Geocaching Mot's Bar-B-Que

Well it happened. I found geocaching  and Mot's Bar-B-Que, thanks to my son Alex. Geocaching is a grand global game of treasure hunting that uses a GPS. I like the fact that there are things hidden, often right under our noses, without us ever knowing it was ever there. It often  makes me wonder what else is hidden right under our noses with out us having any clue that it is there. Now I am hooked on this geocaching. It is an addiction. Another addiction I would have if I lived in Augusta Ga would be Mot's Bar-B-Que. Mot's is a lot like geocaching. You probably have not noticed it yet; but when you do find it, you could become addicted. 

Before Alex wheeled us into the parking lot; I smelled it. Hickory smoke. There is a smell that barbecuing over hickory provides that cannot be duplicated, or processed by giant food conglomerates. You just can't get it done with out wood, time, sweat, and persistence. This is the kind of cooking that requires a nice deodorant soap at the end of the day. You also have to have a good bit of "country" to pull it off as well. City folk just cannot get this done the same. No offense of course. This cooking is way to dirty and smelly for city folks to deal with.

The workers at Mot's made this place happen. I know that I can be loud and out there, but they did not care, and they answered all of my questions with a smile. Dallas stepped up to the plate and explained the deal, as all of the signage was confusing, and in need of revision. I would be willing to  come back and walk them though some ideas on how to fix this issue. That is, of course, for a plate or two of their fall off the bone ribs. Dallas directed me to the "board" with the "special" on it. I love this kind of marketing. Toss the menu to the wind in these situations. Listen to the staff, and get the special. These are not those slick sales people like you would find in a fancy restaurant. These are the salt of the earth restaurateurs that eat their own food every day.

I  ordered the "Sampler" combo plate that came with vegetables. I was apprehensive of the side vegetables as usual, but I ordered the turnip greens and black eyed peas. Paige slid the "Sampler" across the counter. It came with ribs, chopped barbecue, and barbecue chicken with a choice of sauces from mild to hot. The sauces were typical Georgia sauces, red  and runny. Nothing real new or exciting in the sauce department, which was disappointing. I always look forward to the special touches that a small barbecue place can do with sauces. Mot's should take a hike over to Little Dooey's in Starkville MS and check out their sauces. The smoked meats were right on the money. I thought that the ribs could have used a little more rib rub, but I had no complaints about the cooking. These meats were slow cooked over wood, and you could taste the slight smokiness in every bite. I was pleasantly surprised with the vegetables as they melted in my mouth. They may have even been fresh. The greens were tender and seasoned well with meat. They were a little sweet for me, but they were delicious. The Black eyed peas were off the hook, and cooked to perfection. Good vegetables in a joint means that they care.

We gabbed our food and found a table, which was not a challenge, as we were alone save one other group and a few to go orders. The joint was doing a brisk to go business as cars steadily drove up to the takeout window. I think this building was an old fast food restaurant and was set up well for this to go activity. Marketing seems to be a opportunity for Mot's, but it is a joint after all. Joint's do not do marketing very well. That is, except word of mouth. The signage out side was classic joint marketing. There was, first of all, the open sign. Take these signs down across America please. If you have a neon open sign in our window throw it away now. I would rather see the clock type sign on the door that says "We will be back at"... then refer to the clock. When I see a neon open sign I read "Almost Closed". Take it down. Now.
Other than that, there was a "Bar-B-Que" sign with a reference to hickory smoke. Accurate, yes, I guess you could say that. Mot's needs a sign person soon. I always liked Piggy Park's sign. First of all, it is huge. Then there is "Little Joe" the pig standing on the top. Thirdly there is a statement that they are the "World's Best Bar-B-Q", which is awesome. Lastly, if you look closely, the spell sandwiches "sandmiches".

The tables were sturdy and clean. The decor was a blend of cheesy country and signed pictures from friends and random obsolete NASCAR drivers. Then there was the 19" tube TV set on a basketball game. Really? No. Throw that away as well. The TV was just annoying, as was the clutter corner. Yes Mot's has the evil clutter corner. This stuff belongs in a closet. Vacuum cleaner, brooms, extra supplies, go into closets. If you like barbecue and you are an interior designer, please make friends with these folk; they need you. However, there were elements that I did like about the decor. The "Special" sign, yeah, keep that. One thing I like about these boards is when they run out of something. Someone's finger changes the menu in seconds. That is awesome.Then there was the local activity area, keep that as well.



 Geocaching requires some running around and searching for hidden "treasure". When you find the hidden cache and open it you may find semi-worthless stuff inside. There is a log book that is to be signed letting other geocachers know when you were there.You are encouraged to leave a small "treasure" or swap one. This activity is really not understood until you actually grab up a GPS and go to geocaching. This is a web page where you can register a screen name, and download a map of all of the caches. On this Saturday we found about eight of these caches. The sizes ranged from an ammo box to tiny vials that were placed in hidden places ever so cleverly.
There are a host of rules for where these caches can be hidden. Private property requires permission from the property owner. No graveyards, bridges, and other sites where it would be inappropriate for one reason or another. Aside from those, and a few others, the imagination is the only limit. I found one under a brick, behind a reflector, under a walking bridge, in a gazebo, and in a bed of pine straw in the middle of the woods. I had a lot of "good clean fun", and enjoyed time with my son.

Geocaching can burn extra calories. If you find yourself geocaching in Augusta Georgia, stop by Mot's, and tell Dallas, Paige, and "Bubba" gf said hello, and to keep up the good work.



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