Just discovered there is a second Allen & Sons barbeque in Pittsboro.
We'll be testing its world's best moniker tonight!
Just discovered there is a second Allen & Sons barbeque in Pittsboro.
We'll be testing its world's best moniker tonight!
I highly recommend The Fishin' Pig in Farmville, Va. on State Route 15 North.
http://www.fishinpig.com/
They catered a golf tourney I played in a month ago and I got to asking them how they did, this, did that, etc. Had fried green tomatoes with a remoulade sauce (yummy). Went to dine there two weeks ago and it was excellent, we had a platter of the FGT, fried fish (pollock), BBQ (smoked with hickory/oak), and beef brisket. Very impressed. Planning on driving the hour and 20 minutes Friday to visit them for lunch (my birthday) and plan on asking them tomorrow if they'll do an entire brisket I can take home for the wife and kids. They have several smokers outside and do lots of catering. I hope to spend some time with them to learn more about how they do their brisket. They also make their own sauces and breaders, very impressed with that.
Sigh, very few good places for BBQ here in Richmond (please, nobody tell me Buzz and Ned's is awesome, it ain't).
Carter's in Mechanicsville is very good and I need to try Alamo!!
Actually thought the barbeque and Brunswick stew were delicious.
I'm not a fan of sweet pickles in potato salad, so the potato salad was just ok.
I was kind of surprised by the limited take out menu- no fried chicken other than by the plate.
Glad we tried it and enjoyed it.
Also glad our BBQ was not dried out leftover from lunch like Ricks had (ewww!).
Mattman, my brother ate at 12 Bones yesterday and he didn't bring any here with him, either!
I haven't eaten in an Allen & Sons BBQ joint in a long time. My family used to frequent an Allen & Sons that was located just over the Haw River bridge toward Chapel Hill as you left Graham on Hwy. 54. This was at least 30 years ago, I think. It was only open for maybe a year or two.
My sister, Jill, has just discovered the Allen & Sons on Hwy. 86. She now declares it her favorite BBQ restaurant. Before that, it was 'The Pig' on Weaver Dairy Road in Chapel Hill. Before that it was Hillsborough BBQ. Poor thing is restricted to places close to Chapel Hill because of her job.
Fuse, I'm not big on 'taters, so the addition of sweet pickles and onion to the recipe makes potato salad palatable to me. And I'm waiting on that law to be passed that makes the selling of beer mandatory at BBQ joints!
Man, if your Mom made you wear that color when you were a baby, and you're still wearing it, it's time to grow up!
Count me with Ricks -- Allen and Sons is the most overrated BBQ place I've ever visited ... definitely not worth the trip.
If you enjoy eating crappy barbecue filled with cartilage and other nasties, then A&S is the place for you. If you enjoy eating actual good barbecue in the triangle go no further than Backyard BBQ Pit #1 on 55. Hands down best BBQ until you get to Lexington -- by a long shot.
Went to The Fishin' Pig yesterday for lunch, had a beef brisket sandwich and side of slaw. Brisket is excellent, slaw's good. I'll be making slaw in a few minutes.
Brought home brisket, BBQ and jalapeno cornbread. All agree it's excellent.
The owners and I are looking into combining their food prowess with my brewery ideas. Would love to have them as partners!
Aside: Looking forward to the Md./UVA baseball game which starts in 45 minutes. GO HOOS!! Beat twerps!!
Been a while since we've had Backyard BBQ Pit on 55. Thanks for the reminder.
I recall it being good.
It's off topic for the thread (but still meat-atarian) but if I head out that way I like Papa Mojo's Roadhouse for Cajun food. Mel Melton was the original chef at Carolina Brewery in Chapel Hill. He also heads a jazz band, Mel Melton & The Wicked Mojos. If you like jazz, a good act to catch in the a Triangle.
It is the real deal. Been going for 10 years now. It puts everything else around here to shame. And it's not just the BBQ. Their sides are outrageously good - I mean, we stock half our thanksgiving table with their sides. Man, they should pay me to be their spokesperson.
Best. Mac-n-cheese. Ever. Smooth, creamy, yummy -- a perfect compliment to exceptional barbecue.
I stopped in there one evening just before closing to get dinner to bring home. They were out of barbecue! Argh! They were extremely apologetic and said they still had ribs left, though, and handed a rib to me and my son to try. We forgot all about the 'cue (well, not quite) and went home with delicious ribs. Every time we've been there, they've been jovial, helpful people, telling us which one of them make which side dish, or which is their favorite. I've enjoyed talking with them every time we get there. I'm fairly certain that their secret ingredient is that all of the employees thoroughly enjoy their jobs and take pride in their product. It shows.
Got to visit 'Cue -- Ed Mitchell's place in downtown Durham (just beyond leftfield at the DBAP) -- Monday and I have to say I was a bit disappointed.
Don't get me wrong -- it was solid, but I had such high expectations. I don't think it was anything special. I had the pulled pork, a friend had the chopped and a third member of our group had the brisket. I'd rate the 'cue very good, but not great. Nobody tried the ribs -- only baby back were on the lunch menu at $21. The other cue was $13 ($16 for the brisket). A bit overpriced.
The sides were on the whole, unremarkable -- the baked beans were probably the best. The Brunswick Stew Soup (the only Brunswick stew they offered) was below average.
My biggest complaint were the hush puppies -- they were very good, but just two per order.
Service and atmosphere were okay. I'll probably go again when I'm in the area, but I won't be making any special trips.
I much, MUCH prefer the Pit (near the old ballpark). The BBQ is about the same, but the sides are much better and it is slightly lower cost. Plus they have free valet parking -- we had to park a long way from Mitchell's place and hoof it.
C'mon. I'm not surprised. I saw the piece on the lovely place on the news. Knew right then it wouldn't cut it with real BBQ eaters.
You just can't make good BBQ in a shiny, stainless steel, hermetically sealed piece of machinery. The best has to be done in the slow, dry heat of a brick or clay oven or open pit out back and with real wood. The smell has to permeate the air for blocks and blocks around. I bet you couldn't smell the cue until you were at your table...and maybe not even then.
My entire home town smelled like BBQ from one city limit to the other. There were two pits in town responsible for the whole thing. I've not had its match anywhere else since. City Barbecue in Cary is the closest ... but still not it. I've given up.
Love, Ima