The Smokin’ Pig – Williamston, SC

June 29, 2015June 26, 2015 / Barbecue Bros / 3 Comments

Name: The Smokin’ Pig
Date: 6/20/15
Address: 720 Anderson Drive, Williamston, SC
Order: Monk: Two meat combo plate with pulled pork and brisket, slaw, fries Speedy: Three meat combo plate with pulled pork, ribs and brisket, fries, okra (link to menu)
Price: $35

Speedy: Recently, Mrs. Monk and I planned a secret Atlanta trip to surprise a friend for her birthday as well as Monk for Father’s day. Knowing this would inevitably lead to eating some ‘cue while on the road, I asked former co-worker and friend of the blog Reid for some suggestions in the greater Greenville area. He came back with The Smokin’ Pig. Heading that way, Monk asked, “hey Speedy – does this guy know what he’s talking about?” My response: “Well, he does have a Green Egg.” And that was enough for Monk.

Monk: That’s exactly right, Speedy. I figured if he had a Green Egg then he was pretty darn credible as referrer of barbecue. Just as you always talk on and on about how Tyrion is a credible referrer of kings on Game of Thrones. The Smokin’ Pig has two locations, and driving south on I-85 the closest one to us at the time (albeit farther off the highway) was in Williamston. The other one is on the way to Clemson University and we overheard the waitress say to another booth that a third location was opening soon (though we didn’t hear where). On the side of the small brick establishment are an American flag and the large block letters “BBQ”. As soon as I saw this glorious sight, I knew we weren’t going to be let down by friend of the blog Reid (of the Green Egg). Just as Tyrion wasn’t let down by Varys, or so you always say.

Speedy: Don’t get me started on the Spider, Monk. We all know he has a tender heart under that smarmy, bald exterior. Anyhow, as everyone who’s been reading this blog knows, I love a good combo plate, so my order was easy. I had sworn off Carolina brisket previously, but I was feeling saucy (pun intended) so went for it anyway. In addition to pork and brisket, I was given the choice of wet or dry ribs. I opted for the dry.

Monk: Unlike Speedy, I try to be more in tune with my body and how much I can actually eat so I went for a two meat combo plate with pork and brisket. On looks alone, both were great. The brisket had a good peppery bark and was outstanding. Easily the best I’ve had in South Carolina, and it’s not even close. The pork, while maybe just a hair dry, was still tender with smoky chunks of bark mixed in. The pork stood pretty well on its own, but I as well as Speedy and Mrs. Monk added some of the scratch made vinegar sauce at the table (a house made mustard and a more ketchupy sauce were also available). I almost started to say that this was the best pork I’ve had in South Carolina before Speedy reminded me that I’ve been to Scott’s. Still, after that it is way better than anything else we’ve tried.

Speedy: I agree with all of that. The brisket was way better than I expected and the bark on the pork really helped it shine. Like the other meats, the ribs had a good amount of smoke and great flavor from the awesome dry rub. I thought they were just a little bit over cooked and the membrane on cooking style is not my preference, but overall, this is a very good baby back rib. I wouldn’t hesitate recommending any of the meats to anyone going.

Monk: For some reason, the first thing I reached for on my plate was a fry and as standard as they were, they had some great seasoning and were a signal of things to come. The slaw was a white slaw and was good not great. I didn’t finish either, focusing on the meat, but both were fine. The oddity here was the butter-topped yeast roll that came with the combo platters as opposed to corn bread of some sort. Sucker for a yeast roll that I am (I see you, Quincy’s), this was a good one but I couldn’t help but feel it was a little out of place at a barbecue joint

Speedy: Overall, this was a really great ‘cue meal. The Smokin’ Pig is a bit in the middle of nowhere, but it was a great find. I’m really interested in trying other the other location (soon to be locations!) and may have found a go to spot on the road to Atlanta.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 4 hogs
Pork – 3.5 hogs
Brisket – 4 hogs
Ribs – 4 hogs
Sides – 3 hogs
Overall – 4 hogs

Midwood Smokehouse – Charlotte, NC (Ballantyne)

June 1, 2015June 5, 2015 / Barbecue Bros / 3 Comments

Name: Midwood Smokehouse (Ballantyne)
Date: 5/22/15
Address: 12410 Johnston Rd, Charlotte, NC 28277
Order: Pig Out combo platter (pulled pork, sausage, ribs, and brisket), collards, and barbecue slaw; Burnt ends platter with mac and cheese and hush puppies (link to menu)
Price: $35

Monk: In a complete coincidence, Speedy and I went to a Midwood Smokehouse on the weekend of our blog-a-versary, just as we did last year. This time the occasion was Midwood’s first expansion into the south Charlotte neighborhood of Ballantyne. Ballantyne has a deserved reputation of being a haven for chain restaurants and while Midwood is fully into expansion mode with future locations announced or expected in Columbia, SC and Huntersville/Mooresville, it was a welcome sight for the Monk clan as we have recently moved to south Charlotte, albeit 12-15 minutes northeast of Ballantyne.

Speedy: And a royal pain in the neck for Speedy who hates getting anywhere near South Carolina during rush hour. However, as our dear readers know, we’ll do anything for good ‘cue. And for this anniversary trip, we brought along Yelp god Dan, a fellow High Pointer turned food critic extraordinaire. Seriously – this guy Yelps more than Jon Snow broods on Game of Thrones (update: Dan’s review here).

Monk: In addition to being an elite Yelper, Dan is also asian and thus takes a ton of photos. Which came in handy since I forgot to bring my camera on this trip. So big ups to Dan for all of the photos in this post. I must say, it was a nice change to just kick back and enjoy the food without worrying about photos.

As for the food, in order to give him a taste of the full range of meats available, we ordered a Pig Out combo plus a burnt ends platter. For their second location, Midwood has utilized an Oyler smoker pretty much identical to the one at the Central Ave. location. Having been open for about 3 weeks, I expected the food to be pretty consistent between the two locations.

Speedy: And consistent it was. The dry ribs were perfectly cooked. Tender without falling off the bone and flawlessly seasoned. The rub really made these bad boys. The ribs might have even been better than I remember. The sausage was good, but didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I felt like maybe it was slightly overcooked, as it was a little drier than I like. But I’m nit-picking a bit – it was still good.

Monk: One thing that was different from Central was that the sausage came out whole as opposed to being pre-sliced for us. May have been an oversight but I guess it’s worth mentioning. My one gripe with the pork was that it was a fairly small portion but it was the eastern style pork I am accustomed to at Midwood. Finally, the brisket was maybe a little below par, but seeing as they were recently named the #6 brisket outside of Texas by The 100 Best Barbecue Restaurants in America (not to mention I’ve personally experienced their greatness), I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Speedy: The burnt ends have been a staple for me at the other location since they became a consistent menu item. I think they’re great. The sauce is sweet, but not overly, and the meat is tender and flavorful. We don’t get burnt ends too often here in NC, so I love having a place close by that does such a credible job.

Monk: One thing worth mentioning is that owner Frank Scibelli, who I briefly said hi to as he was patrolling the dinner crowd, isn’t thrilled with their current burnt end recipe and seemed to be considering making a change as he found them to be too sweet. We’ll have to see if that actually happens and whether that changes Speedy’s mind any.

As with (most of) the meats, the sides were consistent between the two locations. I had no complaints, nor did any stand above what I was expecting.

Speedy: Overall, the quality of the food (and overall experience) at the Ballantyne location was pretty consistent with the Plaza Midwood location, which is a good thing. In the midst of the Chain Restaurant Mecca, I feel confident saying one of the best meals you can find is at Midwood Smokehouse.

Monk: We’ve considered giving Midwood Smokehouse a 4 hog rating in the past, but with this one I think we’ve got to do it. 4 hogs it is.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 3.5 hogs
Pork – 4 hogs
Brisket – 3.5 hogs
Ribs – 4 hogs
Sausage – 3.5 hogs
Burnt Ends – 4 hogs
Sides – 3.5 hogs
Overall – 4 hogs

M&K Bar-B-Que – Granite Quarry, NC

April 20, 2015April 19, 2015 / Barbecue Bros / 2 Comments

Name: M&K Barbecue
Date: 3/27/15
Address: 215 S Salisbury Ave, Granite Quarry, NC 28146
Order: Chopped plate with fries/slaw/hushpuppies, cheerwine
Price: $10 (including tip)

Speedy: I had a hankering for good ‘cue while driving down I-85 recently, so Monk suggested I try out M&K Barbecue, another spot on the NC historic barbecue trail. Due to my tendency to stop off at Lexington barbecue whenever I’m anywhere near it, I hadn’t eaten at M&K before, so I was excited to check it out.

Monk: Thanks for checking this place out. I hope to someday as well since its not too far of 85 in Granite Quarry, but we’re never going to finish out the NC historic barbecue trail unless we get our hustle on.

Speedy: Well it was a real chore, but someone had to do it…

M&K is a classic old school joint. Upon entering, you sit where you like and a waitress comes over immediately. I was there after the Friday lunch rush, so there were plenty of tables to choose from. I seemed to be the only non-regular in the restaurant, which I think is actually a pretty good sign.

Monk: Yea, I’d say that is as good a sign as any.

Speedy: The order was easy, as I have a standard at any old school NC joint – chopped ‘cue with red slaw, fries, and hush puppies. And, of course, a Cheerwine. The food came out shortly after my order. The first thing I noticed was the portion – the ‘cue plate is massive. I ended up packing up half the plate to go and had it for a second meal the next day. And it was definitely good enough to warrant bringing home.

The pork had really good flavor with a hint of smoke and was plenty tender. The chop was slightly coarser than Lexington style, but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment. My order did not have too much outside brown – next time I’ll probably specify that in my request. I ended up adding a bit of dip and Texas Pete while eating, but I could’ve gone without – the pork wasn’t dry.

The sides were pretty good. I really enjoyed the red slaw and especially enjoyed the large hushpuppies. Neither side was too sweet, which I think happens from time to time with both red slaw and hushpuppies.

Overall, this was a really good meal from a good, old-timey joint. This is a place I think I’ll check out again.

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

Porkey’s Bar-B-Que – Mount Airy, NC

December 22, 2014 / Barbecue Bros / Leave a comment

Name: Porkey’s Bar-B-Que
Date: 12/5/14
Address: 805 W Lebanon St, Mt Airy, NC 27030
Order: Pork barbecue tray
Price: ~$7

Have I ever told you, dear readers, how great Mrs. Monk is? Bear with me a minute, but of all of the restaurants I visit for this blog I drag her to close to 75% of them. And while I think she likes barbecue well enough, I do think she’d prefer to mix in a Mexican or southern restaurant a little more often. But of course, I always try to find a new barbecue restaurant when we travel and she usually obliges my obsession, whether she’s in the mood for barbecue or not.

I mention this because for a short weekend trip to visit Yadkin Valley wineries to celebrate our wedding anniversary, I brought up the possibility of stopping by a wood smoked barbecue joint I had spotted on my NC BBQ Map. And while I don’t think she was exactly thrilled about it, she once again humored her barbecue-obsessed husband.

As we pulled into Porkey’s BBQ on a Friday evening, we first wondered if it was open since there didn’t seem to be much activity in the restaurant or parking lot. This, after passing several other joints that were packed, didn’t leave Mrs. Monk exactly thrilled with our dinner restaurant choice. But with a little convincing we went inside and ordered.

Inside, a bright and colorful diner interior looked as if it hadn’t changed in maybe 40 years (or however long this building had been standing) – my guess is that it probably hadn’t. The menu boards were the old black ones with the white letters and I’m sure there is a bucket of extras somewhere in the back. We’ve been to some posh or yuppie-fied barbecue restaurants in our travels, but this definitely wasn’t one of those.

The main attraction in choosing Porkey’s was the fact they smoke over wood, and that came through in the barbecue. It had the right consistency and was moist and smoky. Being a Lexington-style joint, there was also a nice amount of bark in the pork. The two table sauces were of the thicker variety, and after trying both I’d suggest not using them. Use the table side Texas Pete’s instead.

Porkey’s had some of the smallest hush puppies I’ve seen, but the size didn’t mean they lacked flavor – quite the opposite in fact. They had both a red and white slaw available, and the tangy, crunchy red slaw on my sandwich was a perfect compliment. The fries were fresh out of the fryer and were fine, but unfortunately the mac and cheese was pretty disappointing. Mrs. Monk guessed it was probably velveeta poured on top of the noodles, and she likely wasn’t far off.

Porkey’s BBQ is the only wood smoked joint in the Mount Airy area, and based on this meal I can recommend it if you are visiting wineries in the area (which we enjoyed greatly the following day despite some less than ideal weather). A big thanks to Mrs. Monk for putting up with me and my silly barbecue obsession, and here’s to many more anniversaries and barbecue joints with her…though with maybe with a couple Mexican restaurants thrown in there too.

–Monk

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