Over the past couple months, I've been visiting some of the places in my hometown of High Point…read morethat I really hadn't visited since high school to see how they are holding up. Most have done pretty well! Kepley's on the other hand, while nothing about it has changed, I just think my sensibilities about BBQ have.
Also, while it can be a treasure to know a place that never changes because it is great, sometimes great becomes just good, which then becomes more middle of the road, and a change might be warranted.
Anyway, I came in, was greeted warmly, and catered to attentively. This is where Kepley's excels. Kind folks that have aged with the restaurant and are just as much a fabric of it as what they serve. This service might get me back to try something other than BBQ sometime.
But, I did order a chopped plate, as one does when trying out a BBQ joint around here. One of the interesting things to me is there is no choice of sides. You get meat, red slaw (vinegar based), hushpuppies, fries (they did offer green beans instead). I'd have liked a couple more choices, but am also a fan of places doing what they know if they do it well.
Sad to say, the chopped pork, dry at heart. Swimming in the "dip" sauce, which for the uninitiated, is a ketchup/vinegar sauce that it bathes in until they serve it. If it sits too long, it becomes too vinegary, and that's what I got. So vinegary my face recoiled with each fork... and I am very used to vinegar as a base, and enjoy it when done well.
The slaw, more potent vinegar. No respite here. Which is why I like "white" mayo based cole slaw with vinegar BBQ. It milds out the flavor of the vinegar. The fries, were pretty basic. The hushpuppies were my shelter, and the best part of this meal, I finished them. I left meat, slaw, and fries on my plate... and for those that know me, well, that ain't right.
I was still kind of hungry, and inquired about a burger to go. The only toppings were the vinegar slaw (nope) or Lettuce, tomato, onion. I asked if I could have onions grilled, and without hesitation received a no. They don't do that. They could do that, because the equipment exists, but they don't. While this is their choice, it stopped the sale for me, and I declined. No part of my rating is influenced by something that a restaurant chooses not to do as policy, I understand, but again... resistance to a little change.
Good news, in the end, this whole meal set me back very little money wise. The prices here are downright cheap in this age of inflation (or in some cases just flat out greed). I love that. This was welcome. Thanks to the excellent service and reasonable prices, I promise to come back for hot dogs and hope to bump this rating up a smidge. Or maybe for some Brunswick stew! But not for chopped Q.
