Rock Store Bar-B-Q – Stallings, NC

July 21, 2012August 1, 2014 / Barbecue Bros / 1 Comment

Name: Rock Store Bar-B-Q
Date: 7/20/2012
Location: 3116 Old Monroe Rd, Stallings, NC
Order: Sandwich combo – pulled pork sandwich, red slaw, macaroni and cheese
Bill: $6.00

Monk: Ever on the quest to try new barbecue spots, I realized there was one just a few minutes away from my current client site and by looks alone it appeared to have some potential. Rock Store Bar-B-Q is located in the historic Rock Store building, which circa 1936 was “the only gasoline service station around” (per the website) before becoming a convenience store then a coffee shop and now a barbecue restaurant. Their sign advertises “wood smoked” barbecue and to the side of the building there is even a small wood pile on top of a towable smoker (although to my eyes it appears to have been a while since it had been used).

Rock Store’s menu consists of pulled pork, beef brisket, pulled chicken, and ribs. While Speedy and I generally try to grab one of everything, this was just me and I didn’t want to fall asleep at my desk after lunch so I only went for the sandwich combo – pulled pork sandwich, slaw, choice of side, and a drink all for $6 (tax-included).

Rudy: I believe that Speedy already set the standard for eating alone, you still have to eat the entire menu…you don’t have a choice.

Speedy: I have actually been here before, though it was pre-blogging. I don’t remember such an extensive menu, but I do remember the cheap lunch special. This may be worth another visit to try the other meats.

Monk: Side note – the disturbing trend of folks explaining barbecue to me continued, this time with the choice of slaw. They guy at the counter taking my order explains to me “We have a mayonnaise-based slaw and a vinegar-based slaw,” to which I ordered vinegar (obvi). Now this approach is understandable since some people do need the explanation. And I wouldn’t have an issue if he did this to everyone. BUT for customers after me, I distinctly heard the guy ask customers if they wanted “white or red slaw.” No explanation, no patronizing, just treating them as knowledgeable barbecue customers/human beings. So, for the record, to date I have been explained the difference between eastern and western NC barbecue, what white and red slaw is, and what Cheerwine is. Now, all I need is to be explained what mac and cheese or hush puppies are and I will have hit for the cycle of barbecue for dummies. What is going on here? Do I have “YANKEE” stamped on my forehead?

Rudy: You do have a certain “you ain’t from ‘round these parts” look to you…

Speedy: Were you taking a million photos again? Or dressed like you walked out of a Brooks Brothers catalog?

Monk: I mean, I’m pretty sure he didn’t see me taking photos and I was wearing a Brooks Brothers shirt as part of my work attire. ANYWAYS…within seconds of my order, a freshly-made pulled pork sandwich wrapped in tin foil and sides of red slaw and mac and cheese in plastic containers were before me. Inside there are a handful of booths and tables. I got there slightly before the lunch rush and was able to grab a booth with no problem.

In terms of the sandwich, the pulled pork comes out plain on a bun and is actually quite dry. As in dry enough that you absolutely need to use one of the sauces on the table – Eastern NC Vinegar, Carolina Gold (mustard-based), Stallings’ Secret (a tangy barbecue sauce), or Texas Pete. I used the Stallings’ Secret for a few bites before switching over to Eastern NC Vinegar and red slaw for the remainder of the sandwich. The Carolina Gold sauce was not touched.

As far as I could tell, I did not see a stick-burning smoker so I am only to assume they use a gas or electric smoker that allows you to also burn wood to get the smokiness into the meat. However, I fully admit that on this I could be wrong since I did not ask the employees – maybe next time.

Rudy: Only if you want more explanations about how barbecue is made…

Monk: The pork did have some smoke, and while it could have had been smokier I was mostly satisfied. The red slaw came pre-made in a plastic container straight out of the refrigerator but was a little disappointing since the cabbage was chopped more coarsely than I prefer. The mac and cheese was creamy and above average, though maybe in need of a little salt. Decent meal, and you can’t beat the $6 price tag.

Speedy: That sort of mirrors the experience I remember having (which was several years ago). A senior manager from my office was so excited to take me because he knew I loved barbecue and told me he had found the best barbecue he had ever tasted (which could be true – he is a Yankee). Anyway, I just sort of laughed at him after the meal and let him know that if he drove 75 miles north to Lexington, he’s find a dozen spots with better ‘cue. But like you said, a good meal for $6.

Monk: So you’re saying he didn’t want to drive an hour each way for a 10 minute meal? As for Rock Store, I would be interested in coming back again with more folks and sampling the brisket and ribs (though from the looks of the website they might chop the brisket). I don’t know that either would significantly change the below ratings but at the very least I would get a better overall sense of the food. While this meal didn’t blow me away, I can see Rock Store Bar-B-Q becoming a regular lunch spot for me while at my current client – though more of once-a-month spot as opposed to every week or two.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 3.5 hogs
Pork – 3 hogs
Sides – 2.5 hogs
Overall – 3 hogs

Smokey Mtn BBQ & Grill – Bristol, VA

July 11, 2012August 7, 2014 / Barbecue Bros / Leave a comment

Name: Smokey Mtn. BBQ & Grill
Date: 7/10/2012
Location: Exit 7 Linden Dr., Bristol, VA
Order: Combo platter (pulled pork, brisket, smoked chicken), ribs, okra, hushpuppies (link to menu)
Bill: ribs (1/2 rack) – $10; Combo Platter (included two sides) – $10; sides included

Speedy: Before I start this review, I just want to lay a few things out. Yes, I was eating by myself. Yes, I ordered a boatload of food. But I had to try everything for the review, right? It wouldn’t be right to just do a partial review? DON’T JUDGE ME!

Rudy: Oh we can judge… but as a barbecue blog, we ought to judge why you didn’t order more.

Speedy: Phew. I feel better. Now that that’s out of the way, on to the review. Smokey Mtn. BBQ & Grill sits just off Highway 81 on the Virginia side of the city of Bristol, which is split between Virginia and Tennessee. I’m not really sure why people would come to Bristol outside of NASCAR races, but I find myself up here quite frequently – at least until this blog gets huge and the Barbecue Bros are offered their own show on Food Network. But anyhoo, right off the highway, you’ll see a gas stations and right behind that sits Smokey Mtn. BBQ and Grill. Honestly, it kind of looks like a dump. It is in its stand-alone building, but the structure just isn’t that impressive. The inside is well lit with plenty of space and a few tables for seating. To order, you go up-front and order at the counter and take your seat and the food is brought to you. I understand that dive ‘cue shacks are often the best in terms of food, but this building just doesn’t seem like your traditional old-timey ‘cue joint.

I chose to sample all of the meats for this meal. I had eaten at Smokey Mtn BBQ before but had only had the brisket and pork. Turns out I was skipping out on the better meats. The chicken was chopped and smoked and served with sauce on the side. You could definitely taste the smoke in the chicken and it was tender and with good flavor. The sauce choices are either spicy or mild and they are tomato based sauces, similar to western-style NC sauces. I think the sauce actually works best on the chicken.

Rudy: I tend to shy away from chicken or turkey because I find most places’ are dry. I usually go with other meats that I find consistently better. Good to hear the chicken was done well here.

Speedy: Generally, I’m the same way, but like I said, I was all about variety and literally eating as much food as humanly possible.

The ribs are also quite good. My biggest complaint about the ribs is that they are actually too tender, as you could pick up a bone and lose all the meat. They’re served wet – pretty heavily covered in sauce (again – either spicy or mild). I think the ribs would’ve been better with a little less sauce, actually, and maybe a more noticeable rub prior to smoking. Overall, though, I think the ribs are definitely worth ordering.

The pork, on the other hand, is a little disappointing. It’s a little dry and absolutely has to be sauced. In my opinion, the sauce doesn’t work quite right with the pork. I think it would be a lot better if there was a vinegar or Lexington style sauce option, as the pork is tender enough and pulled nicely – it just lacking moisture and sufficient flavor.

The brisket had a little more flavor but also was a little dry – requiring the sauce, though not as badly as the pork. It also could definitely stand to be a little more tender, as it was slightly rubbery. All in all, the brisket was better than a lot of brisket I’ve had, but I won’t go out of my way to have it again.
The sides are fine – nothing great, but they have all the staples. Of course the slaw is mayo-based, but at least they have hushpuppies.

Rudy: Nothing sounds too great here. When chicken is the only thing to write home about, you don’t have a top notch barbecue place in my opinion.

Speedy: I wouldn’t write home about the chicken either. Mama Speedy would be all “SON – I RAISED YOU BETTER THAN TO ORDER CHICKEN AT A BARBECUE RESTAURANT” and I would have to go to my room next time I visited my parents. But you’re right – not a top-notch barbecue experience.

Overall, if you happen to be driving through the Tri-Cities, Tennessee area and are craving barbecue, you could do worse than stopping at Smokey Mtn BBQ, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat here.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 1.5 hogs
Pork – 2 hogs
Brisket – 2.5 hog
Chicken – 3 hogs
Ribs – 3 hogs
Sides – 2 hogs
Overall – 2.5 hogs

Smoke on the Water – Greenville, SC

July 6, 2012August 1, 2014 / Barbecue Bros / Leave a comment

Name: Smoke on the Water
Date: 6/30/2012
Location: 1 Augusta St., #202, Greenville, SC 29601
Order: Smoked chipotle chicken wings, Combo platter with beef brisket and pulled pork, fried okra, sugar snap peas (link to menu)
Bill: wings – $6; Combo Platter (included two sides) – $14

Last weekend, I decided to take an impromptu trip to Atlanta. And since I was driving through Greenville, SC right around lunch time, I decided to stop at my favorite Greenville barbecue restaurant – Smoke on the Water. I have been telling Monk about this place for a while, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go without him, even though he was off the grid. Just an excuse to go back, I guess.

Smoke on the Water sits next to Reedy Falls right between downtown Greenville and West End – basically smack dab in the middle of all the good stuff. I spent over a year working in Greenville, and this restaurant because a staple for me. It had been nearly a year since my last trip, so I was excited to go.

Generally, I really enjoy sitting outside at Smoke on the Water, but it was nearing 100 degrees outside, so my party decided we would eat inside in the A/C. The inside of Smoke on the Water doesn’t exactly scream “barbecue.” It’s not well lit, it has a nice, classy bar, and it just has the appearance of a more upscale restaurant. While this is certainly nice, it’s not exactly my style – especially for a ‘cue restaurant. So while the atmosphere isn’t exactly like your good ole southern barbecue, the food definitely is.

For starters, we had an order of the smoked wings. The wings come out whole, instead of split, as wings are traditionally served. The wings are marinated, then smoked, but are not sauced. However, they are still moist and are really, really good. You can definitely taste the smoke and there’s a noticeable kick in the back. I would definitely recommend these wings to anyone.

For my main course, I had the combo platter with brisket and pulled pork with sides of fried okra and sugar snap peas. In a word, the meal was fantastic. The pulled pork has a great smoke flavor, is tender, and not dry at all. You can definitely eat it without adding any sauce, but the sauce definitely enhances the flavor. My personal favorite is a spicy vinegar based sauce, but you can also choose from SC mustard, KC sweet, and a house red sauce.

Smoke on the Water is probably the only ‘cue joint I’ve ever been to where I think the brisket is better than the pork. The brisket comes sliced a little thinner than I’m used to seeing, which I actually like. The brisket also doesn’t really need sauce, but I’d recommend it. It is a bit drier than the pork. The brisket is tender and flavorful. If I could only order one meat at Smoke on the Water, this would be it. I’m no beef barbecue expert, and I haven’t eaten NEARLY enough ‘cue in Texas, but to date, I would say Smoke on the Water is the best brisket I’ve had.

The sides are good, though I’ll echo previous reviews in saying I’m disappointed that they don’t serve hushpuppies. The wait staff does bring out corn bread immediately upon seating, which is a great (and delicious) touch. The fried okra and sugar snap peas were both good, as have other sides I’ve had their previously, and they have a pretty nice selection.

The rest of my party also thoroughly enjoyed their meals. Everyone save one had either the brisket, the pork, or both for their meal. The lone hold-out ordered a salad (really, Princess Leia???) and I won’t even pretend to justify her decision. The mac ‘n cheese was a pretty popular side, but I didn’t partake due to my intolerance of dairy, but I’m told it’s really good here, if you’re in to that sort of thing. I did try some fried asparagus, which was good, but that’s not exactly a ‘cue staple. The menu does stray from a traditional ‘cue shack by offering other southern favorites like fried catfish, fried green tomatoes, fried oysters, and a supposedly-amazing pimento cheese burger, but I can’t personally comment on any of that (save the fried green tomatoes, which are excellent), as I stick to the ‘cue.

Overall, Smoke on the Water is among my favorite places. Though it looks a little fancy pants, these guys definitely know their smoke. Combine that with a great location in an awesome city, and you’ve got a restaurant most everyone is sure to love.

-Speedy

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

Mac’s Speed Shop – Charlotte, NC

June 26, 2012August 1, 2014 / Barbecue Bros / 1 Comment

Name: Mac’s Speed Shop
Date: 6/22/2012
Location: 2511 South Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28203
Order: VTX Chipotle Smoked Wings, Combo Platter (St. Louis style ribs, brisket, pork, sausage), Kansas City Beef rib, mac & cheese, baked beans, collard greens, brunswick stew, hush puppies (link to menu)
Bill: ½ dozen Smoked wings – $5; Combo Platter (included two sides) – $16; Beef rib plate (included two sides) – $16

Speedy: Our next visit was the Charlotte staple, Mac’s Speed Shop. When I first moved to Charlotte, Monk and I used to be pretty regular visitors to Mac’s, but truth be told, that was partly due to a lack of better options than anything else. In fact, I don’t think either of us had been since Midwood Smokehouse opened up. In fact, our guest for the evening, Sus, was trying to convince us to skip Mac’s in favor of the Smokehouse. More on our buddy Sus later…

Monk: Mac’s is a “biker bar” and while it does attract a biker crowd, there’s nothing there that would make your average yuppie squirm or feel uncomfortable. In fact, I’d argue that yuppies are really the true target demographic for Mac’s. Since we’ve started coming here, it has expanded its patio seating to one of the better patios in town and thankfully we were able to sit outside on a Friday night with no wait. One of the things I’ve always dug about the place is the great beer selection – this is the only bar or restaurant in Charlotte that I am aware of where I can get my longtime favorite beer, Rogue Hazelnut Brown (in a 20 oz. bomber, nonetheless). They have a wide variety of beers on draft and bottle, and were even doing the canned craft beer thing before it was fashionable to do so, so credit to them for that.

Speedy: Our order here was actually a pretty difficult choice. We obviously were going with a combo platter, but wanted even more variety beyond that. For some reason, Monk took a shine to the Kansas City beef rib on the menu, so that was ordered as well, along with an appetizer of smoked wings.

Rudy: I can’t decide if I feel jealous of the fact that you guys are always getting wings at your barbecue places. While I love wings and I love barbecue, I have never been to a barbecue place that offers wings. I think I am going to have to find some and try them at some point.

Monk: I guess that’s a good thing about going to these “barbecue fusion” places – you get things like wings on the menu. I hadn’t had a beef rib in I don’t know how long (I missed out on them at Buz and Ned’s) and we don’t really see them on most menus, so I thought it might be something worth checking out. This was our buddy Sus’s first time taking in a barbecue spot with us since the blog started, and he couldn’t have been more lost. Between me stepping away to take photos and us wanting to sample just about everything, he eventually decided to focus on his beer and let the pros handle things.

Speedy: The wings came out pretty quickly – and we got 7 even though we only ordered a half dozen…suckers. They were quite good – properly smoked and the sauce had a decent but not overwhelming kick. Definitely one of the best parts of the meal.

Monk: The entrees didn’t take long before they were brought out and HOLY HELL IS THAT A BRONTOSAURUS RIB?!?! The beef rib was by far the largest one I’ve ever seen. I mean, it was comically large – as in straight out of the Flintstones or something.

Rudy: That was one of the things I had to get used to in Texas coming from North Carolina. I thought you ordered a rack of ribs, but they were selling them by the pound… and a single rib was a whole pound! I think they are very good, but I also feel strange when I order them because I think they look comical.

Speedy: As for the meat, I think we both agree that the brisket was just bad. It was tough, overdone, and lacked flavor. I couldn’t have been more disappointed. I know brisket is tough to cook, but it amazes me how bad some of these NC places are at it. Mac’s was probably the worst. I’ve had the brisket there before and don’t remember it being that bad, so it could’ve been an off-night, but I think it’s best to just steer clear.

Monk: While the pulled pork had decent bark (at least what I pulled onto my plate did; Speedy had some complaints), the meat was dry and begged for one of the three sauces on the table – Carolina BBQ, Red BBQ, and SC Mustard. Ok, well not really the SC Mustard – I mean, who would add that to pulled pork?

Speedy: I have no idea why these places insist on serving it. I definitely have opened up to different barbecue style over the last several years – mainly due to being able to travel to Memphis, St. Louis, and Texas and sample all that’s there. However, I’ve also spent lots of time in South Carolina (and had some great barbecue there), but I’ve yet to budge on my opinion that mustard just does not belong on barbecue. But anyway, off my soap box and back to the food.

Monk: As for the beef rib, well…I liked it a bit more than Speedy did but it was quite fatty. We were expecting a platter of beef spare ribs, not a huge slab of meat connected to a single bone. Looking on the menu online now, I do see that it does say “rib” singular. Other than the hilarity of how big it was, in hindsight it wasn’t the best decision to order.

Speedy: I thought the St. Louis style ribs were pretty good. They probably could have been a little more tender, but I did like the sauce quite a bit. If I went back, this is probably what I’d order.

Monk: I would agree. As has been documented here, I’m becoming more and more a fan of Texas sausage. So much so, in fact, that it’s now pretty much an automatic order if I see it on the menu. The sausage here was a bit dry and required the mustard sauce that it came with, but it still had good flavor and was one of the better parts of the meal.

Speedy: I was disappointed that the combo platter only came with one sausage link (to be fair, we did order the small platter), and I thought the sausage was pretty good, so I ended up ordering a sausage sampler and some hushpuppies for dessert.

Monk: Mac’s serves sides of honey butter along with the hush puppies (of which I am a huge fan) – so big ups on that.

Speedy: The sampler came with Texas beef sausage, andouille sausage, and kielbasa. All were good, though I think they were overcooked slightly. The mustard based barbecue sauce worked well with the sausage. I also had a hard time distinguishing between the three types. Initially, I thought ordering this extra plate was a mistake, but when Sus decided to pick up the bill, it suddenly was a great idea again.

Rudy: The only thing better than barbecue is FREE barbecue.

Monk: I couldn’t agree more! Speaking of Sus, while Speedy and I were comparing notes aloud on each meat during the meal he simply couldn’t understand why we didn’t think everything tasted as amazing to us as it did to him. To be fair, he is more of a burger guy, but c’mon Sus not everything was “ZOMG AMAZING YOU GUYS.”

Speedy: I guess not everyone has a sophisticated enough palette to be a Barbecue Bro, Monk.

Monk: True, not everyone can hang. So, Speedy, other than the atmosphere of the outdoor patio is there much of a reason for you to recommend folks come here if they are looking for good barbecue?

Speedy: No – not really. Like you said, the beer selection and atmosphere are really the best things about the restaurant, and while I appreciate that, it’s not what you want from a barbecue joint. So if you’re looking to have a beer or two with friends in a fun spot on Friday night, by all means, go to Mac’s. If you’re looking for good, authentic barbecue, there’s definitely better options.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 3.5 hogs
Pork – 2.5 hogs
Brisket – 1 hog
Sausage – 3 hogs
St. Louis Style Ribs – 3 hogs
Kansas City Style Beef Rib – 2.5 hogs
Wings – 3.5 hogs
Sides – 2.5 hogs
Overall – 2.5 hogs