sausage

Post Oak Barbecue delivers above average barbecue in Denver

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Name: Post Oak Barbecue
Date: 8/23/24
Address: 4000 Tennyson Street, Denver, Colorado
Order: Brisket, ribs, sausage, turkey, burnt ends, collards, okra (link to menu)
Pricing: $$

Speedy: Denver is not really known as a barbecue city, but Monk and I once had a great experience there at the now closed Owlbear Barbecue, which I also re-visited (and enjoyed) in 2021. So on a recent weekend trip, I knew I wanted to try barbecue for at least one meal. Fortunately, my college roommate and Denver native Leor mentioned Post Oak as his favorite in town, so we went (along with a couple of other friends). 

Monk: While our first experience with Denver barbecue was fairly average, that Owlbear Barbecue visit was quite memorable, and surely one of the best Texas barbecue experiences I’ve had outside of the state of Texas.

Speedy: Post Oak is in what looks like an old school store front, and is a long, skinny restaurant, with the ordering station on the right, and a bar on the left, and scattered tables and bar seating. It almost looks more like a bar where you’d go to have a beer and watch a game than a barbecue joint, but hopefully the food exceeds game day bar food. The team let me do the ordering, so we ordered a little bit of everything (meat-wise) minus the pulled pork, including the Friday special – burnt ends. The meat came out pretty quickly, and we were off.

Starting with the brisket – I was pretty impressed. It was well seasoned, tender, and moist, but not quite as melt-in-your-mouth as your top tier Texas brisket. Still, this was my favorite meat of the meal, and I’d return to Post Oak for it.

The turkey was also a standout. Every bite was moist, buttery, and flavorful. I am a pepper fiend and could use a little more seasoning, but still really good. There is seemingly a bit of a turkey renaissance in the barbecue world, and I’m here for it. Long live the bird!

Monk: Count me in for the turkey-ssance as well!

Speedy: The ribs and sausage were both good but not standout, and while my table all liked the burnt ends, I found them a little chewy – probably the only thing I wouldn’t order again. For the sides, the fried okra is a must order, and the collards were solid, with chunks of pork mixed in. 

While Post Oak Barbecue doesn’t look the part of traditional barbecue joint, the ‘cue turned out to be more than solid, and our whole group enjoyed the meal. All in all, another great barbecue experience in Denver.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 3 hogs
Brisket – 4 hogs
Turkey – 4 hogs
Ribs – 3.5 hogs
Sausage – 3.5 hogs
Burnt Ends – 3 hogs
Sides – 4 hogs
Overall – 4 hogs

Matt’s BBQ is an example of legit Texas barbecue in Portland

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Name: Matt’s BBQ
Date: 9/13/24
Address: 4233 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97217
Order: Two pounds brisket, two pounds of pork spare ribs, 2 jalapeno cheddar sausages, 2 original sausages, mac and cheese, slices of Dos Hermanos potato bread (link)
Pricing: $$

Monk: It’s that time of the year again: the annual gathering of our group of friends who graduated from High Point Central High School (this year was the 18th iteration). And with that gathering, for better or for worse there is usually barbecue. To wit, last year us Barbecue Bros forced the rest of the HPC Bros to check out Wilson County Barbecue in Portland, Maine, which was a great representation of NC whole hog.

This year, we found ourselves in the Portland located on the other coast, and after consulting Daniel Vaughn’s recent Top 50 Texas Joints Outside of Texas list after a morning hike at Wahkeena Falls, we pointed our GPS towards Matt’s BBQ and made our way towards the food truck park off N. Mississippi Avenue.

Little did we know that our lunch at Matt’s would lead to the biggest disagreement on rating to date for the Barbecue Bros. Will we survive? Ok, that’s probably overstating our disagreement on ratings but read and find out…

Speedy: Let’s start with the atmosphere. Matt’s BBQ is situated in the middle of a food truck park, with lots of picnic tables, other food trucks, and most importantly, a beer truck. I thought this was a super cool area, especially with the perfect weather we had. Certainly a cool spot to hang out, have some food, and get your grub on.

Rudy: I thought the brisket was really well done, especially for being that far away from Texas. There was plenty of fat (well rendered) that kept it from drying out. It was easy to pull apart (good for sharing) but was not a bunch of mush. The best bites were at the ends, which led to Speedy’s upcoming complaint about consistency of seasoning.

Speedy: The ribs were quite big and meaty, and cooked well, but unfortunately I thought they were inconsistently seasoned, which I also thought was true of this brisket. While there were certainly some good bites, I want to taste the salt and pepper seasoning in every bite, with full permeation of the seasoning throughout the meat. So, good quality meat cooked well, but could have been better seasoned and probably could have gotten a little more smoke on the meat.

Monk: Personally, I found no issues or inconsistencies with the brisket or ribs being under seasoned, so I was on the more positive end of the spectrum. I was on the other end of the table for our group of 8 and there was nothing but positive vibes there. And if I am recalling correctly, we finished everything on the two platters. That may be on account of my precise ordering abilities, though…

We ordered two of each of the sausages, of course accommodating Speedy’s lack of tolerance for dairy. Both beef sausages came pre-sliced which made it nice for our group but made it hard to gauge the snap in the sausage. Regardless, I felt like it was a well executed beef sausage on both fronts.

Rudy: I loved the jalapeno cheddar sausage and thought there was a good amount of spice (but not overwhelming) and plenty of creaminess from the cheddar. I thought the heat from the jalapenos did not overwhelm the flavor of the sausage but complimented it. 

The sides were also tasty and there was a big variety of options to order. However, my favorite thing of the entire experience was the pickled onions. If I had told you going into a barbecue restaurant that the best thing you’d eat would be the pickled onions, that would pretty much be a huge insult to the meat but that was not the case with Matt’s. The flavor and crunch that they added to each bite (and also by themselves) was great. The acidity of them really cut through the savory fat of the meat and added to the experience.

Speedy: Personally, I went into Matt’s with super high expectations, as I’ve been to several of the joints on the top 50 list referenced above, and left all full and happy. So while I thought the barbecue was good (and would visit Matt’s again), I was not blown away, which is my expectation for the top 50. That may not be fair, as Portland is not exactly known for barbecue, and sans list (and expectations), I would have probably been pretty happy. That said, Monk, Rudy and the other guys really enjoyed it, so I’m open to the possibility that my taste buds were just a little off that day. Hopefully, I’ll find myself in Portland again to give Matt’s another try. 

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 4.5 hogs
Brisket – 3.5 hogs
Ribs – 4 hogs
Sausage – 4 hogs
Sides – 3.5 hogs
Overall – 4 hogs

Lechon Latin BBQ Has the Latin Flavors but is Lacking Any Smoke

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Name: Lechon Latin BBQ and Bar
Date: 9/8/24
Address: 5959 Triangle Town Blvd Ste. 2121, Raleigh, NC 27616
Order: Lechon with crispy skin, Argentine Sausage, elite, plaintains (link)
Pricing: $$

Monk: Sometimes in the barbecue game, it’s a matter of having the right expectations. While I had heard of Lechon Latin BBQ since it opened two years ago in the somewhat forgotten Triangle Town Center mall in North Raleigh, I hadn’t really done much research before I made a recent visit while in town for the weekend.

Despite landing on Eater Carolinas’ 11 Best Barbecue Restaurants in the Triangle list from 2023, had I done a little more due diligence, I’m not sure I would have made the trip. I don’t want to yuck anyone’s yum, and it seems as if the Latin flavors are appreciated by folks who apparently have come from hours away to eat there. I will note that this did not seem to be the case on this Sunday, however, with the restaurant just a third full.

The lechon, or pulled pork, had a distinct lack of smoke and was a touch on the greasy side. And the crispy skin (also known as cuero) wasn’t all that crispy. My hunch is that located in the giant carcass of a suburban strip mall, this was roasted pork cooked in an oven.

The Argentine sausages were on the dry side and rather unremarkable. The plantains and elote salad were better than the meats but didn’t nearly make up for the meal.

While I can appreciate the different flavors, simply put I wouldn’t call this place a barbecue restaurant. Lechon Latin BBQ and Bar is for those who crave the Peruvian, Argentinian, Cuban, and Latin flavors, and I’m happy they have a place like this. Unfortunately, speaking as a fan of barbecue, it misses the mark.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 2 hogs
Pork – 2 hogs
Sausage – 2 hogs
Sides – 2.5 hogs
Overall – 2 hogs

Favorite Bites from last month’s Carolina BBQ Festival

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Note: a version of this article originally appeared last month in The Smoke Sheet, a fantastic national barbecue newsletter that I regularly contribute to. For more information on how to subscribe, visit bbqnewsletter.com.

Monk: For this year’s edition of the Carolina BBQ Festival, while some pitmasters were new  and the festival changed locations from Camp North End to Uptown (not to mention it was now part of the Charlotte SHOUT! Festival), not too much changed in terms of the quality of the barbecue served from two years ago when I went to the first edition of the festival.

Speedy: Well, here was one other big change: your boy Speedy made an appearance! I happened to be in town to catch a couple final Charlotte Hornets games as a season ticket holder and Monk’s Spring Break travels aligned with us going to the festival on Saturday.

On the drive in, Monk gave me a rundown of the scene (i.e. the pitmasters) before the festival, and I must say I was pretty excited about the volume of talent from all across the great state of North Carolina (oh, and the lesser Carolina as well). We arrived to beautiful weather on a warm Saturday, checked-in, got our wristbands for some refreshing beverages, were issued our silverware, and we were off to explore the smoked meats across Victoria Yards. 

Monk: Elliott Moss made his third straight appearance at the Carolina BBQ Festival and while he is now under his own banner of Moss & Moore Barbecue instead of Buxton Hall Barbecue, he brought his ever-familiar whole hog. They may have been out of slider buns for us but with a few dashes of vinegar-pepper sauce in a cardboard boat this whole hog was reminiscent of the pork from Buxton Hall, of which we are both big fans. 

Moss did give me a little bit of an indication of what will be next for him as he posted last month that he would be leaving Asheville this spring, but I will leave the details of the forthcoming announcement up to him. What I will say is that it looks like he is staying in the Carolinas and will still be cooking whole hog barbecue. More to come from Moss in the coming weeks and months.

Speedy: Walking up to Jon G’s Barbecue tent, I saw a heavenly site – a tower of beef rib bones – and I knew we were in for a treat. Beef rib slider with pickled onions on a potato roll? Yes please! The bar is high for Jon G’s and they did not disappoint. This sammie is what dreams are made of, and this is my winner for bite of the day. 

Monk: I always enjoy catching up with Matthew Register of Southern Smoke BBQ at barbecue festivals, and for this festival it was a family affair with his wife and three kids in tow helping him serve some delicious smoked cheese burger sliders. Despite some issues with wood, Register more than delivered on this burger and was one of two non-traditional barbecue bites that stood out on the afternoon.

Speedy: I am on record as saying that any item that is not strictly smoked meat is secondary in the barbecue setting, but City Limits Barbeque made me question that stance with the pork belly hash and Carolina gold rice. I would easily eat a generous portion of this as a whole meal and might even be willing to venture to Columbia some time to check out the full experience at the James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: Southeast, which was announced just days before the festival.

Monk: While they were out of consommé by the time I got there, the mini smoked brisket quesabirria taco with avocado salsa from Lawrence Barbecue was still one of the highlights of the festival for me. This was the other standout change of pace bite from the more traditional barbecue served throughout the festival. It’s also a nice crossover of Lawrence Barbecue with owner Jake Wood’s sister concept Leroy’s Tacos. Both are worth making the trip to Durham for a visit, or perhaps Wood’s upcoming barbecue festival next month in Raleigh, Gettin’ Piggy With It, another great collection of Carolinas barbecue talent.

Speedy: Monk had been raving to me privately about Sweet Lew’s sausage game for a while, so I was pumped to get to sample a link at the festival – and it did not disappoint. The sausage was flavorful and smoked perfectly, and did not crumble. The man knows what he’s doing around a sausage stuffer.

Monk: Phew! The Barbecue Bros attendance at this year’s Carolina BBQ Festival came together at the last minute (big thanks to friend of the blog Chigger Willard of The Low and Slow Barbecue Show) but thankfully Speedy and I were able to make it happen. 

It’s such a great festival in large part due to the effort by Lewis Donald along with so many others. Next year, I can’t recommend enough for anyone within driving distance (or even beyond like in Speedy’s case) to make the trip to Charlotte and attend because there’s not too many other instances where you can taste so much good barbecue from throughout the Carolinas in one afternoon.