Southern Belly BBQ, Columbia, SC.

Southern Belly BBQ, Columbia, SC.

"BBQ in Columbia is about as disappointing as a South Carolina win over the Bulldogs!"

I love my sister.  I love my sister's three daughters.  However, when it comes to getting married, they all have adopted this younger generation's penchant for destination weddings.  As I said, I love them dearly, and if they read this blog, please know that most of this is tongue in cheek and written to only invoke sympathy as well as make this blog relevant to what perhaps most all of you have experienced!  The final of my sister's daughters chose her current city of employment of Columbia, SC.  She's in the television business in some way, and I suppose they have televisions in South Carolina.

So this wedding was set for Friday, September 8.  Actually, after wondering briefly why someone would get married on a Friday, I concluded that it is actually a pretty good idea!  Folks like me get to take of work on Friday missing POTUS Donald J. Trump's nightmare of traffic jam visit to Atlanta and not conflicting with other options for the weekend!  Debbie and I left the farm in Bolingbroke that morning with two destinations in mind:  Courtney's wedding and Southern Belly BBQ in Columbia.  Southern Belly has allegedly been voted the best in Columbia, among the best in South Carolina, etc.  In fact, I love the fact that there are some subtle sauce differences among bbq served in South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Memphis, etc.  Georgia sort of ends up with a hodgepodge of bbq sauce selections except when some of my favorite places wind up making a successful Vidalia onion enhanced sauce which can be pretty good, and I even predict may make for a signature sauce for Georgia!.

Anyway, now to the bbq.  After starving ourselves until we could get to Columbia, which is about a 4 hour drive, we get to the Capitol City of South Carolina.  One thing that I will say that Columbia has going for it compared to Atlanta, is the lack of traffic issues and driveability.  We cruised right into downtown Columbia, followed our GPS directly to Harden Street and with only a little challenge, drove right to the dive....and the original Southern Belly is a dive.

The building isn't well marked, and parking isn't very easy either.  We did find a shopping center two blocks away and enjoyed the little walk among USC college students following the drive over from Georgia.  The building, as indicated wasn't well marked.  If it hadn't been for the two neon light pigs in the window (dead give away, huh?), we'd have gone around the block again!  We slipped into the little dive, which probably wouldn't seat more than about 40 including the 10 or so seats at the bar.  The place wasn't packed, so finding a seat wasn't a problem.  After hours of driving, of course, we wanted to use the "facilities".  The women's restroom was taped off, so I "stood guard" while Shug washed her hands in the men's restroom.

We had already checked out the menu online at www.southernbellybbq.com.  We had found the menu to be fairly unique in that there wasn't really a lot of variety on the menu other than bbq "sandwiches".  Now in all fairness, you could get the sandwich in more varieties than any other place I'd ever seen!  In fact, you could get your sandwich topped in 7 different ways including the "Wookie" which is a $17 bbq sandwich with extra meat, cheese, bacon, and other toppings!  So, there are no ribs at this place.  There is no brisket, and there is no Brunswick stew or baked beans.  Your sides are pretty much slaw, chips, or curly fries.  I'm not really being critical as I think this is probably a pretty good business model if you can be successful at it.  Having a lot of distractions on a bbq joint's menu can detract from the main menu, or so that has been my observation from time to time over years of dong these reviews.

What Southern Belly lacked in menu variety, they made up for in their variety of sauces.  There are no less than 7 different sauces on the menu pretty much running the gamut of bbq sauce options most regionally recognized in the southeast.  Being in South Carolina, we had to try their "Midas" sauce which is the mustard based South Carolina inspired sauce.  We also tried the Southern Belly Alabama white sauce and the sweeter Rebel Red.  Again, what Southern Belly lacked in meat and side options, the sauce options at least partially created an acceptable event.

To the food.  The slaw and curly fries were sufficient but nothing spectacular in terms of uniqueness.  I will say there was nothing left of these two items in my basket when I get finished.  We sort of got off on the wrong start (for the second time) when the USC college student waitress announced that they were out of catsup for the fries.   Who runs any kind of eating place that serves fries and runs out of catsup?  This is America, not Moscow!!!!

Now, to the bbq.  Well, in all fairness, the bbq sandwich pulls up the rating that Southern Belly will get but at least a little bit.  The sandwich was a good portion of pulled pork barbecue that had not been lathered down with some kind of base sauce.  It was a good, clean selection of barbecue that was moist and had enough bark to give it a speck of color but little to no evidence of fat .  In other words, it was clean, tasty, and of good consistency.  I rather enjoyed trying several of the sauces with our selection, and though Southern Belly sort of rations out the amount of sauce they give you, it is good stuff.

We left after burning $30 for the food and tip for the two of us with me thinking that I could have fed the whole family including the grandkids at our old standby, Scotts BBQ, for that kind of money.  In the grand scheme of things, I'm giving Southern Belly a 4 with room to grow for service.  Admittedly, they have another location or two in Columbia that may top this section nestled next to the University of South Carolina.

As we drove toward the destination of the wedding and went by the Gamecocks Stadium, I thought, "y'all may have beat us this year in the game that doomed the Bulldogs' chance at a national championship, but your BBQ, at least based on my experience in Columbia, needs to step up its game!

Thanks Courtney and Ernie for getting us to South Carolina to wish you guys the best in marriage...and have some pretty good South Carolina bbq!

Smoke Ring Atlanta, GA

Smoke Ring, Atlanta.
For most of my adult life, I loathed the idea of having a job in or near downtown Atlanta.  I've said for nearly the last 40 years that "the best view of Atlanta is in my rear view mirror!"  For the most part, I still feel that way despite the fact that I have worked inside the perimeter for the past 3 1/2 years.  Some jobs are just going to require location there (in fact, probably a couple of million jobs) as where you work, so you've just got to make the best of it.  For me, "making the best of it" means occasionally finding a new and interesting place to eat.  When it is a bbq joint, it is even better!

located just a few blocks west of the Capitol and within eyesight of Mercedez Benz stadium is a relatively new joint that, though a bit on the pricey side, has some great bbq and sides, has charm and character, and a staff that makes you feel good about stopping by.  As what seems to be the practice now days as we check out a new bbq joint in the ATL, I may try to hook up with an old friend or two who have the same appreciation for slow smoked meat and who appreciate the work and creativity necessary for a successful diner.  So I hooked up with an old friend and a couple of his key folks to try out Smoke Ring for the first time.

Getting there for us was no problem during the lunch hour.  We just cruised down Northside Drive, turned left just past the Benz, and found Smoke Ring just a couple of streets away.  We found ample parking in the available free deck, and went in to a cute and well done building adorned with things that give it eye appeal and character.  The menu, which can be located at the following link, was sufficiently varied without getting away from why you come to a good bbq joint.  www.smokeringatlanta.com. 

Now to the food.  When you look at the picture, you may ask, "what in the heck is that?"  I suppose there is a first time for everything! My selection for the day was pulled pork bbq, Brunswick stew, and....yep, Brussel sprouts!  Let me start there.  I know without a doubt that I had never ordered Brussel sprouts at a bbq joint before.  Homer had told me they were great, and so I tried them.  Frankly, these may have been the most distinctive item on my plate for the day.  They were braised, or something like that, with a slight sweetness to them.  I'd certainly select them again on a future visit.

The Brunswick stew was better than average with good visual evidence of meat, corn, and the usual ingredients.  The stew itself would make for a great lunchtime meal on a cold winter day, and in fact it probably will for me sometime this coming winter.

Finally, the bbq.  As evidenced in the picture, the bbq sandwich is a generous portion of pulled pork that is tender, clean, not overly dry, but also not excessively fatty.  While I find good bbq at several places in Atlanta, this was as good as I've found for the most part.  I've give it and the overall experience a 4.5 on the 5 point scale.

You sort of have to get used to this in the big city, but the major discount on the score is the price.  When you spend close to $20 for a sandwich plate, tea, and tip, tightwads like me don't eat like this every day.  I've been spoiled by eating many bbq joints across Georgia for a fraction of that price.  I will say, though, that the quality of the bbq at the top bbq joints in Atlanta continues to be most impressive and sets a high standard for the rest of Georgia!

Brickyard Pub and BBQ, Lewiston, NY.

Brickyard Pub and BBQ, Lewiston, NY.
Here I am some 800 miles away from home searching for good wings and bbq. We have already eaten at the Anchor Bar where the chicken win became famous, and their wings are really amazing. Today we rode up to Lake Ontario again. It should really be called the Ontario Ocean as you can’t see the other side.  We were trying to decide between a place called the Silo on the Niagara River or The Brickyard. Thanks to Debbie, we selected the Brickyard.

Lewiston, NY is a quaint little town just a few miles north of Niagara Falls. It has a number of retail shops and dining venues with much character. Brickyard is located right on the main drag. We were seated promptly at this very clean and well laid out little joint. We had already checked out the menu, and it had everything we could want:  pork, brisket, chicken, Brunswick stew, wings, and sweet potato fries.

The food came out relatively quickly, and wow, it was of copious quantity. I ordered the pork sandwich and sweet potato fries. Debbie ordered the pork melt and onion rings. To the sides first. Honestly, the sweet potato fries may have been the best we’ve ever had. They had a very light dusting of cinnamon, and were cooked perfectly. The onion rings, though not freshly dug Vidalia’s were pretty good as well.

Now to the Bbq. I really hate to admit it, way up here in upstate NY, but frankly this was some of the best Bbq we have ever had. The texture, moisture, appearance, and quantity were excellent. I’m not sue what kind of bun it was, but it didn’t come out of a plastic bag I promise you. The Bbq was clean, with a gentle smoke favor.

The Brickyard only has one sauce referred to as their house sauce. That’s all they need. This sauce is darn near perfect. It has a sweet, smoky taste with a thicker consistency. I’d love to get my hands on a few bottles of it. 

I realize it’s been a year since I last posted, but it’s taken me a year to find another joint worthy. I doubt I’ll ever be back to Lewiston, NY, but if you are ever in the Niagara Falls area, take the free transit just a few miles north....it’s worth the time and the views are spectacular as well!

B's Cracklin BBQ, Atlanta, GA

B's Cracklin BBQ, Atlanta, GA

As I've said for at least the past decade, some of the best barbecue in Georgia can be found in the metro Atlanta area.  Of note, though, this joint also has a location in Savannah, but it is its Atlanta location that is largely responsible for putting it on the map.  B's has been in business for somewhere around three years as of today (August 2018).  It has gotten some rave reviews by the metro area food critics and has been voted 2017 "Atlanta Eater Restaraunt of the Year".  My daughter, an accomplished food critic of her own right, had frequented B's and highly recommended it.  I was waiting for the chance to check it out when my friend Candy Norton suggested that we go eat barbecue one day.  I rounded up a couple of work friends, and Candy picked us up in her most impressive Tesla SUV.  We navigated our way further into NW Atlanta to find the joint with great anticipation.  

B's is located in an old house just a little off the beaten path but in easy travelling distance from the Howell Mill Road/Northside Drive area.  There's not a lot parking at B's, and there is also not a really large seating area, so getting there early is highly recommended.  We found our way inside and were greeted by a very kind waiter.  We were provided menus of which you can find in the following website link.  www.bscracklinbbq.com

I ordered up my typical "first visit" meal that included a pulled pork sandwich.  I would have gotten Brunswick stew, but B's only does that "seasonally."  (Honestly, I thought that Brunswick stew season was a year round kind of thing!)  Candy and Greg ordered ribs, so secretly I was in hopes that I'd at least get to try one of their ribs (and I did!)  Our food came in good timing and was well presented as depicted below.

We sampled sauces, of which there were three:  Carolina Vinegar, Spicy Mustard, and another more normaly house sauce.  As seen in the picture, the Spicy Mustard won out for me!    The bbq was clean, moist, tender, and tasty with just the right amount of smokiness.  The portion size was most sufficient as I certainly was not hungry upon leaving.  The surprising entre that I had was the collard greens.  B's collard greens were some of the best that I've ever had.  I never really figured out exactly what the "secret" flavoring was, but if I can ever figure it out, this will be how I'd fix my greens in the future.

Candy was gracious enough to allow me to try one of her ribs, and I was not disappointed.  They were perhaps a little more like competition styled ribs in terms of texture in that they didn't just "fall off the bone", but their flavor, texture, color, and appearance were excellent.

What may be the most cool thing about  B's is its origin.  Taken from its website:  Head BBQ Pitmaster, Bryan Furman, is livin’ the dream having left his day job as a welder to pursue cooking his signature-style pit smoked barbeque, chicken and ribs.  

What began as a fun idea to celebrate his daughter’s first birthday in 2010 by roasting a hog for family and friends, turned into catering and filling order requests from his co-workers.

B's has been featured in such wonderful southern magazines as "Garden and Gun" and "Southern Living", and my observation over the years is that you can generally take their recommendations to the bank.  

All in all, I look forward to returning to B's with friends to experience some of the best bbq in Georgia.  On my scale of 1 to 5, we will give B's a 4.5 pending my next exerience!

DAS Barbecue

"Atlanta's Hottest New Joint"!

4/25/2017

http://www.dasbbq.com/

In September 2016, I began working on the north side of downtown Atlanta.  Somewhere along the way, I had probably said "I'd never work in downtown Atlanta".  After a 7 year stint working in the Atlanta suburbs and getting to know "the lay of the land", working inside of "the perimeter, while never being desirable" became "acceptable" considering the opportunity to serve as the Executive Director of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia.  I had figured that aside from leading one of the country's largest pension fund systems, there had to be some additional advantages that I had not discovered yet.  Today was one of those days where I found another reason to make working in Atlanta work despite a daily commute of 78 miles one way...DAS BBQ.

DAS is one of Atltanta's hottest new resturants.  Located on Collier Road which is just off Howell Mill Road, DAS has only been open a few months as of this post.  I'd first heard of DAS from a tweet or some other social media post by author Charles Martin who is a long time friend of owner Stephen Franklin.  I'd received another report or two that DAS was really good from colleagues who'd visited the place.  After reconnecting with long time friend and former Forsyth County Schools Human Resources Director, Candy Norton, and knowing of my incessant desire to experience good barbecue, Candy and I agreed to try it for lunch one day.  Of course, Candy had beaten me to the punch and had already visited DAS with friends.  She knew what she was getting me into!    

Dr. Norton picked me up at 2 Northside 75 in her high tech Tesla SUV, and Tessie, with her 5 gallon bucket sized display screen led us to the Collier Road address of DAS.  We arrived early, so we had no problem finding a good parking place.  I emphasize "arrived early".  If you wait until 12 to get there, you'll struggle to find parking plus you'll stand in line a bit.  We got out and since Candy had already visited joint on another occasion, she knew where to look around the side of the building in order to introduce me to "Poncho and Lefty."  Pictured below are the two, genuine 500 gallon wood fired smokers who have been named such.  Yes, genuine, no propane, etc. wood fired smokers that burn off of a mixture of 50% hickory and 50% pecan wood.  The elder Franklin would later explain why that mix is the one that works for DAS.

Candy introduced me to one of the most enthusiastic, extroverted BBQ pitmasters I've ever met.  Stephen Franklin grew up in the Atlanta area of Vinings.  His dad, among other things, was a professor at Emory and long time barbecue lover and judge.  When we met Steve, he was attending to the duties around the pit while getting ready for the lunch rush.  I told Stephen that I'd first heard about DAS through a tweet from Charles Martin.  He really liked that, and then told me "you've got to come inside and meet "Pops".  Pops, in addition to being Stephen's Dad (Steve) was somewhat of a mentor to Charles Martin who has written a number of books that include settings in the southeastern US.  The entire Evans clan has read ALL of the Martin books!  Stephen nor Pop's have ever met a stranger or so it seems, so we jumped into a conversation that lasted for at least an hour.  We talked barbecue, south Georgia, Texas and its barbecue, the success of the new venture as well as how this business came to be.  

We arrived early enough to get a seat with Pops, place our order, and then begin to watch the line begin to form.  By the time we had gotten our meal, the line was backed up to the entry of the door....a good sign for a barbecue joint.  DAS is one of those places where you walk up to the counter, place your order, have a seat, and then they'll call out your name and you come up and get your order.  While that service format may cut down on the presence of waitors and waitresses, there is something most gratifying about picking up your food from the counter and savoring it all the way back to the table.  This is what ours looked like.

WOW!!!  We ordered the 3 meat plate that included ribs, sliced brisket, and pulled pork. The sides I ordered were Brunswick stew and collards.  I had already sampled the two types of sauces offered by DAS:  A sort of mild tomato based sauce that was infused with expresso (coffee) and their mustard based sauce that is about as much peach sauce as it is mustard. Both were wonderful on all 3 of the meats.

I really didn't know where to start on the meats.  All 3 had great appearance from the visible smoke rings, attractive coloring, and light bark.  I chose to start with the pulled pork.  Simply put, the best I've had in months.  They have their own secrets and strategies, but suffice it to say that the bbq is fresh, moist, and well taken care of from purchase, through the smoking, and to the table.  The brisket was tender, juicy, and full of that great, beefy flavor.  The ribs were totally to die for!!!  They were tender enough to be "fall off the bone", but they didn't! The taste on all 3 of these distinctive meat options were exceptional.  On the scale of 1 to 5, we are pushing the 5 limits on these.  

Normally I write about the Brunswick stew first simply to get it out of the way.  I suppose I was so excited about the meats I held back on the stew, but DAS's stew and other sides compliment their menu nicely.  The stew was meaty.  There was no effort to go light on the meat based stew.  There's a bit more corn in the stew along with the tomatoes, but it is light on the potatoes, and that's good for us low carb dieters.  The stew had great coloring and appearance.  It's taste was clean and flavorful.  In all reality, the stew could have been my meal for the day.  

Usually after a meal like this, I would not even think about dessert.  I had noticed that the desert option included a banana pudding and also a peanut butter/chocolate pudding. Steve Franklin said he really liked the banana pudding.  We opted for the Peanut Butter/Chocolate.  While I'm sure that either choice would have been great, there's something about this chocolate peanut butter dish that just makes you smile.

Atlanta continues to be home to some of the south's greatest barbecue joints.  I've been to about all of them.  DAS happens to be one of the hottest restaurants in Atlanta right now according to Atlanta Eater  http://atlanta.eater.com/maps/best-new-atlanta-restaurants-heatmap.  I can't wait for a return trip to this northwest Atlanta hotspot that's making working in Atlanta just a bit more exciting.  

  

Papa Buck's BBQ.  Metter, GA.

4/20/2017

"HOME OF THE PIGZILLA"

Anyone who has driven the stretch of I-16 between Macon and Savannah very much knows that there are only a couple of even halfway decent exits to stop and eat along that stretch.  If you leave Macon heading toward Savannah, you really don't want to stop in Dublin as you have barely been on the road for less than an hour.  By the time you get to Metter, you are thinking, "my gosh, I didn't think I'd ever find a place to take a break!"  Well, the good news is that Metter has several good options for taking a break, including getting barbecue.  Years ago, I had discovered Jomax BBQ, and it was very good as best as I remember.  It did not, however, leave me with the feeling that "I've got to make it a priority to go back anytime really soon."  

Let me digress just a moment regarding Metter.  My first real appreciation for the town of Metter came back around 1992 which would be about 25 years ago.  At that time in my life, I was into road cycling.  Three other friends of mine from Eastman (Wayne Smith, Joe Taylor, and Rae Taylor), where we lived at the time, decided to do the second half of one of Georgia's great cycling events, Bike Ride Across Georgia.  We had joined up with BRAG in Eastman on a Thursday with the goal to end up in Savannah on Saturday of that week.  Day 1 of the ride was filled with enthusiasm and great adrenalin flow.  We spent the night in Vidalia, and then Day 2 would have us riding from Vidalia to Statesboro.  There are some things that you learn in taking up new adventures, and one of the things you learn in long distance cycling is effectives uses of things like Vaseline and baby powder.  Without getting highly descriptive, we were so glad to get to Metter about mid-day of that trip to find a drug store in order to find some much needed Vaseline!  

They've said for a long time "things are better in Metter!"  While I can't say it is a place that I have a desire to live, I can say it's work a stop along I-16 to grab a barbecue meal.  On this day, I was traveling alone to Savannah.  I had heard of Papa Buck's www.papabucks.com, and I had wanted to eat there at some point.  I made it a priority to time my trip accordingly.  I got to the joint, and it certainly qualifies as a "joint", before the lunch crowd really began gathering (and they eventually did about the time I was leaving), I easily found a seat and within an acceptable period of time was waited on by one of  the several waitresses who all wore tight pants with a Papa Buck's T-shirt for the top.  Knowing the young, south Georgia redneck population the way that I think I do, I'm guessing that some of these guys were showing up partly for the barbecue and partly because of the friendly waitress staff!

The barbecue offerings at Papa Buck's are exceptional.  The menus is relatively extensive with offierings including bbq chicken, pulled pork, pork loin,  ribs, brisket, turkey, hamburgers, and chicken fingers.

Home of the PIGZILLA. 

Advertized proudly, both inside and outside of the building, is something about "Pigzilla". The Pigzilla is 3 pounds of pulled pork covered in bbq sauce and served on a 1 pound Hawaiian sweet bread roll.  The challenger has 45 minutes to consume the entire meal.  Allegedly folks will drive from long distances to take on this challenge.

I skipped the Pigzilla and went for my typical first visit meal.  I ordered a barbecue pork sandwich and a small Brunswick stew.  The order came out quite promptly, and as evidenced in the picture, it had a very good appeal.  First, the stew.  The stew was a good mix of meat, sauces, and vegetables.  The color was appealing and the flavor was quite good.  There was a good mix of corn, tomatoes, potatoes, but some of my favorites such as okra or small butterbeans were scarce to non-existent.  Overall, though, I'd give the stew a good 3+ on a scale of 1 to 5.

The barbecue sandwich was ample in size.  The appearance was good, however, the meat was pre-sauced and the option of sauce on the side with several sauce options apparently doesn't exist.  There was sauce on the table for adding more to the meat, and I did that mainly to explore their sauce.  It was a good "middle of the road" sauce that wasn't too sweet nor too hot.  The barbecue as well gets a 3+, but frankly, it was really good.  

By the time that I was wrapping up my meal, the place had begun to fill.  You could tell this was a local favorite.  A couple of law enforcement groups showed up, loggers, farmers, old-timers, and even couples enjoing a mid-day barbecue adventure all showed up.  I paid my very inexpensive tab, and then continued my journey to Savannah.  

Given the variety on the menu, there are several more reasons why I'll stop in Metter again one day.  I can't wait to try a brisket order as well as their ribs.  In conclusion, though they are nothing much to look at from the outside, both Papa Buck's and Jomax come highly rated as a place to dine along the I-16 route to the Georgia coast.  

Heirloom BBQ Market, Atlanta, GA.

Heirloom BBQ Market, Atlanta, GA.  Just off I-285 on the "top end" is a little BBQ joint that has consistently received positive state and national rankings.  For most people in Georgia, it is a bit hard to get to, but the fact is, there are hundreds of thousands of people living almost within eyesight of the joint.  Not only are there hundreds of thousands of people, you can nearly see the top of the new Braves stadium from Heirloom.  It is worth the effort to find the place, and I am certain that the presence of the Braves just across the interstate will only increase this joint's popularity in Georgia.

Heirloom is unlike most any joint I've been to in Georgia.  While it is similar to some joints where you order when you walk in the place, the difference is that when you get your food, the only "eat in" option is to go stand up around one of several counters or round tables that are out on the patio.  When you get out there, you will likely find yourself dining with mostly men in everything from construction dress to business suits.  That's the thing about BBQ, it brings us all together regardless of income levels.

Being my first visit to Heirloom, I ordered my "first visit" normal of a pulled pork sandwich and Brunswick stew.  I started in on the stew that you can see in the picture.  It had great color, plenty of meat, and an almost perfect consistency that was neither "soupy" nor "hash"!  The stew was just hot enough to make my forehead feel like I was having a little heat, but not so hot that the taste was affected.  The portion size was more than adequate, and frankly, it could have served as my meal itself.

The BBQ sandwich was fantastic!  The pulled pork was clean but had enough bark to give it character.  The portion size was larger than normal, and it was served on a "better than normal" quality bun.  I tried the house sauce, which was just sort of a normal KC style sauce, and it complimented the sandwich nicely.  While not even eating the top of the bun with the sandwich, I was full before finishing the meal.  

Another unique offering of Heirloom is their "Jasmine Sweet Tea".  Now I am sure that my south Georgia sweet tea drinking purist friends won't find this that attractive, but the reality is that this was a really neat twist to the favored drink of the south.  

So, what's my rating and what could make it any better?  My rating is a 4.5 of 5.  That's pretty darn good considering all factors.  While I have no problem at all with the atmosphere, I would loved to have been able to had a sampling of their other sauces.  They may have been available, but if they were, they were well hidden.  Heirloom does have some other great entrees that I'll have to try on future visits including brisket, ribs, chicken, and a spicy/Korean style pork.  The pricing was a bit higher than most BBQ joints, but the reality is that the cost of doing business inside the perimeter is simply higher.  

All in all, this is a great place to try, and me and my colleagues at TRS will surely return.