Today, I had to run a few errands with my bride and we found ourselves in a rural community that we don’t often visit, New Baden, IL.  As we entered town, I spotted a BBQ Joint that I haven’t been to before.  So, after we completed our errands, we circled back and had lunch there.

As we parked, I saw 2 Ole Hickory smokers under cover near the front door and there was a smell of hickory smoker in the air.  Both, a very good sign. 

Right off, I noticed a couple of very unique things about this joint.  First, the counter was a converted off-set pit.  I thought that was a very cool touch.

The other thing I noticed is a live feed of a video camera mounted directly over a butcher block table in the kitchen where they are slicing brisket, chopping pork shoulder, etc.  I’ve never seen this in another BBQ joint and enjoyed watching the staff slice my brisket before brigning it out to my table.

All of this had my expectations pretty high.  I ordered sliced brisket with a side of house chips, and my bride ordered her usual pulled pork sandwich and BBQ beans.  At first glance, it all looked good.  There was a nice smoke ring on the brisket and it had been trimmed enough that there was a just the right amount of fat along one side of the slices.  

The BBQ was decent.  The pulled pork was good, but a little bland.  The brisket was tasty, but a little chewier than I prefer.  The house chips weren’t much more than kettle cooked potatoe chips, and my wife described the BBQ beans as “the worst she had ever had”.  In fairness, her comments reflect a personal bias.  That is a bias against beans with an overpowering flavor of molasses and apple pie.  They were unique and very sweet, but not my cup of tea either.

Here’s how I’d rate my trip to A Fine Swine in New Baden, IL.

• BBQ – B
• Side Dishes – C
• Atmosphere – A
• Value – B
• Overall – B+

If you find yourself in the area, I would recommend you give them a try.  i know I will the next time I find myself in New Baden.  

Here’s how to find them:

A Fine Swine

423 Hanover St.

New Baden, IL 62265

http://www.afineswine.com

Cheers,

Braddog

I’m not a huge fan of chain restaurants, even if they are BBQ joints. Which is why I had not noticed that the Dickey’s BBQ near my office had suddenly been converted to Sugarfire Smokehouse. I figured it was a good sign that they always seemed to be busy at lunch time. In fact, too busy for me to try the place. But this weekend, I happened by there just after they opened and was finally able to try it out.

I was encouraged by the Ole Hickory smoker sitting on the patio right by the front door. Thats an odd place for your pit, but I’ve eaten some really food BBQ out of one of those pits, so i took it as another good sign. There a few remnants of the former Dickey’s, but I was encouraged to see the place rearranged with the kitchen in full view and lots of employees busily prepping for the lunch crowd.

Like a lot of classic BBQ joints, the menu was written in chalk at the order station. That’s not a bad thing, unless you use a lot of unique names for your menu items. There’s no place on the chalkboard to describe what a “Big Muddy” sand which is for example.

Nonetheless, I ordered up the 2 meat platter and watched as the guy at the counter pulled out a large tray covered with butcher paper and piled on pulled pork and freshly sliced brisket. Down the cafeteria-style line I went, adding bbq beans and hand cut fries to my meal. And like any self respecting BBQ joint, sweet tea completed my order.

I grabbed a seat at one of the tables left over from the days as a Dickey’s franchise and eyed the four bottles of clearly homemade sauces that seem to be a requirement for any BBQ joint these days. I got what I expected from the Texas Hot, Sweet BBQ, & White Sauces. But I cautiously tried the “Cherry” sauce as indicated (as they all were) by the handwritten masking tape label. Let me just say that I hope that’s not a regular sauce and just an experiment, cause it was not good.

Other than my dislike of the Cherry sauce, I didn’t find another thing that wasn’t good. The pork & brisket were moist and tender, the bark was tasty, and the sides were very good. The portions were very generous, and I found the meal to be a good value overall.

Here’s how I’d rate my visit to Sugarfire Smokehouse:

BBQ – A

Side Dishes –

Atmosphere – B-

Value – A-

Overall – A

I keep a list of the best BBQ joints in St Louis. Since I’m the resident BBQ snob among my friends & family, I’m often asked where to get good BBQ. Sugarfire Smokehouse just made the short list. If you’re interested, here’s their particulars:

Sugarfire Smokehouse
http://www.sugarfiresmokehouse.com
9200 Olive Blvd.
Olivette, MO 63132
St. Louis, MO, USA

Business Hours:
11am – 9PM Daily

Cheers,
Braddog

I recently visited my folks in Southwest Florida.  They know that I’d rather eat BBQ than just about anything else, and they also like to share their discoveries with me.  So, when it came time to grab lunch they steered us towards the Sonny’s BBQin Cape Coral.  

Sonny’s is a BBQ franchise with locations in 9 states.  A quick look at their website find ~125 locations listed.  With that kind of succes, you’d think they must do something right.  Turns out, they do.

The place was pretty nice and business was a bit slow given that we were late for lunch and early for dinner.  Nonetheless, we ordered up some sweet tea and took a look at the menu.  It was extensive.  I opted for a trip to the salad bar and the brisket plate with a couple of sides.  Turns out, I should have skipped the salad bar.  The brisket portion was generous, and the side dishes were large as well.

The brisket was sliced thin and had a good flavor.  I had a little more fat on my plate than I’d prefer, but it was tastey.  There was a variety of sauces on the table, all original Sonny’s flavors.  They were all pretty good, but I opted to enjoy my brisket without sauce.  My folks went for the sweet sauce and enjoyed it as well.

They had a decent selection of side dishes.  I opted for cole slaw and green beans since I’ve been trying to watch my diet a little.  They were both very good, but I was sure wishing for that I’d ordered some of the BBQ beans or baked sweet potato that my folks enjoyed.  They looked great.

Here’s how I’d rate my trip to Sonny’s:

• BBQ – B
• Side Dishes – B
• Atmosphere – B
• Value – B
• Overall – B

Overall, a solid joint that I’d enjoy eating at again.  And, given their growing footprint that’s highly likely.

Cheers,
Braddog 

I wanted to like it.  Really, I did.  I mean I’ve seen Famous Dave on TV and really wanted to like my first experience eating at one of his BBQ restaurants.  But unfortunately, I was underwhelmed.  

Okay, I liked a couple of the spicier BBQ sauces on the table, the sweet cornbread muffin, and the complimentary sample of BBQ chips that was served for the purposes of sampling the 5 BBQ sauces on the table.  My wife ordered the smoked salmon spread from the appetizer menu and it was pretty good.

But as for the BBQ, I found it to be medicore.  It wasn’t smokey, it didn’t seem all that fresh, and unfortunately they served it with a big dose of their house sauce on top.  I had the combo lunch plate with pulled pork and brisket.  I found it to be very bland when I could get a taste around the sauce.

This seems to me like an example of the franchise concept driving the quality of the food to a level less than the founder started with or intended.  At least, I hope so.  

The restaurant itself felt like I’d stepped into an Applebees or a TGI Fridays.  Again, the franchise thing has driven all the originality and uniqueness right out of the place.  If you blindfolded me before I entered and then you handed me a menu from one of the aforementioned franchises, I would’ve thought that’s where I was.  It’s kinda sad actually.

Here’s my report card:

• BBQ – C
• Side Dishes – B
• Atmosphere – C
• Value – C
• Overall – C

Nonetheless, I’d rather eat mediocre, chain-BBQ-restaurant food than a lot of other franchises.  So considering the alternatives in the greater Branson, MO area, I’d probably eat at Famous Dave’s again.

Cheers,
Braddog 

It’s been awhile since I found and reviewed a new BBQ joint.  However, this past weekend I had some time to kill and I was in an area that I don’t often visit.  So, I plugged “BBQ” into Google Maps on my iPhone and found out that I was only a couple of miles from Country BBQ.

I followed the guidance directions and pretty soon, I’d located Country BBQ.  It’s a small place that you’d miss if you weren’t looking for it, but that’s usually where you find the best BBQ.  So I found a spot to park, stepped to the counter, ordered, and grabbed one of the dozen or so tables in the place.

I ordered the 2-meat plate.  Sliced beef and pulled pork, along with sides of cole slow and BBQ beans.  They did have sweet tea (the mark of any good BBQ joint), but I skipped it as I’m watching the extra calories and cutting them out where I can.

The food came out quick enough and I was impressed by the generous portions. Definitely a good value.  The cole slaw was kind of a cross between a vinegar and creamy based slaw, but it was very good.  The BBQ beans were okay, but there was a flavor there that I couldn’t put my finger on and frankly didn’t care for all that much.  When I ordered “sliced beef”, I assumed that would be brisket.  Disappointingly, it was closer to a shaved roast beef and not very “bbq like”.  However, the pulled pork was very good.  It was finely chopped, but I really enjoyed the flavor.  

There were 3 kinds of sauce on the table.  I chose the “regular” sauce and while it was thin, I thought it was very good.  I did not try the mustard sauce or the other sauce that appeared to be a thick KC style sauce.  Two giant slabs of Texas toast rounded out the meal.

Overall, I liked the joint.  I’d recommend the pulled pork for sure.  Here’s how Country BBQ in Bethalto, IL stacks up on my score card:

• BBQ – B
• Side Dishes – B
• Atmosphere – B
• Value – A
• Overall – B

If you find yourself in the area, give this place a shot.  I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.  

Cheers,
Braddog 

Over the past month or so, I’ve become aware of a new BBQ joint in St. Louis called Bogart’s Smokehouse.  Now all I really need is an excuse to go eat BBQ so when one of the owners dropped me a line here at Grill & Barrel asking me to pay them a visit, I had all the excuse I needed.

I didn’t annonce myself, but I showed up this afternoon on my way home from work.  I timed my visit to be just after the lunch rush since I’d heard that they do a crazy amount of business at lunch time.  Even at 2:00pm, there were no empty tables inside to be had.  I figure that’s a good sign.

I was met at the door by Mike Macchi, one of the partners, but I kept a low profile, stepped to the counter, ordered a combo plate, and took up a seat to sample the fare.  What I got was a plate piled high with brisket & pulled pork on an open hoagie roll, pit beans, and a side of pork rinds.  

I sampled each of the four sauces that were on the table.  They were all uniquely named and uniquely different.  There was what I’d call a St. Louis style sauce called Sweet Maegan Ann’s.  It’s a sweet tomato based sauce.  Mad Maddie’s Vinegar sauce is a thin vinegar based sauce as the name suggests.  Pineapple Express is a thin sauce that unmistakably has a hint of pineapple flavor.  And the sauce that I like the best, VooDoo Sauce.  That’s a thinner sauce with a peppery kick.

So how’s the food?  The pulled pork was some of the best in St. Louis.  I really enjoyed the taste and texture, and the VooDoo sauce was a great compliment.  The brisket was very good, though I wasn’t a huge fan of the rub.  I couldn’t tell if the rub was applied pre or post cook, but there was a beautiful smoke ring and it was very tender and flavorful.  And the pit beans?  Some of the best BBQ beans I’ve had.  I learned that they cook the beans on the pit with the brsiket for 12 hrs.  They were smokey, peppery, and really tasty.

As I was wrapping up my lunch, one of the partners stopped by my table and we began to chat.  Mike gave me the background on the relationship between Bogart’s & Pappy’s(one of my Top 5 BBQ Joints in St. Louis).  It turns out that the 4 partners who own Bogart’s started it up with Pappy’s blessings.  They still work with Pappy’s, but they now have a chance to do their own thing as well.  That’s a pretty sweet deal, and Pappy’s deserves a tip of the hat for being open to helping their folks spread their wings a bit.

Mike took me out back and showed me the Ole Hickory & Southern Pride pits that they’re cooking with.  We chatted about the pits and he let me peek at the butts that were finishing up on the Ole Hickory.  

All in all, I enjoyed my visit and will definitely return to try the other items on the menu.  Here’s how I’d rate Bogart’s Smokehouse:

• BBQ – A
• Side Dishes – A
• Atmosphere – A
• Value – B
• Overall – A

Bogart’s is definitely worthy of a stop if you’re in the St. Louis area.  They’re in the Soulard neighborhood between Busch Stadium and Anheuser Busch Brewery, and right behind the Soulard Farmer’s Market.  I think I’ll be revising my “Best in St. Louis” list to include Bogart’s.

Here’s their address:

Bogarts Smokehouse

1627 S. 9th Street

St. Louis, MO

Cheers,
Braddog 

A couple of years ago, I stumbled on the blog of a guy in Tennessee who was chronicling his journey in starting a BBQ joint.  Now I don’t think there’s a restaurant in my future…ever.  But I thoroughly enjoyed following the story of Martin’s BBQ Joint and pitmaster Pat Martin.  I mentally put his joint on my list of places to visit if the opportunity ever arose.

Martin’s BBQ Joint – Nolensville, TNWell recently I had the opportunity to travel through Nashville on a BBQ related trip of my own.  I’d also had the good fortune to meet Carey Bringle of Peg Leg Porker at the Business of BBQ class in January.  When Carey found out I was coming through town, we agreed to meet up for lunch.  Carey told me on the phone that “Pat’s is the best place in town”.  It took me a minute to realize that he was talking about Pat Martin.  That sealed the deal, we were headed to Martin’s BBQ to meet Carey for lunch.

The Hog CoffinI’d read about the original joint and frankly forgotten that Pat had moved into a new building.  But when we rolled through Nolensville, TN, there was no mistaking that we were at Martin’s when we spotted the “Hog Coffin” parked out front.  Now that’s a serious BBQ rig.  It’ll cook 6 hogs at once and has a big Ole Hickory pit mounted on it as well.  We took a few minutes to admire the rig while we waited for Carey.

Once inside, do you know how I could tell we were in a BBQ joint?  There’s a freakin’ pit in the middle of the dining area.  I’m talking about a hog cookin’ pit.  Whole hog is Pat’s specialty and they cook them in full view of the diners.  Now I wasn’t there on a day when they were cooking whole hog, so that means I have to get back there another time when they are.

We ordered up a couple of sampler platters and Carey had the brisket tacos.  We had baby back ribs, brisket, pulled pork, bbq beans, green beans, and cornbread on the platters.  I’ll just cut to the chase, I loved it all.  The brisket was probably my favorite meat, and the bbq beans were my favorite side dish.  But it was all good!

As we were finishing our lunch Pat came by and we spent some time talking about their pending trip to Memphis in May, the merits of the Backwoods Smoker that I was there to pick up, the Big Apple Block Party, and a variety of other bbq topics.  It was great to have lunch with Carey & Pat, a couple of guys who are definitely living out their bbq dreams.

If you find yourself anywhere near Nashville, TN, then I’d recommend diverting to Nolensville (just southeast of Nashville) and eating at Martin’s BBQ.

Cheers,

Braddog