Alright - you probably didn't come to Cork Ireland for Bar-B-Que. But if you've got a hankerin' for the real thang, this is it!
First of all, my bonafides - I was raised just down the road from Pierce's Pitt in Virginia, spent 12 years in Carolina, three years in Texas, have traveled (and et) in Kansas City, Chicago, Arkansas, Oklahoma- ya'll get the picture. I've had the best pulled pork in NC and VA, the best brisket in Dallas. So let me assure you - this place is awesome!
For starters - the drink menu is great. A good choice of local beers and ales - I sampled both the Howling Gale Pale Ale and the Punk IPA. Excellent. Like they've been brewing beer here for 10000 years. The selection of whiskey and bourbon are top notch - Woodford Reserve, Knob Creek, Four Roses, Makers, Buffalo Trace, Jameson, Laphroig, etc.
There was two of us - so we got the BBQ Blowout. It is served family style on a tray, and comes with Brisket Burnt Ends, Dry Rubbed Baby Back Ribs, Pit Smoked BBQ Chicken, Pulled Pork, Cornbread, Charred Com Wheels (that's corn on the cob, grilled, ya'll) Pickles and slaw.
The brisket was awesome. Not too dry, not too sauced up. The baby back ribs were probably among the best I've tasted. The chicken was very good, just burnt enough to share the sugar, if you know what I mean. Pulled pork was Carolina style, with a Vinegar sauce, but extremely tasty and well done. Cornbread was more "pudding"'style than "dry." I like mine more on the dry and crumbly side, but this was good! Charred Corn was excellent. Pickles looked like jalapeños, but weren't. The slaw was the Achilles heel - not real Cole slaw at all. Ya'll need to look up real southern style Cole slaw, with some mayo and sliced up carrots.
We got two sides- so we got beans and creamed spinach. Beans were great, and I ain't Popeye, but the spinach was awesome! Seriously. You need to try the spinach.
In short - one star short because of the Cole slaw, but awesome in every other way! read more