reviews

Stiles Switch BBQ – Austin, TX

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Name: Stiles Switch BBQ
Date: 5/11/13
Location: 6610 N. Lamar, Austin, TX, 78757
Order: Speedy: ½ pound brisket, 1 link Thorndale (mild) sausage, 1 link Switch original (spicy) sausage, lemon vinaigrette coleslaw
Rudy: Combo plate with brisket and jalapeno cheddar sausage, corn casserole, mac & cheese, beef rib (link to menu)
Bill: Speedy: $20, Rudy: $20

Speedy: A bit of news in the Barbecue Bros family, as Rudy welcomed a new junior Barbecue Bro into the family and Monk welcomed a new junior Barbecue Bro-ette. Congrats, Bros! So I used meeting Rudy’s new son as an excuse to go visit Austin and eat some barbecue Texas style.

Monk: Thanks! Of course, with a 2 month old I unfortunately wasn’t able to make the trip with Speedy to Austin for a Barbecue Bros reunion but at least I get to live the trip vicariously through this review.

Rudy: With Speedy in town I had to try and show off our great selection of barbecue, so the pressure was on to choose a good spot and I think that I picked a winner. When choosing the right place, it came down between LA BBQ and Stiles Switch, which I had seen some really good reviews of lately. I would have taken him to Franklin, but a 3 hour wait with a little one was not a good choice. Also, LA BBQ (which I hope to visit soon) is a food trailer, and you never can really tell about the wait. So we went with Stiles Switch.

Speedy: I haven’t had a lot of opportunities to eat Texas barbecue, so I was definitely excited to visit Stiles Switch. My excitement only grew when I got out of the car and could smell the wood burning smoker working its magic. Walking inside, my excitement did not wane. Stiles Switch has a great atmosphere. You order at the counter, and the food is cut and weighed for you then and there and you go down almost a cafeteria style line to get your sides and drink. There’s plenty of seating indoors, but also an outdoor patio with several picnic tables.

Rudy: There were so many options, especially with the sides, that I had a hard time determining what I wanted. I always go with brisket because that is what every place should be judged on, and I also typically go with a sausage. I had not tried a beef rib yet, even though I have been dying to, because it is usually hit or miss if a place will offer a beef rib (also known as dinosaur ribs at some places because of the size). Since I saw it on the menu here, I figured it was as good a time as any to dive right in.  

Speedy: I decided to move away from the combo plate, mainly because none of the sides really excited me.

Monk: So this is like basically the opposite of going to a barbecue restaurant and ordering a salad a la Mrs. Monk, right?

Speedy: Exactly. I wanted to try the spicy and mild sausage, as well as the brisket, of course. As we all know, white slaw is my biggest pet peeve at a barbecue joint, so I was happy to see that Stiles Switch offered lemon vinaigrette slaw as well. And to top it off, of course I had to have a Lone Star!

Monk: Man, I could go for one of those right now…

Rudy: I thought the brisket was pretty good and had a great rub which provided a great bark. The only issue that I had with it was that I thought it might not have been prepared that day because the bark was not crisp, but instead was a little mushy. It still had great flavor though. I was not a huge fan of the sides that I got or the sausage. In the sausage’s case, I think it was because I was getting full on all the rest of my order, so I am not going to knock it too much. The best part of the meal was the beef rib. It wasn’t as big as I had seen in other places, but the flavor was amazing. The bark on it was crispy and melted in your mouth.  While the taste was great, the only deduction that I will make is because of the size of the rib.

Speedy: To me, the brisket was good, but not great. It had a good pull, but I didn’t really like the sauce that came with it (on the side). It tasted more like gravy than barbecue sauce to me. The sausage I thought was very good – particular the Switch original link. It had a definite kick and great flavor. To me, it was just the right amount of spice. The slaw was good, though I still prefer true red slaw.

Rudy: Overall I thought it was a great place that served excellent barbecue, and now with a little one in tow, the shorter lines and the inside dining make it a great place to go.

Monk: I can fully appreciate that concern now when picking a place to eat, barbecue or not. I’m not trying to waste time standing in line when there are potential dirty diapers to change and feedings to be given.

Rudy: A couple of days later, my selection was confirmed when Switch Stiles was named one of the Top 50 Barbecue Restaurants in Texas by Texas Monthly magazine. I’m glad Speedy was able to come and experience some of the best we have to offer.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance: 4.5 hogs
Brisket – 3 hogs
Sausage – 4 hogs
Beef rib – 3.5 hogs
Sides – 2.5 hogs
Overall – 3.5 hogs

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Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew on Urbanspoon

Country Barbeque – High Point, NC

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Name: Country Barbeque
Date: 5/10/13
Location: 3921 Sedgebrook St., High Point, NC
Order: Chopped barbecue plate (with red slaw, hush puppies, fries) (link to menu)
Bill: ~$7

Speedy: Recently, I’ve been doing a fair amount of work in Greensboro, NC. As this is “home turf” for the Barbecue Bros, I look forward to eating ‘cue in the area because the places in the area are where I learned the way and the truth of barbecue. So imagine my surprise when I see Country Barbeque nestled on Highway 68 (note: there’s also one on Wendover) just a couple of miles from my client site. Of course I had to give it a try.

Monk: I believe that I’ve been to the Wendover location, and remember being pleasantly surprised considering I believe that it was a gas/electric joint.

Speedy: When you walk into Country Barbeque, it looks the part of a true ‘cue joint. You sit where you like, and a waitress comes up to take your order. Of course I went with the chopped barbecue plate – a standard for any Lexington style barbecue restaurant. Service was super quick, which I’ve come to expect at places such as this, and the volume of food brought was more than I could eat for a very reasonable price.

The pork itself was good, but not great. It wasn’t dry, but I did find myself adding more dip, which was provided on the table. I also couldn’t really taste the smoke, and I generally like a little hint of it on my ‘cue. However, it was tender, chopped fine, and more than passable. I would’ve liked a little more outside brown mixed in (though I didn’t ask for it), but overall, I was pleased. The slaw was very good, and tasted like a typical red slaw should. There wasn’t really any spice, so I added some Texas Pete (also provided on the table) to cure that. The hush puppies were good, though they could have been a little sweeter, and the fried were your standard crinkle fries.

Overall, I enjoyed my meal, though there wasn’t anything to distinguish Country Barbecue from some of the other restaurants around. I definitely prefer Stamey’s and probably Carter’s in the area, and it doesn’t compare favorably to most places in Lexington (and doesn’t hold a candle to #1).

Monk: So the real question is, should I think about heading there next time I am back in town visiting my folks?

Speedy: I would say it’s worth checking out, though I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat there. It’s convenient location (close to the 68/I-40 intersection) is a big draw that means it will probably serve as a quick, convenient meal for me sometime in the future.

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

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Alston Bridges Barbecue – Shelby, NC

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Name: Alston Bridges Barbecue
Date: 5/17/13
Location: 620 E. Grover St, Shelby, NC 28150
Order: Large chopped barbecue plate (with red slaw, hush puppies), Sun Drop
Bill: ~$9

If I am heading to Asheville or western North Carolina, it is almost required that I stop at Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge off Highway 74 in Shelby. If pressed, I would probably say that it is probably my second favorite barbecue joint ever (behind only Lexington #1). However, if you tell someone who grew up in Shelby (such as my father-in-law) that you went to “Bridges Barbecue” then you will likely get the question “Which one?” Because you see, there are actually two barbecue joints in Shelby that contain the name “Bridges” in its name – Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge and Alston Bridges Barbecue. While there is no relation between the families behind the two restaurants, each founder did learn their craft under the legendary Warner Stamey:

“This is another Shelby/Warner Stamey story. It seems that while Warner Stamey was in Shelby, he not only taught Alston Bridges the fine art of slow cooking pork shoulders over hickory coals, but he imparted these skills to another Bridges as well. After his tutelage with Warner Stamey, Red Bridges (no relation to Alston) established his legendary barbecue restaurant in 1946.”

It was in pursuit of finally tasting the difference between the two joints that I ventured with my wife on a slight detour on our way to Bryson City, NC to check out Alston Bridges this past Friday. While I say “slight” detour, it turns out that despite Alston Bridges only being a few miles into town all told this took us off track by about 45 minutes.

As we stepped into the modest brick building, we were greeted by a “Please Seat Yourself” sign and took a table in the large (but appropriately dated and shabby) dining room in the back of the building. The order was easy – chopped pork plates for both – plus Sun Drop in a bottle. Fun fact: Sun Drop was first bottled in nearby Gastonia.

Of course the food came quickly and certainly looked the part of Piedmont-style barbecue – chopped finely with a red sauce, red slaw, and hush puppies. But sadly, it just didn’t hit the right notes for me. The pork was chopped finely and had nice pieces of bark mixed in but was only average – the pork could have had more smoke and the sauce seemed to occupy a territory that was neither sweet nor vinegary, just bland. The hush puppies were more bitter than sweet, and I like my hush puppies to be sweet. The red slaw was passable but had a pickle on top (a first for me), which seemed a little weird. All told, it was an average meal. I’m sure there are locals that would fight me over this conclusion, but both my wife and I left a little disappointed that we didn’t stop at Bridges Barbecue Lodge instead. Update: I do want to add that the service was outstanding and everyone was extremely nice. 

I did snap some photos on my way out of the smokehouse and wood pile out back so its at least assuring that they do cook it the right way (even if its not for me) (Update 2: A commentor below pointed out that Alston Bridges has actually switched to gas cookers and the woodpile is just for show). While it’s too bad that the barbecue wasn’t better, at least this clears things up nicely for me. On future trips to western NC, I don’t have to worry about spending extra time and gas to mix in visits to Alston Bridges; instead I’ll just stay on 74 and stop at Red Bridges as per usual. In the battle of Bridges barbecue joints in Shelby, Red defeats Alston easily.

-Monk

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

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Smoke & Go Bar-B-Que (food truck) – Charlotte, NC

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Name: Smoke & Go Bar-B-Que
Date: 5/10/13
Location: Food Truck Friday at South End
Order: Chopped pork plate with green beans and cole slaw (link to menu)
Bill: $8.78

Every Friday during the warm months, the South End neighborhood in Charlotte hosts a well-attended food truck rally. This is a family friendly event (which is apparently something I have to be concerned with for the foreseeable future now) that is free and usually draws the bigger food trucks in the Charlotte area. The crowd usually consists of a mix of families, yuppies, hipsters, and foodies who bring YOB, blankets, and tailgate chairs for what turns out to be a nice, leisurely night. The last time we went was about a year ago, but this past Friday night we arrived to find that the crowd had more than doubled in size, possibly even tripled.

As we set our blanket down, I noticed a distinct smell of smoke in the air. In addition to the usual taco, grilled cheese, and cupcakes trucks there sat a Smoke & Go Bar-B-Que truck out of Charlotte, NC. The Barbecue Bros had yet to review a barbecue food truck since we started this blog about a year ago, and this one had the shortest line so this was more or less the easiest decision I made that night.

Smoke & Go serves several food items on a given night, including chicken wings, chopped chicken, ribs (both pork and beef), hot dogs, burgers, turkey legs, and fish. Naturally, I went for the chopped pork plate and chose green beans and coleslaw (sadly, white slaw – despite them telling me red). The plate also came with a bun and some sauce. Less than a minute after ordering, they handed me a tray with my food.

The first thing I noticed was that the finely chopped pork had a lot of bark mixed in and that it smelled fantastic. I spooned some onto the bun with some sauce and it made for a really tasty sandwich. Surprisingly, the pork wasn’t dry, which was a concern I would have had with barbecue from a food truck that had presumably been cooked much earlier that day and would have been sitting in some sort of heated pan  for most of the day to keep it warm. While the sauce worked nicely with the sandwich, it was a thicker sweet and tangy sauce that I usually don’t prefer on my pork. I did eat some without the sauce and as I mentioned earlier, the pork was moist on its own.

The sides were average – the green beans were fine but were not baked and could have been straight out of a can for all I know. And the slaw was white, as I mentioned above. I admit that I froze up a little at the front of the ordering line and probably could have done a little better with my side choices.

I hadn’t necessarily planned on eating barbecue from a food truck that night, but the situation kind of made the decision for me. And it worked out for the most part – if it tells you anything, Mrs. Monk also got her own chopped pork plate after me.

-Monk

Ratings:
Pork – 3.5 hogs
Sides – 2.5 hogs
Overall – 3 hogs

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