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Sauceman’s BBQ & Grill – Charlotte, NC (RE-REVIEW)

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Name: Sauceman’s BBQ & Grill
Date: 4/3/15
Address: 228 West Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28203
Order: Monk:Two-meat sampler with pork and brisket, Texas toast, red slaw, mac and cheese, Cheerwine; Speedy: Two-meat sampler with pork and ½ rack of ribs, hush puppies, and red slaw  (link to menu)
Price: Monk: $18; Speedy: $16

Monk: Well, Speedy and I tried going to Old Hickory House one last time but on the Friday before it closed at its current location for good they had sold out by 11:45am. Speedy and I still wanted barbecue so we decided to try Sauceman’s again. I had noted in our previous review almost two years ago that I was curious how their (somewhat) dry pork would fare during the lunch hour. So here we were, ready to give it another go.

Speedy: As I thought Sauceman’s was kind of average in our first review, I hadn’t made a point to get back. However, I’d always thought that in theory, it should be very good – as they don’t seem to cut any corners. I also really like the menu – I think it has everything a good ‘cue joint should. One complaint from last time was that they had no combo platters. This has been remedied, so Monk and I were able to each order two meats.

Sauceman’s cooks its pork Lexington style, but it doesn’t seem to be served that way. Lexington ‘cue is chopped much finer and sauced while chopping. That doesn’t seem to be the case here. So while the pork does have good flavor (I could use more bark), it just tastes dry. Adding some of the dip from the table helps some, but I think Sauceman’s could help itself out by adding dip to it’s saucing process.

Monk: I couldn’t agree more. For a so-called Lexington-style joint it just doesn’t come across in the pork for the reasons Speedy mentions above.

As for the brisket slices, they contained both the flat as well as the point and predictably the point was fattier and moist while the flat was slightly dry due to being overcooked. The slices did have a nice, peppery bark that provided a pop of smoke and flavor, however. We actually didn’t try the brisket last time around (and now Speedy has apparently sworn off all brisket in NC) but I’d say it was a passable version of a central Texas-style brisket.

Speedy: I stand by my decision not to try the brisket. I don’t feel like I missed anything. Brisket, I miss you, but I’ll see you soon on my next trip to Texas.

I remembered the ribs being good and I was pleased with them again. In the two years since we were last at Sauceman’s, I’ve drifted a bit towards drier ribs, so I thought these may have been slightly oversauced, but that’s nitpicking. They were cooked almost perfectly and had great flavor. While eating these ribs, I thought to myself that I might be eating the best rib in Charlotte. After thinking that through, I’m not sure I can confidently make that declaration, but they definitely have to be in the conversation.

Monk: We do need to come up with our best in each meat for Charlotte, but that’s a discussion for another day…

Sauceman’s does have a red slaw which we always love to see, and a decent version at that. I was a dummy and forgot to replace the Texas toast that comes with the with hush puppies. And the mac and cheese was solid but very creamy and almost too heavy for a nice spring day on the patio.

Speedy: Overall, I think a two year hiatus to Sauceman’s may have been a bit too long. It’s a good restaurant and it deserves patronage, particularly in the summer when the awesome patio is usable.

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

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Peg Leg Porker – Nashville, TN

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Name: Peg Leg Porker
Date: 3/20/15
Address: 903 Gleaves St., Nashville, TN
Order: Peg Leg Hot wings, ½ rack ribs (dry), Brunswick stew, fries (link to menu)
Price: ~$20

Speedy: I recently took a trip to Nashville to see the greatest band of all-time, The Beach Boys, live at one of the greatest music venues ever, the Ryman. My bud Drew is well aware of my love of ‘cue, so wanted to take me to a new place that has become his favorite joint in town – Peg Leg Porker.

Monk: Beach Boys and barbecue? Talk about “good vibrations” am I right?

Speedy: *Face palm* We arrived on Friday night to a sizable crowd. Peg leg has a decent sized dining room and a large bar. There’s a counter for ordering, and you just sit wherever you can find a seat, which was more difficult than anticipated as there was a pretty big line ahead of us. I really liked the atmosphere – it’s not a typical old-timey joint by any means, but it doesn’t have any pretentiousness about it. I really dug it.

Monk: If there’s anything that Speedy won’t stand for, its pretentiousness. Looking at you, Panera.

Speedy: I had trouble deciding what to order, but ultimately went with the dry ribs (I always prefer dry, given the option) and the smoked wings, as I knew I would be able to snake some pulled pork from someone else in our party.

After getting the meal, I first tried a bit of pork. I was pretty pleased. It’s no secret that I prefer chopped to pulled, and I would like to have seen a little bit more bark in there, but the smoke flavor was evident. I think it could’ve used a little tang from a vinegar based dip, but that may just be my North Carolina roots talking.

Monk: So did the pork have a particular style in the cut of meat and/or sauce? Tennessee is definitely a pork state but I’m curious if it was whole hog or shoulders and if it was sauced any.

Speedy: You know, Monk, unfortunately, I didn’t get to interview the pitmaster, but it did seem like pulled shoulder meat to me. It came unsauced, but there was a spicy and regular red sauce available. I tried the spicy and it was decent.

The ribs were really good. They had the right amount of dry rub – accentuating but not eliminating the flavor of the meat. They were cooked perfectly – tender without falling of the bone. The ribs were certainly the star of the show.

Monk: So would you call this a good version of the Memphis-style rib?

Speedy: Yes, absolutely. I think it can be difficult to have dry ribs not taste like dry meat, but here, the meat was tender and juicy, even though it wasn’t saucy.

The wings were also really good. They were served as full wings, smoked and tossed in hot buffalo sauce. I was really happy with that, as I get annoyed when barbecue joints serve fried wings.

Peg Leg gets a small bonus in terms of sides for offering Brunswick stew, which was very good. But those points are subsequently lost due to the lack of hushpuppies. And of course, they had white slaw instead of red, which I didn’t touch.

Overall, I enjoyed my meal at Peg Leg Porker. It’s the best ‘cue I’ve had in Nashville, which, unfortunately doesn’t say much, despite Travel & Leisure’s ludicrous article. However, I expect that this is not my last trip to Peg Leg Porker.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 4 hogs
Pork – 3 hogs
Ribs – 4 hogs
Wings – 3.5 hog
Sides – 3 hogs
Overall – 3.5 Hogs
Peg Leg Porker on Urbanspoon

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Troutman’s Bar-B-Que – Concord, NC

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Name: Troutman’s Bar-B-Que
Date: 3/7/15
Address: 362 Church Street North, Concord, NC 28025
Order: Chopped barbecue plate with slaw, fries, hush puppies, and Cherry Lemon Sun Drop (!!) (link to menu)
Price: $9

Barbecue smoked over wood or wood coals is usually a pretty reliable indicator of good barbecue, but it isn’t 100%. Troutman’s Bar-B-Que has been open since the early 70s at its downtown Concord location off Church Street. And they are still cooking over wood coals in the smokehouse located at the back of the parking lot. However, Troutman’s is a case where cooking barbecue the old way unfortunately doesn’t produce a great product.

When it comes to barbecue plates, you get a choice of chopped or sliced and naturally I went with chopped (some day I will try sliced barbecue, but that day was not that day). For a place that smokes over wood, you sure couldn’t taste any of it in the barbecue. There was not a lot of bark either, which almost seemed as if it was taken away by design. And to top it all off, it was also extremely dry. Very disappointing.

The chopped plate comes with fries, slaw (your choice of red or white), and hush puppies. Only the hush puppies are really worth talking about and they were actually damn good. The Monkette would definitely agree, as her lunch that day mostly consisted of them. Thankfully, my father-in-law ordered an additional basket so we each were still able to get our fill.

The other saving grace of the meal besides the hush puppies was the Cherry Lemon Sun Drop. You see Cheerwine and you see regular Sun Drop at barbecue joints in the Piedmont but you don’t see a lot of Cherry Lemon Sun Drop. Man, that stuff is just about perfect to have with barbecue.

The search for good barbecue in Concord continues…

–Monk

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 3 hogs
Pork – 2 hogs
Sides – 3.5 hogs
Overall – 2 hogs
Troutman's Hickory Smoked BBQ on Urbanspoon

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The Original Q Shack – Durham, NC

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Name: The Original Q Shack
Date: 3/4/15
Address: 2510 University Drive, Durham, NC
Order: 3 meat combo (pork, brisket, ribs), collards, fried okra (link to menu)
Price: $16

Speedy: Oftentimes, when my co-workers hear about the blog or my love of great ‘cue, they make suggestions of places I “have” to try. Some have been great, but in general, I’m skeptical until I know someone has legit barbecue taste.

Monk: Quick question just because I’m curious – how many have you found to have legit barbecue taste?

Speedy: There are a couple – generally people who grew up in a ‘cue mecca. It only takes a short conversation to figure out who to trust.

Since I starting working relatively frequently in the research triangle area (over a year ago), I’ve been hearing that I need to check out The Original Q Shack. After checking out the similarly named (and themed) Q Shack in Raleigh, I was avoiding at all costs; however, I’ve heard that there may not be much (or any) connection, so a trip to Cameron Indoor to attend the execution of my beloved Demon Deacons basketball season seemed like a good excuse to check it out.

Monk: From what I can tell, The Original Q Shack is not officially affiliated with the North Hills Q Shack you visited or The Q Shack in south Charlotte, which is part of the same chain as North Hills. I’m guessing that also makes it a 0% chance you and I ever visit the south Charlotte location.

Speedy: Thanks for doing the research, Monk. He’s not the best in the business for nothing, folks.

The Original Q Shack looks like an old-timey joint with outdoor (covered) seating and a small space indoors. The night I was there, there was a bluegrass quartet playing, which really added to the atmosphere. Similar to the Raleigh abomination, you order cafeteria style, and the meat is cut in front of you. To maximize coverage, I, of course, went with the three meat sampler.

At $16, this combo plate is not too overpriced, considering the portions. I think it could easily serve as a meal for two people. I was a little disappointed that it came with white bread instead of hush puppies or cornbread, but what can ya do?

The pork was decent. It was plenty tender and had decent flavor, though it could’ve used a little more smoke. It didn’t seem like the pork was sauced at all – I think chopping it and adding a little dip would do wonders. I also didn’t get any bark mixed in with mine – not sure if that was by design or if I got unlucky, but it was disappointing. I wouldn’t call this the best pork I’ve had, and certainly there are better options not too far away, but I wasn’t upset with it.

The ribs were actually quite good. The Original Q Shack serves spare ribs, pre-cut and lightly glazed. They were cooked almost perfectly – tender but not falling off the bone, with a good combination of sauce and a dry rub taste. This is the meat I would recommend and would have if I ever find myself back.

The brisket, unfortunately, was just plain bad. I got a mix of fatty and lean and the piece I had was way, way overcooked. My slices had minimal bark, were dry, and any flavor had long since left the meat. Overall, it was very, very disappointing. Hopefully this was just a case of one bad brisket, but I won’t be trying it again.

Monk: The owner of The Original Q Shack in Durham apparently has Texas roots (again, from my quick research). Which makes it a little odd that the brisket was the worst meat of the three you had that night.

Speedy: I have been told that their brisket is generally good, so maybe I caught it a bad day, but it’s not worth another try for me.

From a sides perspective, the collards were fine and the fried okra was outstanding. This was probably the best fried okra that I’ve had. Unfortunately, when the fried okra is the best part of the meal, there are larger problems afoot.

Overall, The Original Q Shack is way, way, way, way better than The Q Shack in North Hills, but it’s still an average (at best) barbecue meal.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 3.5 hogs
Pork – 2.5 hogs
Ribs – 3.5 hogs
Brisket – 1 hog
Sides – 4 hogs
Overall – 2.5 Hogs
Original Q Shack on Urbanspoon

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