Bucky's Bar-BQ ~ Greenville S.C.

When a good friend tells you to eat at a barbecue joint because it is the best he has ever eaten, you need to listen. Then, you need to get going, and go eat at said joint. So, that is exactly what I did.

  Having grown up in South Carolina, I was curious to see how the barbecue home turf was holding up. As "The gf Commander" and I arrived at Bucky's Bar-BQ's Roper Mountain Road location, we found that it was slightly frumpy. This is a good thing, because had we found a fancy-pants barbecue joint we would have probably left. Once inside, we walked past plain chairs and the semi-plain tables which have Bucky's memorabilia laminated to them, and arrived at the short counter in the back corner. I was a bit confused until I found the "order" sign. I have to say, the set up has me still scratching my head, but it did work somehow. The counter man had a whole Boston Butt on a chopping board. As soon as we placed our order he proceeded to whack away and fill the plates with the carefully chopped pork. That was the magical moment in time. Hang on to that moment as it explains much.

  My Sassy Chef associate, who was traveling with me (the aforementioned "gf Commander") ordered a pork plate with green beans and cucumber salad (This was a gluten free lunch FYI). She reported that the cucumber salad was ok, but the green beans needed some much needed help. She suggested putting them back into the can whence they came, and start over with some fresh green beans. I know, ouch already! She also reported that the chopped barbecue was some of the best she has ever had. Unbelievable, that now makes two "best I ever had" comments. She did not use any sauce and said that the meat had a mild smoked flavor which was not overpowering.

  I ordered a combo plate which had the chopped pork and smoked chicken with sides of Cole slaw and sweet potatoes (souffle). The chopped barbecue was as the Sassy Chef had reported . I am not sure if it is the best I have ever had, but it is definitely in the top ten. Now then, the chicken was on point. It was very tender and seasoned well. The cook brought me a sampling of the ribs (cut up spare ribs) so that I could get the whole experience. My undying charm undoubtedly persuaded his conscience to do so. They were fall off the bone and tender, albeit a bit lacking with rub/seasoning. The moisture in Bucky's meats makes the difference. Nothing is worse than dried out barbecue; every bite was tender and moist.

  Sides... what are we to do with these sides? If I were a betting man, I would put $100 down in Vegas on that the sides are not fresh-made in house. The sides need an overhaul. The Cole slaw was drab, and the sweet potatoes were not as good as "the gf Commander's".

 Is Bucky's being penny foolish with the sides? According to gf... yes indeed.

However, the fixing of this side debacle should be fairly painless. My suggestion is to have a contest. Yes, hold a contest for the locals to bring their "A game". Certainly someone in Greenville SC can whip up some green beans and Cole slaw.

This is one of three "big ass" cookers we were able to see.

Tomorrow's lunch.

Secret brisket for a special gathering.

New school BBQ.

Old school BBQ ready to go for a night class. There is a  $60 a head charge for a BBQ class that the owner puts together.

Spices for the class.

  Hickory wood is always a sight for sore eyes. 

  I almost forgot to mention the barbecue sauces! Holy crap! The mustard base was too thick and too sweet for me. Mustard sauce needs to be runny and spicy according to gf. The tomato base was the best sauce they had. It was a good blend of sweet and hot. The vinager base is what I ended up eating the most of. It was good stuff. Hey, I like hot what can I say?

  Bucky's Bar-BQ has it going on. Are they the best that gf has ever had? Well, fix the sides and they are in the top five. Hey, they could even bust out some peach cobbler and vanilla ice cream if they wanted to impress me.

  "Barbecue is a package deal. One cannot just do one part great." gf

  This was a good lunch served by a great staff who had a heaping helping of care. Overall, I understand why my friend Merle said this was the best barbecue that he has ever had. 

Thanks for reading,

gf

Paul Gant's Barbeque ~ Port Saint Joe, Florida

  There is exceptional  barbecue to be discovered everywhere it seems, that is, if one is paying attention.

  Now, is it called barbecue or barbeque? Mr. Gant would seem to prefer the 'que instead of the 'cue. But I could care less, because his 'que is pretty much on cue. (Rim shot please)

  I have this thing for BBQ huts. When I see one I just want to check it out. It is not just the food you see, it is the whole deal. It is patriotic Americana at its best. No corporations, very few rules - save those of common sense and cookery, which is what determines these hut's fates. They are all in. All or nothing. You like it or you don't. Usually, if you don't like them they don't worry about it so much. Opinions are like butt-holes to these folks - everyone has one.

  Wax paper rules the BBQ underworld. Without it, there would be no true Deep South BBQ. 

"Imposters do not use wax paper." gf

  This is the "Hungry Man" Plate. There must be some big-ass men in Gulf County Florida. 

  If this family plays their cards right they could be the "Pineapple Willies" of Port Saint Joe.

   They will have to work on their people skills though. They were a bit non-chatty. How can caterers be non-chatty? I am not sure about that.

  Let's run through this food real quick.

   Potato salad ~ Skip it. I call this "mashed potato salad" and I am no fan of it. It is a typical mayo/mustard/pickle relish fare.

  Baked Beans ~ Delish! Smokey, with brown sugar and infused with pork bits.

  Ribs (spare ribs) ~ These were "fall of the bone" with a slight tug. Served dry, dipping these into the home-made BBQ sauce made them near perfect.

  Pulled Pork ~ Oversmoked. They were using Oak, and lots of it. Nothing is worse than burping up Oak for the rest of the day after eating a plate of food.

  Smoked Chicken ~ Over cooked and dry. It did have a good crust and good flavor though.

  Conclusion? Pull in and order. Do not be skeered. Hey, that is how you say it in Port St. Joe Florida.

Thanks for reading,

gf

  

Bub-Ba-Q ~ Woodstock GA

  I have noticed that there are way too many BBQ joints using a cartoon pig in their signage. Pigs cooking, pigs with forks and knives, cute pigs, pigs over fire, pigs with chef hats, pig butts, pigs with big snouts, and pigs wearing overalls, just to mention a few. (I will of course have to ramble on about this at a later date.)

Therefore, I was ecstatic that I did not see one picture or any other graven image of a Bubba at Bub-Ba-Q. 

  Yes, I was impressed. They did however clutter the joint up with an annoying amount of trophies from BBQ competitions. Enough already. Jeez.

 We had to jump up on some to-go food as all of our posse was at Grandma's house. This young lady was very patient and helpful.

  Bub-Ba-Q has the sauce program working hard. However, I am very disappointed that they allow the company who produces their sauces to use High Fructose Corn Syrup. This is a huge fail According to gf. Look, a BBQ belt! Just like WWF!

 There was a big-ass commercial smoker jammed into a corner in the back.

   I had recenty visited a soon-to-be-famous BBQ joint in West Atlanta who has Hottie "Hogs", so of course, I had to compare them to Bub-Ba's Hotties. I have determined that the waitresses at Bub-Ba-Q were just as hot. Matter of fact, they are hot enough to win a trophy, which could be displayed (with the others) at the restaurant.

 The roasted chicken was tender but it had very little smoke flavor and was light on the seasoning.  The greens were way overcooked. I have no comment on the macaroni and cheese... However, my wife "The Sassy Chef" went on and on about its insufficencies for a half an hour or more. Hey, what can I say? She is passionate about Mac and Cheese!

  The Chocolate Snickers Cake (made by the Alpine Bakery) was rich and delish. 

  The half rack of ribs was very tender and had a nice smoke ring, but I thought they could have used more rub. Skipping past the baked beans... (cough)... the corn-fritter-thingy-bobs were... OMGood.

  The pulled pork was moist and tender. One must dip this into the mustard BBQ sauce. Matter of fact I dipped them into every sauce they had: Mustard, Vinegar base, Spicy Hot Vinegar, and Smokey Kansas City Style. The sauces were on point even though it may take me a while to rid my system of the HFCS that was in them.

  Overall Bub-Ba-Q was good. I did not go crazy-ga-ga over anything, save the corn fritters and chocolate cake, but this is decent Q. They must be doing something right as they had good business and plenty of trophies. One must understand that there is a big difference in winning competitions and running restaurants. Running a restaurant takes focus 24/7 and a great staff. I really liked the staff at Bub-Ba-Q, and I know their focus will take them far.

  Someone at Bub-Ba-Q needs to hire a lawyer as there are Bubbas everywhere. Here is a BubbaQue out of Florida...

 http://www.bubbaquesbbq.com/

(They even have a cartoon pig.)

  Hell, our family even has a Bubba! Yeah, someone needs to wrangle in all of these Bubbas in and sort them all out. 

  Check Bub-Ba-Q out when you get a chance; you should not be disappointed. I am waiting for the "half-off franchise sale" just so I can use the name! Oh, and I am stealing the corn fritter recipe.

Thanks for reading, 

gf

  

  

Hottie Hawg's Smokin' BBQ ~ Atlanta GA

 Hottie Hawg's Smokin' BBQ invited me for dinner, which was in itself a momentous occasion, as someone actually wanted my opinion. I know, that is amazing ('whispering'... and a bit suspicious).

  Enough of the hubbub though, it is time to get down to business. HHSBBQ is fairly new (since 2008), and it shows in some simple ways according to gf.  They had an unfortunate tragedy at the start of their company with the tragic loss of a partner, which must have brought forth some hard times and difficult decisions.  It appears that they have weathered those hard times well as they are set up nicely for catering with a massive Hottie Hawg's trailer (the "18 Squealer"... which is bad ass to say the least). They also have Hotties, and a Boss Hawg to boot. I believe that it is safe to say that catering is their strength. They have even landed a gig with The Lifetime Channel called "Catrering Wars".
  However, after watching the first episode, I think that someone needs to rethink this whole "Boss Hawg" bit. There is good publicity and then there is bad publicity. I hope that Boss Hawg telling a competing caterer that he was going to "put his boot up her ass" was not a bad publicity move.

 HHSBBQ (the initials seem longer than the name) has a cozy spot in a worn out part of town. Even though the area is older, there are some really cool buildings in this area of west Atlanta. HHSBBQ is very easy to get to as they are right off of South Cobb Drive. They have two adjacent buildings, which I suspect that one is an office. The restaurant has a big deck between the buildings, ample parking (you may not want to take a deep sniff of the air as it may be malodorous), and mysterious back porch with smokers and such (I also noted a secret trap door for the wood.)... very cool.

  The restaurant building needs the gf Corps of Engineers to investigate and come up with a plan. Here are a few suggestions (for free) to help them out:

1. Crap on the walls and in every nook and cranny has been over-done. Stop it. Go with neat and clean, cool and bad-ass.

2.  "When in Rome do as the Romans do." If you want to do a sports-bar atmosphere... Remember that you are in Atlanta Georgia... Home of the Falcons. I do not think that the Falcon's fans care too much for the Dallas Cowboys (but the Cowboy fans love it!). You can hang up all the signed jerseys, balls, helmets, etc. that you want, and it will gain you close to zero in return.

3. Do something with the front door. Use it or lose it. I watched a poor soul meandering around the front trying to figure out how to get in. If people are struggling with that, well... Houston, we have a problem.

  Well then, I feel better already. Shall we talk about the food since that is why we showed up? "People go out to eat to eat" gf.

  I brought along the baker, and Deep South Sassy Chef extraordinaire, Jill; The Wing-Man, and Southern Ice Tea Critic, Stephen; and all the way from Augusta Georgia, our fearless Pulled-Pork-Perfectionist, Alex. Here are our collective opinions about HHSBBQ Texas Style BBQ fare:

  Smoked Wings ~ Overcooked, they had to be fried "according to Stephen", the sauce was on point though. Stephen commented: "They have their work cut out for them to catch up with Fox Brother's wings... Just sayin'."
  I think that they were smoked and then fried. 7 points Falcons.

  Sweet Iced Tea ~ It was freshly brewed (Alex stated that it was so fresh it was slightly warm) and sweetened nicely. Our Ice Tea Critic took a to-go cup of the nectar. 3 point Field Goal Dallas.

  Beer Can Chicken ~ The chicken had a crispy outside and moist and juicy inside. It was very flavorful with a mild smoke flavor. 7 points Dallas.

  Pulled Pork ~ Alex had it in a sandwich and I had it with a combo. Served dry, HHSBBQ is relying on the guest to douse it with one of their three signature sauces (mustard, tomato vinegar, or smokey/spicy sweet tomato base), which were all on point. If one attempts to eat this pork plain they will notice a good flavor, but will consume at least three glasses of the fresh sweet tea. Topping the sandwich with onions was different. 3 points Dallas.

Sliced Brisket ~ The brisket was fork tender with a slight smoke flavor. Not the best I have ever had, but for a lazy Sunday afternoon it was pretty darn good. 3 points Dallas.

  Burnt Ends ~ Not being a gf staple, the burnt ends were still judged with care. Alex wanted to make a hoagie out of them... I am not so sure about that... but they were tender and flavored with rendered fat and smoke. This is not diet food, but it is, none the less, delicious. 7 points Dallas.

 Potato Salad ~ The Southern Sassy Chef likes no potato salad other than her own... except for HHSBBQ's! Holy crap! Dallas sacks the Falcon's in their own end-zone for a safety!  2 points!

  Collard Greens ~ These greens were off-the-chain-good. I mean to steal this recipe. 3 points Dallas.

  Cole Slaw ~ This slaw has to be a Texas deal. It has a slight vinegar base with cilantro and black bean salsa. I am not a huge fan, but it was flavorful. I bet if I tossed in some Duke's mayo it would be a three point money shot at the buzzer. 3 points Falcons.

  Fried Pickles and Jalapeños (bottle tops) ~ Mucho caliente y mucho denaro. This is the second recipe I intend to steal. When I started nibbling on this appetizer I thought it was too expensive. As I continued to eat this delectable snack I changed my mind. 3 points Dallas.

  Now what every warm blooded American is waiting for me to write about... Hottie Hawg's Hotties. The concept is tried and true ~ great food and hot women... in boots... and Daisy Dukes. OMG the "three B's" are BBQ, Beer, and Babes. Bluegrass should be in there too... but only on Thursdays.

"Whenever one finds a cute pig one needs to be on the lookout for a frog." gf

I found the frog's banjo.

  Our Hawg was a Hottie, maybe not a great server, but she was cute. If HHSBBQ is after the Hooter's/Twin Peaks/Tilted Kilts bit they are going to have to bring their "A" game. The competition is fierce and the segment is shrinking with more and more of these places popping up everywhere.

  Just for discussion... is it cool to be called a Hottie Hawg? Talk amongst yourselves about that and feel free to report back.The food was the star of this visit... not the Hawgs.

We also tried the desserts. Our Sassy Chef said that the Pecan Pie had a good flavor, but noted that it was a bit dry. She did not like the presentation of the Key Lime Pie in the small tin. She thought that it did not have the "burst of lime" that she was hoping to find and found it bland. "If they want to put something in a tin cup I suggest Banana Pudding or Bread Pudding instead of Key Lime Pie."

  I am going to donate some plate ware in the near future, as they will need it when they open their first prototype restaurant (I have already scribbled out a Proto-A design on a napkin).

  I wish this company the best of luck. They have courage; good food; a crap load of potential; Hotties; a Boss Hawg; and a phenomenal marketing Yoda who actually may be hidden in the other building.

Thanks for reading,

gf

  

  

Sportsman's Barbecue ~ Clark's Hill SC

  I really hate giving bad reviews, no... really. I am searching for epic barbecue in the Deep South. When I think that I have found a joint that has a chance to be great, I feel like a character in The da Vinci Code who is on the cusp of finding the last great clue. I was ready to unlock the great barbecue clue in Clark's Hill S.C..

 Slightly off the beaten trail, and north of North Augusta S.C., Sportsman's Barbecue had several things that attracted gf to it's doors.

~ off the beaten path

~ next to a gas station of a similar name

~ the smell of smoke

~ high ranking on Urbanspoon 85+%

I was primed and ready to unravel the Sportsman's Barbecue mystery.

  This is a simple place. It smelled of smoking barbecue. What could really go wrong? Well, let's see; shall we?

1. I ordered a beer. The waitress hollered back to the kitchen "you can go ahead and give me that Mich Ultra again." She soon came by the table explaining that they were out of the beer that I had ordered. (I figure the beer had been mistakenly opened and then polished off by the cook.) Mind you that there is a convenience store right next door. I bet they had cold beer.

2. I ordered a "loaded potato" with pulled pork and topped with cheese. Why in Zeus' name would they serve me a two day old potato?! Baked potatoes have a piping hot white flakey center. This was a cold waxy brown potato. A cold waxy light brown potato would be a day old potato. This potato was brown like dark brown sugar... And don't even try to tell me that it was smoked, or I will dot you in your eye. Pathetic is what this potato was.

3. I ordered Hash over rice. I grew up on this Southern delicacy as a young'n. The first ten pounds of overweightness (do not Google that last word) was due to hash, rice, and white bread. Therefore, here is my first cooking tip for Sportsman's Barbecue: Do not butter the rice; Hash is not to be dry; and since the Hash is not dry, serve it with white bread so one can sop up the juice.

4. My esteemed BBQ sandwich expert at large (my son Alex) struggled with his chopped (to death) BBQ sandwich. Dry and un-entertaining was his report.

5. We had side dishes. The cole slaw was edible and actually pleasant, however the corn on the cob was from another dimension. Maybe it was sucked into a wormhole and dropped on the plate as the waitress exited the kitchen while delivering our food. It was dry, old, and disgusting.

  So there you have it. Old food from two days ago reheated and sold to gf. They are open Thursday through Sunday. I ate on a Saturday. Thank goodness! Just think what the food is like on a Sunday!

  Sportsman's Barbecue here is another  food tip from accordingtogf: Cook less, more often.

Thanks for reading,

gf

Slope's Barbecue ~ Cumming, Georgia

  What should one do when one becomes a grandfather? Yes, eat barbeque. Well, of course, one must hold the baby as well. Just know, that good barbeque can often shift ones priorities. Since I had held the granddaughter for seven hours straight, I figured that it was time to eat.

  I whipped out my handy-dandy iPhone application Urbanspoon, and checked out the local reviews in Cumming Georgia. Thank goodness that I did, because several barbeque joints on the main road had been sacrificed by Urbanspoon reviewers. Since Slope's BBQ was sporting some good reviews, I chose them for dinner.

  Before I get too carried away, I have to vent about Cumming Georgia. Would someone please buy a bulldozer and make a straight road? This town has serious road-curve issues. The old downtown area is just one big hot mess. There HAS to be a vacancy in the city planning department. Would someone, anyone, please apply for this position? Upon being hired you will need mass quantities of earth moving machinery, a crew of accurate surveyors, and some twine for good measure. I wonder if Ty Pennington can redo a whole town.

Ty has just enough ADHD to do the job.

  Off we went through the maze of crooked streets. We diligently referred to our GPS for guidance as we wove though Cumming to Slope's Barbeque.

  Slope's has a lot going for it. Here is the positive list:

• They are off the main drag.
• They have a nice building with a cool porch with wood borer bees buzzing about.
• The have a huge smoke stack with a pig on it.
• The prices are reasonable (WYSIWYG ).
• They have a friendly and helpful staff.
• The dining room is decorated well with miscellaneous farm implements.
• The Brunswick Stew was on point.
• The sides were delicious.
• The kitchen looked very clean. (There was a shiny ultra-modern stainless steel cooker in the kitchen.)
• The food was fresh and filling, however...

Here is the negative list:

• Lack of smoke in the general vicinity of the restaurant. Big-ass smoke stack though!
• The dessert menu was weak. They are losing a bit of cash here.
• The pork was chopped, nay, hacked to minuscule bits. This would have served us well if we were eating SC hash. Pull the pork or slice it please.
• Served spare ribs instead of St. Louis with no description of which type they were serving.
• The iconic pig with a big knife and fork kind of creeped me out.

Eat here. The food is good. They may not win any competitions, but they are nice folks and they will take care of you. You will not perish from food poisoning. The sweet tea was good according to my associate (son) Stephen.

Thanks for reading,

gf