After a long, tough day at work, I got home and told my wife we should end the week with a nice dinner out. Options here in Callahan are pretty limited and exhausted. I remembered a new BBQ place I saw in Folkston, so we headed out to try their flavors. As we neared the restaurant, I looked down Main St for a parking spot. The first couple of drive-bys didn't work out. I thought to myself, "This might be a good thing." We walked in and immediately noticed how simple the place was. My Self and I had another moment when he said, "It is simple because their focus is on the food," which seemed to make sense. We were greeted warmly and seated promptly. Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable. I even noticed that the entire staff looked young -- or, if I may say so, high school-aged.
We ordered based on our server's suggestions. We started with the Chicken Bombs, which were tasty. The sweet tea was well-made, with good flavor and not overly sweet.
Our platter arrived. Keep in mind that this is Dry Rub BBQ, so the seasoning in the dry rub should complement the meat and be strong enough that no sauce is needed. Well, buckle up, buttercup, because the truth might hurt, and I hope this is taken as constructive criticism.
The Good:
Our server
The chicken bombs resemble crab Rangoon, and the flavor was good.
The baked beans--I was looking around to see if Duke from Bush's was going to pop up somewhere.
The fried okra was good, but then again, it's not rocket science to open a bag of frozen okra and fry it.
THE BAD:
Let's talk Turkey:
It's like the turkey spent its whole life in the Sahara practicing for dehydration Olympics.
It was so dry that it made the Sahara Desert jealous, and take notes.
One bite and your mouth feels like you've been chewing cardboard left in the sun for three Thanksgivings.
It's so parched that the gravy boat is basically performing CPR on every slice.
This turkey could star in a Western: "The Driest Gun in the West."
"It's just a little dry... but anything tastes good with enough gravy!"
The Ribs:
The ribs seem as if they were mummified in the smoker and then reheated with regret. These ribs are so dry they're almost like beef jerky that got lost on the way to flavor town. They're drier than polite small talk at a family BBQ after someone brings up politics.
Chew on this, and you'll see why cowboys carried canteens. Pure survival mode kicked in.
The Brisket:
The BBQ tragedy where the smoke ring was perfect, but the moisture said "peace out" hours ago. The fat cap was the only thing that saved this from being a complete disaster.
The Brunswick Stew: first bite sets the tone. The cold temperature was off-putting; it was clearly not in the same vicinity as the baked beans. If they were, I'm sure they were jealous or just preparing for an Arctic blast.
Reality is the best teacher, and experience lays the foundation for improvement. Pit boss, please taste your creations before serving the public. If you don't like them, I can assure you, we will let you know. read more