Author: Barbecue Bros

The Roots of SAW’s Soul Kitchen is in North Carolina Barbecue

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Name: SAW’s Soul Kitchen
Date: 7/21/23
Address: 215 41st St S, Birmingham, AL 35222
Order: Two meat combo platter with pork and sausage with collards, slaw, and cheese grits (link to menu)
Pricing: $$

Monk: SAW’s BBQ owner Mike Wilson (or SAW which is an acronym for “Sorry Ass Wilson”) originally grew up in Charlotte and in the early 2000’s was working as a sous chef at Dean & Deluca in Charlotte fresh out of culinary school at Johnson and Wales (though the Vail location, not the Charlotte one). Eventually he found himself back in Alabama – he went to the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa for undergrad – working at a restaurant in Birmingham and doing barbecue on the side. In 2009, an opportunity to take over a closing barbecue restaurant presented itself. Wilson opened the original location of SAW’s BBQ in the Birmingham suburb of Homewood shortly thereafter. Since 2009, SAW’s has grown to six locations in the greater Birmingham area. Those six locations include the Avondale location the Monk family (plus Monk uncles!) found itself on a recent Friday this summer while visiting family.

Each SAW’s location has a slightly different name and menu and for Avondale it’s “SAW’s Soul Kitchen” with the barbecue staples but menu offerings that are more southern soul food (think fried chicken, patty melts, and fried green tomato BLT’s). This location is a cozy, no-frills restaurant where customers order at the bar and then seat themselves either at the bar or one of the handful of tables or booths in the small-ish restaurant.

The Monk Uncles had arrived just before us and took the liberty of ordering a bowl of pork rinds that were still warm upon our arrival. They were light and tasty, and a nice way to kick off the meal.

I shared a two meat combo platter of pork and sausage with Mrs. Monk, adding a third side of collards to the vinegar-based slaw and cheese grits we ordered as our two sides that come with the meal. In terms of the meats, both were above average without being outstanding. Both come standard with a vinegary-sweet sauce that was drizzled over but I added the vinegar table sauce to the pork to further cut that sweetness. The sausage was a standard smoked sausage with no cheese or other filler besides the ground meat.

To be honest, the sides kind of outshone the meats for me. I liked the fact that SAW’s has a vinegar-based slaw (perhaps a nod to Wilson’s NC roots) and it worked with the meat as a native-North Carolinian would expect. Although I only had a couple of tastes, the cheese grits were a highlight of the meal. And the collards were Mrs. Monk-certified.

Sadly, found and owner Mike Wilson passed away in late 2020 from a heart attack at the age of 46 but the legacy of SAW’s Barbecue lives on in the six Birmingham-area locations. Based on this visit, I could see SAW’s Soul Kitchen being a regular stop if I were ever to become a resident of the The Magic City.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 3.5 hogs
Pulled Pork – 3.5 hogs
Sausage– 3.5 hogs
Sides – 4 hogs
Overall – 3.5 hogs

NC Weekend Checks Out Prime Barbecue and Its “Full-Blown Barbecue Campus”

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Monk: NC Weekend’s been pumping out the barbecue content lately, and in a recent visit host Deborah Holt Noel took a visit to Knightdale to sit down with owner/head fire maker Christopher Prieto for a tour of the restaurant and to try a little bit of everything on the menu.

Description: See why Prime Barbecue is drawing huge crowds to its popular spot in Knightdale.

Grill Armor Gloves Help Protect the Backyard Pitmaster

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Link to Purchase

Monk: Years ago when I did my whole hog party in my backyard, I ended up borrowing a pair of heat resistant gloves from my neighbor that came in super handy when Speedy and I had to unexpectedly move our burn barrel in the middle of the night (yes, you read that right). I returned the gloves the next day and didn’t think to ask the brand or even look into getting a pair for myself.

That was over 5 years ago but I recently came across a brand called Grill Armor Gloves and they look to fit the bill when it comes to a heat resistant glove. I’ve tested them out a few times over the past month and have found them to work nicely both grill-side as well as even indoors as oven mitts.

In terms of quality, the gloves are insulated with a couple of synthetic fabrics that are the same as Nomex and Kevlar and are lined with a 100% cotton lining. Each glove has a handy pull tab to help pull them on and while the pair of gloves I have says they would fit most, I found them a bit snug for even my medium-sized hands. A larger set of paws may have some issues with this particular pair.

Whether it’s grabbing the charcoal chimney full of lit coals or the Weber handle that always gets a little too hot for my liking, the gloves insulated my hand well. I even tested putting my hand directly on the kettle lid while it was on the grill with a temp of roughly 300 degrees, and felt nothing; these gloves are supposedly resistant up to 932 degrees. For more serious cooks they could come in handy moving hot grates or lit logs. I’ll definitely be putting this to the test later this year in the fall and winter months, whether its for another whole hog (??) or for the regular family firepits.

My only nit is that I do have to switch gloves when grabbing any meat off the grill since the Grill Armor Gloves are more of a synthetic mitten material and I wouldn’t want to get fibers into the meat. But this would be the case for any similar style of gloves.

Also, at $29.95 they are at the top of end this category so you might be tempted for similar but cheaper options. And while I didn’t experience this personally, a buddy said he felt a hot spot in one of the fingers when he borrowed to use.

Even with those small concerns, I’d recommend looking into these if you’re in the market for heat resistant gloves and see if they are the right option for you. They also come in a couple of options: a longer cuff as well as a ladies size.

Link to Purchase

Description: Thick but flexible and lightweight gloves that can protect your hand from extreme heat up to 932℉. Insulated with top-quality M-ARAMID & P-ARAMID fabrics (same as Nomex and Kevlar) with 100% cotton lining for maximum comfort. Great for cooking, baking, grilling, camping, fireplace, and much more. Available in different colors and sizes.

12 Bones Smokehouse is More than Their Blueberry Chipotle Ribs

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Monk: Famously, President Barack Obama ate at the original 12 Bones Smokehouse in the River Arts District of Asheville. That location is now gone, but they’ve opened a huge “South Asheville” location that houses the smokehouse as well as the brew system for the 3-year old 12 Bones Brewing. Speedy and I have visited the original River Arts location as well as the Arden location but I’d be curious to check out this combo brewhouse and barbecue location to see how their barbecue tastes like these days 10 years on after an ownership change as well as sample their beers.

Description: In the western mountains of NC, Asheville’s 12 Bones Smokehouse is known for its BBQ and brews. Over the past 16 years, this neighborhood pub has prided itself on being a diverse and welcoming establishment for all to enjoy. Notably, 12 Bones has had the honor of hosting President Obama on three separate occasions. Find out why locals and tourists alike keep coming back to savor 12 Bones.