2.5 hogs

Brother Jimmy’s BBQ – New York City, NY (mini-review)

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Name: Brother Jimmy’s BBQ
Date: 10/4/15
Address: 1485 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10075
Order: All you can eat ribs and Coors Light (link)
Price: $23.95

Being that Speedy, Mrs. Monk, and I are Panthers season ticket holders, I suggested that we find the quote-unquote Panthers bar in New York while we were there and watch the game after coming across an article about NFL team bars in New York. It was only a coincidence that it turned out to be a barbecue restaurant in Brother Jimmy’s BBQ.

Now when I say that Brother Jimmy’s is a quote-unquote Panthers bar, I should now clarify after having been that its a sports bar that will put on the Panthers game if you ask (as well as just about any other NFL game). It doesn’t turn into a true Panthers bar unless there is a playoff game, according to the bartender we spoke with while we waited for the rest of our party to join. Still, he was nice enough to give us a shot when he learned we were with the groom-to-be Boomsauce so thats worth an extra hog when it comes to atmosphere.

Our focus was truly on the game and drinking the pitchers of all you can drink Coors Light so there won’t be much to this review. I certainly didn’t take any photos – the one above was from Mrs Monk and I might have some complaint about the geography. From what I recall, the ribs were decently smokey and average. I didn’t take too much advantage of the all you can eat ribs special and ended up only having one half rack (again, focusing on the beer). Normally I’d let Speedy jump in here with his thoughts but he is abstaining from this review since something he had that day didn’t agree with him and he became sick that night.

For a good value and a decent atmosphere (provided you get there early enough to get a table and request your game), Brother Jimmy’s BBQ isn’t a bad spot for North Carolinians in NYC.

–Monk

Ratings:
Atmosphere – 4 hogs
RIbs – 2.5 hogs
Sides – 2.5 hogs
Overall – 2.5 hogs
Brother Jimmy's BBQ Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
Brother Jimmy's BBQ

McCall’s Bar-B-Q and Seafood – Goldsboro, NC

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Name: McCall’s Bar-B-Que & Seafood
Date: 9/4/15
Address: 139 Millers Chapel Rd, Goldsboro, NC 27534
Order: Pork barbecue sandwich with slaw on top, hush puppies, and drink (link to menu)
Price: $7.59

Monk: A little over two years ago on our way to Atlantic Beach on NC’s Crystal Coast, I had my first and only experience at Wilber’s Barbecue in Goldsboro. Looking back on that meal, I could have probably rated it a little higher than I did back then at 4 hogs. As much as I would have loved to revisit Wilber’s on a return trip back to Atlantic Beach this past Labor Day, there were a couple other barbecue joints on highway 70 that I decided to try instead. McCall’s BBQ & Seafood was the choice on the drive out this time, just a half mile past Wilber’s in a huge white barn.

Speedy: Monk – before you go any further, I just want to interject. Is there ever a case when you have a hankering for good ole ‘cue and the solution is going to a place that says, “& Seafood” in the name?

Monk: You know, that’s probably a fair point. But even if its not explicitly in the name, several places down east serve seafood along with barbecue. Fuller’s Old Fashion BBQ in Lumberton was another example that turned out pretty well for me.

We were in between lunch and dinner, so I went with a snack of just a pork sandwich and hush puppies. When going eastern style, I prefer to have the mayo slaw served on my sandwiches. And I don’t expect to have a lot of smoke or bark since its coming from a whole hog with the different cuts mixed together. The sandwich was very moist and flavorful and even though I wasn’t exactly hungry, I ate it up very quickly. A minor quibble would have been the lack of spice, since I didn’t grab any Texas Pete packets on my way out.

The hush puppies weren’t as sweet as I liked but were hot out of the fryer. I had no major complaints.

You’ll see soon that I tried another place down the road in Kinston later on this trip, which I will spoil slightly and say that I enjoyed a little more than this sandwich from McCall’s BBQ & Seafood which was by no means bad. However, next time I’m on the highway 70 corridor passing through Goldsboro or Kinston, I’ll likely opt for Wilber’s over both.

Ratings:
Atmosphere – N/A
Pork – 3 hogs
Sides – 2 hogs
Overall – 2.5 hogs
McCall's Bar-B-Cue & Seafood Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Moe’s Original Bar-B-Que – Matthews, NC (RE-REVIEW)

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Name: Moe’s Original Bar-B-Que
Location: 111 Matthews Station St, Matthews, NC 28105
Date: 6/28/15
Order: Monk: pork platter with two ribs, collards, and jalapeno cheese grits; Speedy: smoked wings, ribs platter with collards and Brunswick stew (link to menu)
Price: Monk: $17; Speedy: $20

Monk: As we’ve hit most of the Charlotte-area joints, you may start to notice that from time to time there will be some re-reviewing of joints that only one of us hit up the first time around. I went to Moe’s Original Bar-B-Que just over two years ago by myself, so I figured The Barbecue Bros should give this Alabama-style chain from Colorado another shot with Speedy in tow. Though Speedy assured me before hand that there would be no chicken and white sauce ordered by him.

It also gave us an opportunity to finally meet up with Big Wayner before he moved from the Charlotte area. Three-plus years ago as we were starting Barbecue Bros, I remember coming across Big Wayner BBQ and using it as a reference point for our blog. Wayne’s a super nice guy who is very knowledgeable about barbecue, and I wish it hadn’t taken so long for us to finally meet up with him.

Speedy: First off, let me say this. Big Wayner is the man. If I’ve met a nicer dude before, I couldn’t tell you when. If Wayner were a barbecue joint, I’d give him 5 hogs. But since he’s not, let’s talk about the real joint. I was skeptical of going to Moe’s based on previous reviews and other heresay. Honestly, it just sounded mediocre at best. However, while I was at a barbecue joint, I figured I’d order enough to understand the real deal, so I made sure to get ribs, pork, and smoked wings. Let’s start with the good: the smoked wings. These guys had great flavor, hinting at a great rub, and were cooked to the perfect level of tenderness. They weren’t too hot and overall, were very enjoyable. Moving on to the pork, however…

Monk: The pork was the saddest of the three meats we tried. It was dry and lacking in smoke and any bark or discernible flavor, even with the red sauce drizzled over it. I remember being pretty much the same way last time around and if I ever make it back I’ll go with wings or *gasp* chicken instead.

Speedy: Not so fast, Monk… the ribs were actually pretty decent. They had a nice bite, indicating they weren’t overcooked, and had a nice smoky flavor. And they were topped off with just the right amount of glaze – not over-sauced  by any means, but adding a bit of flavor. These ribs weren’t the best I’ve had by any means, but I did enjoy them.

Monk: The sides were another low point of the meal. The jalapeno cheese grits were better than average but the collards lacked taste and Speedy couldn’t bring himself to finish his Brunswick stew. The platters come with cornbread and that was merely ok.

Speedy: Overall, this was a very mediocre barbecue experience. It took Big Wayner to get me out that far into the Charlotte suburbs (editor’s note: Speedy considers everything outside of a 2 mile radius from downtown a “suburb”), and I don’t regret going, but I won’t be making any trips out that way just to visit Moe’s Original Bar-B-Que anytime soon.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 2.5 hogs
Pork – 2.5 hogs
Ribs – 3.5 hogs
Wings – 3.5 hogs
Sides – 2 hogs
Overall – 2.5 hogs
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Home Team BBQ – Sullivan’s Island, SC

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Name: Home Team BBQ
Date: 4/18/14
Address: 2209 Middle Street, Sullivan’s Island, SC
Order: 2 meat combo (brisket and ribs), brunswick stew, fries (link to menu)
Price: $15

Speedy: Previously, I had checked out Home Team BBQ on a trip to Charleston but I left feeling a little disappointed. I stated that I probably wouldn’t be going back, opting to try other joints instead. Well, I lied. The proximity of the Sullivan’s Island location led me and a group of college friends there for lunch after a late Friday night. So here I ended up.

The atmosphere is fairly similar to the West Ashley location – a bit dark, with more of a bar feel than restaurant. They have a nicely stocked bar and an excellent beer selection. Unlike West Ashley, the Sullivan’s Island location has a wait staff, and we quickly ordered our meals. From my last visit, the ribs were my favorite part of the meal, so that was a no brainer for the order. I had recently sworn off eating brisket in NC, but since I was in the lesser Carolina, I figured I’d give that a go as well.

Monk: Apologies to our South Carolina readers…

Speedy: The ribs were as I remembered – nicely smoked and flavorful, but not quite as tender as I like. I did add a little spicy sauce, which was good as well, but I prefer them dry overall. I stand by the ribs being the best meat at the restaurant.

Unfortunately, I’m probably done with SC brisket now as well. The slices I presented were, by far, the thickest brisket slices I’ve ever had. It was from the point of the brisket and was just way, way too fatty. There was some decent bark, which was nice, but it just was not an enjoyable piece of meat to eat. A mixture of fatty and lean (I wasn’t asked) might’ve solved this, but overall, I was disappointed.

Monk: So would thinner slices have been better? Or was it just not a good cut of meat?

Speedy: Hard to say. I think thinner slices would’ve helped because there wouldn’t have been such large chunks of fat. But it very well could’ve just been an extra fatty brisket.

The brunswick stew was good, and something I don’t recall seeing on my previous trip, so that was pretty big time in terms of side choices. I enjoyed all my sides last time, so I’m assuming the ones I didn’t repeat are still equally good.

Overall, my impression of Home Team BBQ did not change. It’s an enjoyable experience, but the ‘cue is not the main reason to go.

For what it’s worth, my college friends who were there (from Chicago, Philly, DC, and Denver) all loved it, so I might be a harsh critic but such is life as a Barbecue Bro.

Ratings:
Atmosphere – 4 hogs
Ribs – 3 hogs
Brisket – 2 hogs
Sides – 4.5 hogs
Overall – 2.5 hogs
Home Team BBQ on Urbanspoon

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