Like many Goblins, I enjoy roasted meat. There are so many different preparations and directions…read moreyou can go with a protein.
Unfortunately, Jones BBQ is riding a wave of glory that has seen better days. It feels like Michael Jordan in the MLB.
Part of the reason restaurants like this take a turn, is the passivity of the west coast elite.
Where this Goblin is from, you can tell someone directly if you didn't like the service, the food was cold, the steak lacked flavor, etc. Nobody seems willing to state the obvious. This passivity hurts more than just restaurants.
If more people had the courage to share honest feedback, I'm sure this restaurant would improve. But instead, they are being celebrated for mediocrity.
Restaurants don't live by feedback, but it's a crucial part of constant improvement and longevity for any business. The "community" word we love to throw around, includes a feedback loop from business owner to customer.
It's a small family run shop, and that is perfectly okay with this Goblin. There are kids and young men and women "helping" run the shop that are trying to find their footing in an extremely competitive and unforgiving business, "food".
Despite warmongering the countryside, this Goblin respects a family business and the values that instills. If there weren't family members helping things run, I would give it 2 stars.
What is tough to rationalize, is everything else.
While placing an order, the young man helping me was in the middle of a phone call, which made the conversation a bit strained. He also couldn't explain the difference between a rib tip, and a rib.
I don't need a theory of relativity breakdown, but food science can be a thing for everyone.
Next, we have the lack of attention to detail. This led to missed sides, the wrong sauce put in the bag, and a return to the shop by a confused Goblin. Luckily, this Goblin is local, so it wasn't a "big deal".
When these words are uttered, passivity creeps in and plants its roots of complacency and tolerance for things being done incorrectly. The mistake lives on, and chaos reigns.
It's important to call out these things so people know what is really going on.
Me wasting my time and energy on this review when I could be pillaging the countryside is a choice to try and inform and encourage this shop to change its practices.
After resolving the issue, we were given free cake, free cornbread, and free pie! Hooray!
Unfortunately, the crust on the sweet potato pie was translucent and gluey, it folded like a slice of NY style pizza. The cornbread was burnt, dry, and lacking flavor. I like GBD, but this was BBC. Black, burnt, and crusty.
The double chocolate cake was ok, but it tasted like any old slice from the grocery store.
We also ordered the hot links, ribs, and chopped pork, collards, and cornbread. The portions were good, but quantity outweighs quality in this places calculus.
There was a lack of tenderness on the ribs that reminded me of my first couple slabs I cooked at home as a teenager. Tough, but edible. The chopped pork was ok, but nothing groundbreaking. The hot links were the best part, but everything was cold, so I put on a smile like people do on the west coast, and went about my weekend pretending nothing bad had happened. The collards were flavorless.
Have you ever been so poor that your parents serve you canned green beans four times a week? Let me be frank when I say that these collards brought back sad memories.
The only thing black this Goblin has is a black heart. I can't comment on the "authenticity" of the recipes from a cultural perspective, but having dabbled excitedly in many proudly black owned BBQ's and restaurants, this is confidently C tier.
I'm giving this restaurant a 3/5 because I know they can do better.
