some righteous sawce and carnivorous treats oozing with goodness? Yeah, I was in the mood for some of that.
FACT: You can order a solo rib here.
So, we rolled out for Wednesday lunch and parked across the street from the boxy-looking joint called “The Bearded Pig.” We walked right into a crowd of hungry lunchers waiting in line. This is a good sign. It’s one of those walk up and order then they bring you your food places. Sure, I miss slowly reading through a menu, but this does speed up a work lunch which helps from missing too much time away from the office. I ordered the ribs with corn caprese as a side. I chose the dish because they didn’t have salads and the only other vegetable was collard greens, which I have never had. I didn’t want to risk a new veggie AND a new BBQ flavor all in one meal.
We squeezed out of the indoor part of the restaurant (which includes a bar) and went to the large patio to find seats. There is both a covered area and a grassy picnic table area. I LOVE outdoor seating so I am all about this. It happens to be a perfect day so things are even better.
Finding the Missing Rib
These were maybe the best ribs I have ever had. I got a ¼ rack which included five large ribs. The skin on every rib was the exact perfect amount of crispiness and flavor. It was a decadent feast of greasy bones covered in meat. It was tender and juicy and the sauces on the table were just an added bonus. I tried 4 of them and chose the mustard-like one and the spicy hot one. Using two hands and attacking these ribs I made quite a mess.
Yum. The corn caprese was an unusual dish, but I did enjoy it because of how unique it was. Little tomatoes, some mozzarella, and corn with a sweet vinegar and basil flavor. I left the restaurant full and satisfied. I even got to have some fun writing with chalk on the wooden walls by the grass.
When I returned to work I still smelled like BBQ and my hands were sticky from the ribs. I had to do a pre-scrub in style hand (arm) wash to really clean up.
Chalk Sadness
I happened to go back to this spot 2 days later. What can I say. It was good and I had packed a very uninspiring lunch of tough steak and avocado. I wanted more smoked, savory, sweet sawce. This time I got the pulled pork. ALSO delicious. Shredded just the right amount with some big pieces to really chew on and take in the flavor. Now this trip I was going to try collard greens, but they were out of them.
I wanted two sides so I got the corn caprese again and then coleslaw. The coleslaw was pretty standard, nothing exceptional or revolting. Overall, enjoyed my meal full tilt. The pulled pork was (dare I say it) better than 4 Rivers.
The story of chalk disappointment is simple. I scrawled on the wall during my last visit. And two days laters it wasn’t even there. My reviewjax.com shameless plug was completely erased. Alas.
Future goals: Try the poutine and mac n cheese.
BBQ Poutine?!
I saw it on the menu and I knew it came with everything. Poutine is meat and potatoes, drenched in sawce. The real Canadian poutine has gravy on top and tastes like to-go pot roast, which is to say, deliciousness. I used to order it at Houlihan's. I would add some wild Sriracha, and boom, perfection.
Bearded poutine has brisket AND pulled pork. It has pimento cheese and curds. It's loaded fries to the max. I had a little bit of their ranch for some extra dipping and I was in hog heaven. It definitely is filling enough to be a meal, so don't even think about appetizing it unless you have a team of friends to share with.