Fort Mill BBQ Company – Fort Mill, SC

January 25, 2016January 24, 2016 / Barbecue Bros / Leave a comment

Name: Fort Mill BBQ Company
Date: 1/20/16
Address: 737 Stockbridge Drive, Fort Mill, SC 29708
Order: FMBBQ sampler, small side of hush puppies (link to menu)
Price: $14.80

I had tried to visit Fort Mill BBQ Company once before but had failed to pay attention to their hours and didn’t realize they were closed on Mondays. Finally, I carved out another chance and made the drive out to Fort Mill.

Inside, a slightly dark dining room with a short bar is adorned with racing and car memorabilia and a few tv’s tuned to ESPN. The “FMBBQ Sampler” was an easy way to try just about all of their meats (minus the ribs and chicken), and was a steal at $10.99 even if the portions ended up small. To make sure my entire meal wasn’t meat-based, I added a small side of hush puppies.

What followed was a slightly underwhelming plate. The brisket was dry and stiff with a texture almost that of overcooked bacon. My guess was that it was smoked on a previous day and reheated for lunch on this day.

The “chipotle cheese stuffed beef sausage” was nothing more than a split sausage with shredded cheese melted on it – not really as advertised and quite disappointing.

The turkey was dry and mostly bland. The smoked wings were slightly better than the other meats.

As for the pork, well, I initially didn’t get any and had to ask for it. No big deal, but I’m glad that I did since it ended up being the best of any of the meats (while still not being great). It was moist and had large chunks of bark in it but was still on the bland side without the aid of a table sauce. Still, the overall rating below might have been a bit lower had I not followed up on it.

The hush puppies may have been frozen but at least they came with a side of honey butter. I will say, at least the servers were quite nice.

You know that saying how barbecue writers and editors “try bad barbecue so you don’t have to” (I think I first saw Daniel Vaughn of TMBBQ write this)? Well this day’s lunch was definitely a case of that. Bad barbecue might be a bit strong but Fort Mill BBQ Company was definitely mediocre at best.

–Monk

Ratings:
Atmosphere – 2.5 hogs
Pork – 2.5 hogs
Brisket – 1 hog
Sausage – 2 hogs
Wings – 2.5 hogs
Turkey – 2 hogs
Sides – 2.5 hogs
Overall – 2 hogs

Louie Mueller Barbecue – Taylor, TX

August 10, 2015August 10, 2015 / Barbecue Bros / Leave a comment

Name: Louie Mueller Barbecue
Date: 7/18/15
Location: 206 W. 2nd St., Taylor, TX
Order: 1 & 1/2 Lb Moist Brisket, 2 Jalapeno Sausages, ¼ Lb Turkey, Peach Cobbler, 3 Teas (link to menu)
Bill: $55

Rudy: I had already visited and reviewed two of the top 4 barbecue places in the state according to Texas Monthly BBQ so I figured it was time to make the short drive to Taylor and review Louie Mueller Barbecue, who was also ranked in the top 4. This is the second time I have eaten at Louie Mueller’s, but the first time reviewing what is considered one of the grandfathers of central Texas barbecue. To give you an idea of the history and excellence that is on hand at LM’s: they won the James Beard Foundation Award for excellence, becoming the first Texas barbecue restaurant to win that award. They also are the family where many of the best Texas barbecue restaurants find their roots. The expectations for LM’s was off the charts.

Monk: Wow, they certainly fit the bill of a legendary Texas joint. The family tree aspect almost sounds similar to Warner Stamey and his legacy in Lexington-style barbecue in NC.

Rudy: LM has been in their current location since 1959 and have a great, great atmosphere. They have a large open seating area near where you line up to order, but they also have a great seating area attached that is basically a large screened porch. It has such a classic feel, which makes sense considering how long it has been in that building. Even though it is a top notch barbecue spot only 30 minutes from Austin, both times I have gone to LM’s the line is never more than 10-15 minutes. That immediately skyrockets it’s rating on my board because I have no desire to wait for hours upon hours for barbecue that is on the same level as one that takes 15 minutes to get (even on top of the hour round-trip drive).

I only have 2 knocks on LM. One is the set up they have for drinks (you get them while you are standing in line) makes it hard to get refills because you have to swim through the line. The second is the fact that it is BYOB, but there is no way of knowing that. It isn’t listed on their website and there is no sign telling you this. However, I did count at least 19 beer signs around the restaurant, so you can understand my surprise and disappointment when I was told that they didn’t serve beer there and I had to bring my own.

Monk: Being BYOB certainly didn’t help you on this trip but now that you know it, that’s great. Will be nice the next time you stop in for sure.

Rudy: On to the food. The brisket. Oh. My. God. It was amazing. AMAZING. Perfect amount of seasoning, not too overpowered with salt or pepper. Fat was perfectly rendered, so it just melted in your mouth. Tender, but didn’t fall apart. I really can’t heap enough praise on the brisket. They provide a side of sauce that can be used as a compliment, but it is not needed in any way. Plus, they cut you a sample of the brisket when you order, so you immediately up the amount that you are planning on ordering. They haven’t been in business this long without knowing a few tricks.

The sausage left a little to be desired. The first time I came to LM’s it was really juicy, but this time it was a little dry. I have given it a lower rating, based on this visit, but I’m willing to give it another try on my next visit to break the tie.

Monk: Since *spoiler alert* you didn’t give them 5 hogs, I wonder if a better sausage next time would put them over the top for you?

Rudy: Absolutely, because everything else was over the top good – even the turkey. That’s right, this was the first time I ordered turkey at a barbecue restaurant. I just have a hard time ordering it and like to stick to brisket, sausage, and ribs. But with Rudy Jr. along for the ride, I figured I would feed it to him. It was a huge hit. He ate the entire thing and was asking for more. I tried a piece and was surprised at how good it was. The meat had great flavor, but most importantly was extremely moist and not dried out as I have seen at other places.

Lastly, we finished it off with peach cobbler and ice cream. It was a bit heavy on the breading and low on the fruit, at least the serving we got, but it was still so good. It was obvious that it was homemade and delicious.

Speedy: I’m a little late to this review party, but I just wanted to chime in that this sounds incredible. Plan on taking a trip next time I’m in town, Rudy.

Rudy: Overall, Louie Mueller lived up the the high expectations and showed why it is always ranked as highly as it is. There is no doubt that I will be making the short drive back up there in the future, and I’ll make sure I bring my own beer next time.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 4.5 Hogs
Brisket – 5 Hogs
Sausage – 3.5 Hogs
Turkey – 5 Hogs
Cobbler – 4.5 Hogs
Overall – 4.5 Hogs

Midwood Smokehouse – Charlotte, NC

June 5, 2012August 1, 2014 / Barbecue Bros / 2 Comments

Name: Midwood Smokehouse
Date: 6/1/12
Location: 1401 Central Avenue, Charlotte, NC
Order: Smoked Wings, East vs West barbecue special, combo platter with brisket, sausage, st. louis style ribs, and smoked turkey, hush puppies, bbq slaw, baked beans, collards
Bill: Smoked wings – $8; East vs West barbecue special (included two sides + hush puppies) – $12; Combo platter (included two sides + hush puppies) – $28

Speedy: When I first heard that Midwood Smokehouse was opening back in 2011, I was pretty skeptical. After all, Charlotte isn’t exactly known for great barbecue. But it opened in one of my favorite areas of town, Plaza Midwood, so I definitely had to give it a try. All my doubts were erased from the first meal there, and it’s been my favorite Charlotte barbecue spot ever since.

Monk: May was “Bar-B-Que Month” at Midwood Smokehouse, and while I don’t particularly care for that spelling of barbecue, they had some great specials – Texas BBQ in week 1, Memphis ribs in week 2, and Kansas City burnt ends in week 3. Talk about great timing, week 4 happened to be East vs. West NC barbecue special – obviously right up the Barbecue Bros alley. And while Speedy and I had been to Midwood Smokehouse several times and considered it in our top 2 in Charlotte, this was the perfect time to go and write a review for the blog.

Rudy: This menu was celebrating their “Bar-B-Que Month”, but what types of barbecue do they normally serve? Or as some would say, “what are they known for?”

Monk: In terms of barbecue, they have a little bit of everything – eastern NC pork, texas style beef brisket, smoked turkey, smoked sausage, and bbq chicken. As for what they are known for…

Speedy: An interesting question that I’m not sure I know the answer to. Since it’s relatively new, I haven’t heard too many people talk about it that much, other than saying it’s good. Probably the pulled pork seems to be the most popular item, and my personal favorite. Anyhow, we arrived just before eight on a Friday night. Our party consisted of myself, Monk, Mrs. Monk, and my cousin Daniel, a foodie in his own right. Originally, we were told it would be a thirty minute wait, but someone must’ve told them that we were the Barbecue Bros and we weren’t messing around, we were seated after only 5.

Monk: LIKE BOSSES. Weekend nights tend to be busy at Midwood, and that night the restaurant was definitely buzzing – all of the tables were filled, there was no available seating at the bar, and several folks were trying to find a sliver of room at the bar to order a drink while they waited for tables. Speaking of the bar, Midwood Smokehouse usually has a nice selection of craft beers available on draft and bottle as well as decent specials to go with it. And yes, you can go cheap if that’s the way you prefer your beer. As for seating, there is both indoor and covered outdoor seating, and even a second outdoor level (which I have not yet been to). We were seated outside in the covered area, just minutes after rainstorm had swept through and cooled off the night just a bit. Things were off to a good start.

Speedy: Before long we were ready to order. We had decided that we would be able to have the biggest variety of meats if we ordered the East vs. West special and the combo platter which feeds 2-3 people, for Daniel, Monk, and myself to split. Mrs. Monk decided, however, to order a salad. ARE YOU KIDDING ME, MONK? YOU NEED TO GET CONTROL OF YOUR WOMAN. WHO ORDERS A SALAD AT A BARBECUE JOINT?

Rudy: By “order a salad” you mean that she ordered extra slaw? Like her two side items were slaw next to the barbecue?

Monk: I wish that were the case, Rudy. I think Mrs. Monk would defend her choice of salad by saying “but it had pulled pork on top!” but believe me when I say that we are working through these issues. But enough about our marriage, on to the barbecue.

Speedy: The first course was an order of smoked wings with a spicy barbecue sauce. As wings are my second favorite food (behind barbecue, of course) and I love spicy stuff, you could say that this was right in my wheelhouse. Though good, the wings were not the highlight of the meal. I feel that they could have used some more dry rub before smoking to help enhance the flavor and the sauce wasn’t spicy enough. Mrs. Monk was able to eat one without tearing up, which means the heat needed to man up a little. I’d recommend these wings, but it’s definitely not the reason to go. The pork, on the other hand…

Monk: If you aren’t aware, eastern NC barbecue is whole-hog, chopped barbecue with a vinegar based sauce (sometimes spicy) while western is pork shoulders, pulled barbecue with a tomato-based sauce that gives it a reddish hue.

Speedy: For some reason, the waiter felt the need to explain this to us like it was freakin’ amateur hour. Child, please.

Monk: I mean, seriously. We are the Barbecue Bros! For this special, Midwood added Highland Gaelic Ale from Asheville, NC brewery Highland to the western sauce. The western was fantastic and blew the eastern out of the water head to head. The eastern was chopped a little too fine for my preference, giving it a somewhat weird texture. However, don’t get me wrong – it was still pretty good.

Rudy: So the eastern would have been good by itself but when you ate it right next to the western, it was no contest, right?

Monk: Yea, pretty much. This was the first time I had eaten the two head to head and the difference was eye-opening.

Speedy: When ordering the brisket, we were asked if we wanted “fatty, lean, or a little of both.” Well, the last couple times I’ve had brisket, it’s been too fatty, so I ordered lean. This was probably a mistake. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no brisket expert – that’s why we have Rudy on the payroll – but overall, I was a little disappointed. The brisket showed up chopped, not sliced, and was not really that flavorful. Adding some of the provided sauce helped, but it was still average brisket at best. Similarly, the turkey had a nice texture, but was dry and was also reliant on the sauce (or provided cranberry relish) for flavor. The ribs were better. Tender and flavorful with plenty of sauce – I was definitely pleased with them.

Monk: My favorite of the other plate was the ribs followed by the sausage. I gotta say, the more and more I have it, the more I love smoked sausage (keep your jokes to yourself). It will never displace pulled pork or maybe even ribs, but its a solid number 3 for me, jockeying it out with brisket. I also dug that Speedy had the wherewithal to order an additional half-basket of hush puppies, because I don’t feel right eating barbecue without them and they are decent here, if not a bit small.

Rudy: I completely agree. I had not had smoked sausage until moving to Texas, and I love it. Some places will stuff them with jalapenos and cheese. My favorite types are the ones that kind of fall apart when you cut into them. That tells me they probably made the sausage themselves.

Speedy: I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the slaw here is excellent. Chopped fine with just the right amount of vinegar. No mayonnaise to be seen in this slaw. It’s tangy flavor rises from within. All in all, I love this place. The atmosphere is good, the smoker on the side of the building is awesome, and the guys running the show actually know their ‘cue. I’ve never left Midwood Smokehouse without a full stomach and a smile on my face.

Monk: Agreed, Midwood Smokehouse is definitely my favorite barbecue spot in Charlotte. Their ‘cue isn’t amateur hour, and I especially dig the beer selection. Everyone I’ve taken to has enjoyed it, and it has become a dependable spot to take out of town guests. Also, that’s what she said!

Speedy: …

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 4 hogs
Pork – 4 hogs
Brisket – 2 hogs
Sausage – 3.5 hogs
Ribs – 3.5 hogs
Wings – 3 hogs
Turkey – 2 hogs
Sides – 3 hogs
Overall – 3.5 hogs