3.5 hogs

Troutman’s Bar-B-Que – Denton, NC

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Name: Troutman’s Barbecue
Date: 11/28/15
Address: 18466 NC-109, Denton, NC 27239
Order: Medium chopped pork plate with bbq slaw, fries, hush puppies, and Cheerwine
Price: $8.65

Monk: Much like Rudy I am a father of a toddler and similar to how Mrs. Rudy lured him to a pumpkin patch with the promise of barbecue, Mrs. Monk promised me barbecue if we went to a Christmas Train (yes, this is actually a thing). Located in a modest brick building off highway 109 in the small town of Denton, Troutman’s Barbecue is a 40+ year old joint that is True Cue certified, which means that it smokes pork shoulders over wood (unlike the disappointing but similarly named Troutman’s in Concord).

Denton is a little over 20 miles southeast of Lexington #1 and Troutman’s styles its barbecue accordingly. Beverage options include Cheerwine from the fountain and barbecue is served in either a tray (with slaw and hush puppies) or a plate (with slaw, hush puppies, and fries) – both keeping in line with the Lexington way of doing things.

Even at the dinner hour, Troutman’s served a pork that was moist and not at all dried out. I found it to be a decent version of Lexington-style barbecue, and it paired nicely with the excellent red slaw as well as the Texas Pete found on the table. The hush puppies were perfectly cooked orbs served in a basket hot out of the fryer with just the right amount of sweetness.

Rudy: I’ve eaten at Troutman’s several times going to Badin Lake outside of Denton. I’ve always had a good meal there. The most important thing is that I have found consistency with them. Every time I go, I know it’s going to be a good meal. It may not be the best barbecue you’ll ever eat, but I’ve never been disappointed.

Monk: So Troutman’s Barbecue turned out to be a nice find, and all in all I was pretty satisfied with the meal which was solid but not spectacular. And based on Rudy’s account, if I were to head there again I would likely find it to be of similar quality which is kind of a nice, reassuring thought. While I was appreciative that Mrs. Monk threw me a bone by getting barbecue after the Christmas Train, thankfully after this we should be good for a few months until Spring and strawberry picking season.

Ratings:
Atmosphere – 3.5 hogs
Pork – 3.5 hogs
Sides – 3.5 hogs
Overall – 3.5 hogs
Troutmans Barbecue Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Buxton Hall Barbecue – Asheville, NC

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Name: Buxton Hall Barbecue
Date: 11/14/15
Address: 32 Banks Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Order: Burnt ends sandwich, slaw and collard, side of pulled pork, RC Cola (link to menu)
Price: ~$20

Recently, I found myself driving through Asheville, which was a great opportunity to visit the newly opened Buxton Hall. Monk and I are on record as big fans of 12 Bones in Asheville (review of Arden location here), but I can’t say I’ve had great whole hog in the city (or even the western part of the state in general). I was hopeful that that would change with this place.

Upon entering, I was super impressed with the Buxton Hall atmosphere. It truly is a huge mess hall, with pretty awesome decor and tons of large tables. Being that I was riding solo, I bellied up to the bar instead of opting for a table for one. As I like to do at ‘cue joints, I quickly ordered a Cheerwine only to be told that there was no Cheerwine to be had but that they’d happily pour me an RC Cola. Since I was on my way to Tennessee, it seemed like an appropriate substitute.

I was all ready to order some glorious whole hog when the bartender threw me a curveball. Today, for the first time, Buxton Hall was serving a burnt end sandwich. It was something I just had to try. However, I made sure to specify that I needed some pulled pork on the side as well – I wasn’t leaving without sampling the top dish. To top it off, I ordered some (vinegar based) slaw and collards.

The food came out quickly and I dug in. The burnt ends were different than those I’d had before. They were almost sliced instead of chunked and tasted more like a sirloin than a brisket. It was slathered in a sweet sauce that complimented the meat well. It was very good – just different than I was expecting. The pulled pork was very good – tender with a kiss of smoke. I did add some vinegar sauce to get a little more tang, but still pretty good. The slaw was fine, but the collards were absolutely top notch. They are a can’t miss.

Overall, I’d definitely recommend a stop in at Buxton Hall Barbecue if looking for ‘cue Asheville. I certainly plan to go back.

–Speedy

Ratings:
Atmosphere – 4.5 hogs
Pork – 3.5 hogs
Burnt Ends – 3.5 hogs
Sides – 4 hogs
Overall – 3.5 hogs
Buxton Hall Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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The Smoke Pit – Concord, NC

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Name: The Smoke Pit
Date: 11/12/15
Address: 796 Concord Pkwy N, Concord, NC 28027
Order: Pork and brisket bbq combo with bbq slaw, mac and cheese, cornbread, and Sun Drop (link)
Price: $15.95

By far, one of the most suggested spots in the Charlotte-area was The Smoke Pit in Concord. Naturally, I added it to the list and gave the website a cursory look, figuring that it was a local favorite that might have a loyal following but pumped out average barbecue. Well, after finally making it there I can legitimately say that its a top 5 Charlotte-area joint that I’d really like to revisit with Speedy so he can check out as well. It’s legitimately that good.

First off, the barbecue restaurant is attached to a butcher shop (The Stock Market – also owned by the same folks), so obviously that’s a great sign. It was also packed at lunchtime, with people (like myself) having to spill out onto the patio on a brisk but sunny day. Finally, the dining room itself smelled of smoke. All very encouraging signs but ultimately it comes down to the meat…which I can happily report was extremely solid.

Tempted to go with a 3 meat combo, I instead opted for just pork and brisket after seeing the large portions of the trays of seated customers. As for the trays themselves, The Smoke Pit goes for a Texas-style presentation of the meats and sides on top of brown butcher paper. The pork was piled in a healthy portion and was smokey, had a nice bark, and was fairly moist even without the dashes of a thin, vinegar barbecue on top (which I believe was a Lexington-style sauce, or at least Lexington-ish). The large, maybe ¾ inch slices of brisket had some of the same qualities of the pork – good smoke, nice peppery bark, and mostly moist – cut from the point. I was quite impressed and one would hope that the other meats would be just as good.

I was pleased to see that they offered a barbecue slaw in addition to a mayo-based slaw, though I prefer mine chopped instead of shredded – a minor nitpick. The mac and cheese was a little dried out and could have used some reheating before being served. Each platter comes with a choice of either Texas toast or cornbread, and the cornbread was decent and of the sweeter variety that I like. While they don’t have Cheerwine they do have Sun Drop at the fountain.

I didn’t get a chance to investigate what kind of smoker they use but whatever the case the end result is very good. Like I mentioned above, I want to go back with Speedy and try more meats – they also have wings, ribs, sausage, and chicken on the menu. At The Smoke Pit the restaurant is nice and clean, the meat is smoky, and the portions are huge (I got another full lunch out of my order). Finally, I’ve found some very good barbecue in Concord that matches up favorably to the best in Charlotte. Will revisit again very soon.

–Monk

Ratings:
Atmosphere – 3.5 hogs
Pork – 3.5
Brisket – 3.5 hogs
Sides – 3 hogs
Overall – 3.5 hogs
The Smoke Pit Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Dinosaur Bar-B-Que – Brooklyn, NY

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Name: Dinosaur BBQ
Date: 10/9/15
Address: 604 Union St, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Order: Pork and brisket combo platter, Ribs and sausage combo platter (link to menu)
Price: ~$40 for Boomsauce, Free for the Barbecue Bros!

Speedy: When you have two Barbecue Bros in your wedding party, it’s required that the dinner the night before the wedding is at a barbecue joint. Seriously – it’s in the contract.

Dinosaur BBQ is a joint that I’ve heard about for several years now. Basically when anyone I meet who has lived in New York City at any point in their life hears that I enjoy barbecue, they say “dude – you’ve got to check out Dinosaur BBQ.” The fact that this was my first trip shows how seriously I took that advice, but now, here I am.

Monk: On a Friday night in Brooklyn, Dinosaur was packed. And you could tell they were interested in keeping folks moving in and out. As soon as our table finished up and checks were paid for, we started to get stares from the wait staff and bus boys as a means to get us to leave. Not the friendliest thing in the world but whatever, on to the barbecue. 

Speedy: The first thing I dug into, as usual, was the pork. And it was actually pretty good! It was tender, pulled well, and had just a bit of smoke flavor. In Lexington, this pork would be average, but average Lexington pork is very good. So for New York, this was quite good.

Monk: The brisket was thinly sliced, pre-sauced, and generally was not up to snuff.  

Speedy: Monk is being kind. The brisket was terrible. I should note that it’s very clear that we got the flat side of the brisket and it was super dry. Meat from the point may have been better, but I’ll never know, as I’d never order it again.

Monk: Speedy and I did later find out that the folks at the other table of our party who ordered family style got the point and it was apparently much better than we got. Lame. Would have been nice to be asked if we wanted fatty or moist, but as such we weren’t given the option.

Speedy: The ribs were my favorite part of the meal. They were St. Louis cut and lightly glazed. They were cooked well, allowing for a nice, clean bite. There was good flavor, with a nice rub, and the meat was the star, as it should be. I have no complaints about the ribs.

Monk: I don’t recall much about the sausage other than enjoying it, but my memory could be foggy from spending 9 days in New York eating and drinking my way through the city. As for the sides, as with many dishes I had that week, it was very heavy handed with the salt. Other than the salt, not much stood out.

Speedy: Overall, this meal was better than I expected. I think as long as you stay away from the brisket, you’ll be getting a solid, if not spectacular meal from Dinosaur BBQ.

Ratings:
Atmosphere – 1 hog
Pork – 3.5 hogs
Brisket – 1.5 hogs
Ribs – 4 hogs
Sausage – 3 hogs
Sides – 2.5 hog
Overall – 3.5 hogs
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

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