When I got home from work this afternoon, I didn’t waste any time. I triumphantly strode over to David.
“GUESS WHAT I FOUND?!”
“I don’t know. What?”
“RIB TIPS!” I squealed. I pulled the menu--a simple, white piece of paper folded in half out of my purse and slammed it on the table. “SHA-ZAM!”
As we walked over to Fins Feathers and BarBQ at 3 Garfield place, I explained I had stopped by the restaurant to check it out after passing it on my way back to the apartment.
“It’s sort of a hole in the wall. Cash only. Smoker parked outside. Friendly staff. It looks promising.”
We walked in and placed our order. We ordered a 1/2 slab of ribs ($12.50); pulled pork sandwich ($5.99) and rib tips ($5.99) with the “hot”sauce.
David and I have long lamented the lack of barbecue downtown, and we told the man behind the counter as much. We also explained we’ve been looking for rib tips since Mr. Pig in Findlay market closed after he passed away. While we waited for our order, we got a mini interview with the owner.
“I knew Mr. Pig. Let me tell you something--he had everybody’s recipes. And he came in and did barbecue so big, no one could follow him. Downtown you mostly just have babybacks. and anyone... can grill a babyback. So, I decided to get back in the game...”
As we spoke to him, we got a feel for the place, which is affiliated with a ministry. There’s no seating in the small restaurant, it’s not necessary with the park across the street. We carried our barbecue back to the apartment, which was probably a mistake, because the cat would not leave us alone, begging for pulled pork. I almost locked him in the closet.
The hot sauce isn’t really that hot, it’s more like the flavor of A-1. The rib tips were by far our favorite. This is backyard barbecue, served with white or wheat bread, the meat a little chewy, and deliciously smoky.
the quest continues....
For your quest. One of the best, of many in Tejas. http://www.kreuzmarket.com/index.shtml And they ship! -- Michael
ReplyDeleteTried it myself a week or so ago and the biggest surprise was that he's not smoking shoulders or butts for his pulled pork - he actually "pulls" his ribs for the pulled meat. So the pulled pork sandwich is really a rib meat sandwich, not necessarily a bad thing but very different from the moist tender pork with some bits of crispy edge you expect from a smoked shoulder or butt.
ReplyDeleteThey acted like I was crazy for ordering the hot sauce - and they actually have an "extra hot" sauce - but it wasn't really that hot.
Weirdest part of my experience was after already having ordered and paid for the sandwich - and while watching them get it together in the tiny "kitchen" - a guy who was already there when I walked in and doing something on a laptop finished what he was doing and approached the counter. That's when I noticed the lanyard around his neck with some sort of official tag - and then he proceeded to inform the owner that he was citing him for several health dept. violations including not keeping the meat to temp and not properly washing the dishes. The place is so tiny there was no way for him to have that conversation without me literally standing right next to them and let me tell ya, that was some awkward. While I debated whether to just walk away and forget the money the woman plopped my sandwich down and I decided to just take it, leave and decide outside whether to pitch it in a can and go somewhere else - but it was a beautiful day and the park and fountain beckoned so I decided to wold it down and hope for the best.
Anyway, I didn't get sick or die so that's good - but I hope he gets the act together 'cause the guy said he'd be back in a week or two and those issues had better be resolved.
Do you know what the hours are? My husband will be SUPER excited to know there's bbq downtown! I know I've passed the place, but never peeked in. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteIs anyone going to address the elephant in the room? And by "room" I mean photos. And by "elephant" I mean Hudy Delight.
ReplyDelete