Finally made it to Meat, and we were pretty happy with our decision.
The staff was friendly and attentive, and we always appreciate that. A different kind of setting from what I think most folks would think of when they go for BBQ, but that's OK too... I actually liked having a little heavy metal/rock playing while we ate. The music wasn't loud at all, so why not?
Before I start on the food, let me start by saying, I've had BBQ all over the country, and the one universal truth is this... whether you like a particular BBQ or not is highly subjective, so with that in mind, here we go...
To start, we had the parmesan garlic fries, and they were WONDERFUL. We like garlic, and these were better than we had hoped for. Usually, when something says "garlic" in a restaurant, there's not enough for us, but this... This was perfect. You absolutely, without a doubt, know there is garlic on your fries.
For lunch, I had the meat plate with lean brisket, half-rack of ribs, blue cheese and bacon potato salad and BBQ beans, so let's step through those:
The brisket: Good bark, nice smoke ring and a fair amount of flavor. It didn't "just" taste like roast beef, like a lot of other "BBQ" places in the north seem to serve. There was some smoke and spice flavor to it. The only knock I have on the brisket is that it seemed a bit tough. It didn't pull apart so the knife was helpful.
Pork ribs: Good texture, great smoke ring and smoke flavor. The spices they use are pretty tangy, and they were actually very good. The meat pulled away from the bone pretty easily with a good chew.
Blue cheese and bacon potato salad: Well, if you like blue cheese, which I do, this is for you. Very creamy, rich and flavorful, but not overpowering. The potato is cooked just right so it's not mush when you get it, but it's easy to chew. Just a different, and very pleasant dish.
BBQ beans: There's just as much meat as there are beans in this dish. Smooth, smokey flavor with a fair amount of spice in the mix. Unexpected, but once again, very pleasant.
The girlfriend had the chopped brisket sandwich with a side of mac and cheese. The mac and cheese wasn't spectacular to us. Not overly creamy or flavorful, but not bad either. It was mac and cheese. But now, the best part of the meal! Keeping in mind what I wrote earlier about preferences playing into your BBQ "likes", I say this...The sandwich she had today was, bar none, the best BBQ sandwich I have ever tasted. Absolutely spectacular! The brisket, onions and slaw blend together perfectly and even though I would try something different next time just to check it out, if all else fails, we would both go back for this sandwich again, without question. read more