Old Etowah Smokehouse – Etowah, NC

September 26, 2016September 25, 2016 / Barbecue Bros / Leave a comment

Name: Old Etowah Smokehouse
Date: 9/17/16
Address: 6577 Brevard Rd, Etowah, NC 28729
Order: Three meat plate with pulled pork, brisket, and sausage with slaw, collards, and barbecue hash; hush puppy basket, (link to menu)
Price: $21.50

Monk: When I met Elliot Moss of Asheville’s Buxton Hall Barbecue back in June, he recommended I check out Old Etowah Smokehouse started by a buddy of his Mike Moore, co-founder of Blind Pig Supper Club and former owner of Seven Sows. Etowah is a small mountain community about 15 minutes west of Hendersonville, which is itself about 30 minutes from Asheville. On a recent apple picking day trip in the mountains (#dadlife), this allowed me a good opportunity to continue my mini quest to try all of the new wave whole hog joints in NC. This makes 3 of 4 including aforementioned Buxton Hall and Picnic.

As I understand it, Old Etowah Smokehouse took over a location that used to house another barbecue spot called The Barbecue Shack. They’ve since added a patio around the side that overlooks a golf course. And on a mid-September Saturday, the shaded patio provided a nice spot to eat. One quirk is that if you are eating on the patio, you actually order at the hostess station and it is brought out to the patio – as opposed to ordering via a waitress at the table if you sit inside the main dining area. There’s also a buffet, which makes a third way of ordering.

I ordered a 3 meat platter with pork, brisket, and sausage (didn’t plan to, but accidentally ordered “the Texas trinity”) because Mrs. Monk wasn’t going for the deluxe combo that would have added chicken and ribs. The pulled pork was very well smoked and moist. I tried the Eastern sauce and it definitely enhanced the meat like a good sauce should.

The brisket was a mix of fatty and lean (no choice given when ordering) and had a good peppery bark. It was a very good approximation of central Texas style and I’d say above average for a brisket in NC. I’m unsure of the origins of the sausage and whether it’s imported from Texas or made in house, but it was fine but maybe slightly dry.

As a starter, we ordered a hush puppy basket and lo and behold, it actually comes with a side of melted pimento cheese. I had never seen this before and I gotta tell you, I didn’t mind it. Though I still probably prefer honey butter or served just plain, I’m glad I tried it. The collards were Mrs. Monk approved and the only miss of the meal for me was the barbecue hash. The flavor of the gravy had a slightly burnt taste that was a bit off-putting. Perhaps it was an off day for the hash.

While overall I enjoyed the meal at Old Etowah Smokehouse and the direction they’re going in since opening in just June, of the new wave of whole hog joints I’d rank it behind Buxton Hall but ahead of Picnic. Sam Jones BBQ, you’re up next hopefully soon.

Ratings:
Atmosphere – 3.5 hogs
Pork – 4 hogs
Brisket – 4 hogs
Sausage – 3 hogs
Sides – 3 hogs
Overall – 4 hogs

3 meat platter

Another view of tray

Hush puppy basket with pimento cheese

Hush puppy + pimento cheese

Menu board

This way to patio bar

Patio

Old Etowah Smokehouse

Photo Gallery: Midwood Smokeshack and Pitmaster Michael Wagner

September 9, 2016September 9, 2016 / Barbecue Bros / 1 Comment

Platter of little bit of everything

Another shot of platter

Plate

Pitmaster Michael Wagner

Michael cutting the meat

Slicing brisket

Slicing ribs

Counter service

Sides for the salads

Wall menu (to be replaced soon)

Wood pile

Press clippings

Exterior shot

Exterior hot

Backside

I recently was invited by Frank Scibelli to meet new pitmaster Michael Wagner at the recently-opened Midwood Smokeshack in Matthews. Midwood Smokeshack is the fast-casual brother of Midwood Smokehouse, with cafeteria-style counter service and a slimmed-down menu. Which makes sense since Midwood Smokeshack is a Texas-style joint and as Frank pointed out to me, most Texas joints really are fast casual (and have been before that term was coined). Over a platter of all the meats and most of the sides (including corn bread, a change from the hush puppies offered at the bigger brother) doled out by Michael himself, the three of us sat down for lunch and a conversation about barbecue.

Last fall, FS Food Group (the parent company of Midwood Smokehouse and Midwood Smokeshack) posted a job posting for a Texas pitmaster to relocate to Charlotte. After a lengthy interview process, they hired Michael Wagner who previously ran his own food truck before training at Black’s Barbecue in Lockhart and then working at Kent Black’s in San Marcos, TX for nearly two years. After hiring him, they met up earlier this year in Texas while Frank and Plaza Midwood location pitmaster Matt Barry were buying new smokers for both Smokeshack and the upcoming Park Road location of Midwood Smokehouse (this will be a larger capacity smoker than the current ones they use at each location; the Park Road location will open by the end of the year). Michael then made the move to Charlotte just a few weeks ago prior to the opening of Midwood Smokeshack.

So far, Michael says he’s really enjoying his time in Charlotte and spent the first couple of weeks trying new restaurants around town, not having a bad meal among them. He clearly knows his stuff when it comes to barbecue, and Frank hopes that in time he will be able to move between the Midwood Smokehouse and Midwood Smokeshack locations to help up-skill the staffs on the smoking process of the meats (particularly brisket). I look forward to seeing Michael’s growing influence on the franchise over the near future.

I also couldn’t waste the chance to ask Frank about President Obama and Hillary Clinton stopping by the original Plaza Midwood location back in July. He got to speak with the president for about five minutes (who he said was very friendly to him and the staff) and even got to hold his black card to pay for one of the orders (the Clinton campaign paid for the rest). Clinton spent most of her time speaking with patrons in the restaurant that day. Apparently the reason they stopped in was due to secret service personnel having stopped in a few day before and recommending it. They received a lot of exposure from the visit, with photos even appearing in London’s The Daily Mail.

Thanks to Frank and Michael for the opportunity to try out all of the meats at the 2-week old Midwood Smokeshack. I plan to be back soon.

–Monk

(Update: an earlier version of this entry incorrectly stated that Michael worked at Black’s Barbecue in Lockhart for 2.5 years)

Fox Bros Bar-B-Q – Atlanta, GA

September 6, 2016September 5, 2016 / Barbecue Bros / 1 Comment

Name: Fox Bros Bar-B-Q
Date: 8/27/16
Address: 1238 DeKalb Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307
Order: The Everything plate (pork, brisket, ribs, wings) with tater tots and collard greens, brisket egg rolls, jalapeno cheddar link, Frito pie, jalapeno corn bread, 5 beers (link to menu)
Price: ~$82

Speedy: It wasn’t long after my move to Atlanta that Monk and friend-of-the-blog-but-definitely-not-a-barbecue-bro Susong started planning a trip down to visit. I still don’t know too much about the city, but I knew for sure one thing would be on the agenda – barbecue. Fox Bros is probably the most famous place in town – a Texas-style joint with a little bit of everything on the menu. We went early on a Saturday to beat the crowd.

Monk: Acknowledging that Fox Bros definitely is not a “Georgia style” barbecue joint, next time through we’ll plan to visit a more regionally appropriate joint. For instance, Old Brick Pit Barbeque is actually not far from Speedy’s hood.

Speedy: The first thing to come out were the brisket egg rolls and boy were they good. It was an egg roll filled with brisket, onions, and a little bit of mustard sauce. A simple concept executed to perfection. It made me wonder – why don’t more things come in egg rolls? Another conversation for another time I guess.

Monk: You may recall that Speedy also really loved the southern egg rolls from The Pit in Raleigh. This guy just loves a good egg roll, darnit. Can’t say he’s wrong, though.

Speedy: We also had brisket as part of our combo platter, and ordered the fatty cut. Loyal readers of this blog know I’ve sworn off of North Carolina brisket. I’m happy to report I will not have to make the same proclamation in Georgia. It wasn’t the best brisket I ever had, but it was had a solid bark, good flavor and tenderness, and was just solid.

Monk: Solid, yes. But in Charlotte I’d actually put up the brisket from The Smoke Pit or Midwood Smokehouse against Fox Bros any day.

While the coarsely pulled pork had bark mixed it, I found it to be disappointingly dry and bland. Texas joints aren’t generally known for their pork, and that was certainly the case for Fox Bros.

Speedy: The ribs, on the other hand, were meaty and cooked to perfection. I was able to get a nice, clean bite and enjoyed the flavor. I do think there could have been a little more dry rub used, but overall a good rib. I was similarly impressed with the smoked wings, that came with a spicy bbq sauce. I’d consider them a must order for wing lovers.

Monk: The jalapeno cheddar link was a special on the day we were there, but being that it had cheddar Speedy was unable to partake. I liked it quite a bit, though I will say my sausage knowledge is still lacking. Having followed Fox Bros on Instagram for the past few years, one of my most anticipated items to try was the Frito Pie. Brisket chili, cheese, jalapenos, and sour cream mixed into a bag of Fritos. It was one of the best things I ate at that meal and if I can’t find it closer to home in NC, then I’m almost certainly going to have make my own version of it at home.

Speedy: The collards were quite good, and I’ll order them again, but they didn’t really make or break the meal. The tater tots were ordered were better than average, as they were seasoned nicely. Of course the big win was at the end of the meal when friend-of-the-blog-but-definitely-not-a-barbecue-bro Susong lost credit card roulette and picked up the tab. Thanks, buddy!

Monk: Oh right! Thanks for reminding me of my favorite part as well. I definitely won’t go as far as to say that I was disappointed with our meal at Fox Bros Bar-B-Q – the food was generally above average and the beer was cold. Whether the buildup in my head was fair is a valid question, but in any case I was hoping for just a little more.

Ratings:
Atmosphere – 3.5 hogs
Pork – 2 hogs
Brisket – 3.5 hogs
Ribs – 4 hogs
Sausage – 3.5 hogs
Wings – 3.5 hogs
Sides – 4 hogs
Overall – 3.5 hogs

The everything plate, and then some

The everything plate

Pulled pork

Fatty brisket

Jalapeno cheddar

Texas rolls

Frito Pi

Spicy sauce

Fox Bros Bar-B-Q

Ace Biscuit & Barbecue – Charlottesville, VA

August 15, 2016August 14, 2016 / Barbecue Bros / Leave a comment

Name: Ace Biscuit & Barbecue
Date: 7/20/16
Address: 711 Henry Avenue, Charlottesville, VA 22903
Order: Brisket biscuit, hash browns, and coffee (link to menu)
Price: ~$13

Monk: In my barbecue travels, I find Ace Biscuit & Barbecue to occupy a fairly unique niche. Sure you might have those barbecue joints that also serve as southern cafes and while they serve breakfast, its more of your standard fare. This was a legit biscuit place that truly integrates barbecue into their breakfast sandwiches.

Located in the Rose Hill neighborhood just outside of downtown Charlottesville, Ace Biscuit & Barbecue has been there since 2012 and serves breakfast and lunch all day except for Mondays and Tuesdays. It occupies a small brick building where you order at a counter and then sit either at a community table inside or a small outdoor patio off to the side of the building. I arrived late morning with just one other party there, but would be curious as to what kind of regular breakfast crowd they usually have .

I went with the brisket biscuit with my egg over easy in hopes it might quell the headache I received from the previous night’s activities. Before launching in, I took note of the brisket, which appeared to be well-smoked. Later on, I poked my head around the side to see a legitimate burn barrel and the pit where the barbecue was smoked. On their menu, they claim to smoke the brisket over oak and hickory and I could see no reason to not believe it. This being a Wednesday, I don’t know how recently the brisket was smoked (ie was it the night before?) but nonetheless it did not have a rubbery or chewy consistency. Once I bit in, the egg yolk, sauteed onions, and cheese all mixed together and complimented the brisket nicely. Overall this was a successful breakfast sandwich.

The hash browns were well fried but nothing spectacular and disappointingly , my coffee was lukewarm. Could really have used fresh coffee on that morning.

I left Ace Biscuit & Barbecue in slightly better shape than when I arrived, and on another day would have liked to check out some of their other biscuits with rib meat, house pastrami, and fried chicken. It’s definitely worth checking out.

Ratings:
Atmosphere – 3 hogs
Brisket – 3.5 hogs
Sides – 3 hogs
Overall – 3.5 hogs