International Bar-B-Q Festival 2016 (Owensboro, KY)

With a mere 140 miles separating me from the legendary smoked mutton of Owensboro, Kentucky, I couldn't pass up a chance to attend the town's 38th Annual International Bar-B-Q Festival. After all, May is National Barbecue Month (apparently). The wife was heading out of town, so I dropped her off bright and early at the airport and set sail for the land of bourbon and bluegrass.

From the moment I stepped out of my truck, I found myself completely engulfed by a fog of pit smoke so thick that I could barely see or breathe. It was heavenly. Owensboro has played host to this festival since its inception in 1979, and it shows. Thousands of people descend on this town annually on the second Sunday in May hoping to get their fill of sweet, smoky 'que.

Barbecue is serious business in Owensboro, particularly amongst the Daviess County church picnics. In fact, the Governor's Cup main-event cooking teams are all local churches! These pious purveyors of smoked meat dish out pulled pork sandwiches, mutton, burgoo, and other bits of awesomeness prior to the 2:00pm judging, with chicken and other meats to follow once the judges have had enough. Don't worry, there's plenty to go around. Each cooking team prepares about 600 pounds of pork and mutton, 400 chickens, and 60 gallons of burgoo.

For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of visiting Kentucky, perhaps a brief explanation is in order. Burgoo is a spicy stew similar to an Irish stew, which makes sense given the prevalence of Scotch-Irish heritage in the region. It's generally more viscous than soupy, and traditionally includes such meats as venison, squirrel, possum, raccoon, and game fowl. While I've eaten 60% of that list at one point or another, my gastrointestinal tract was hoping for something closer to pork or mutton today. Either way, it would be a great way to warm up on this unusually chilly May morning.

9:30am might seem a little early to start wolfing down several pounds of meat, but barbecue is the breakfast of champions.

St. Pius X
3418 Hwy 144
Owensboro, KY 42303
(270) 684-4745
http://stpiustenthparish.org/

St. Piux X was the only crew actually serving barbecue when I arrived, despite the advertised 8:00am start time online. They took second place in burgoo and third in chicken and mutton in 2015, plus the award for Team Spirit. They were certainly lively when I walked up. I ordered a pulled pork sandwich and a cup of burgoo to get my day started.

I definitely asked for a pulled pork sandwich, but I'm fairly certain that what I received was mutton. No biggie, I was planning on eating plenty of that today anyway. It was fairly spicy and wonderfully acidic, bordering on sweet. The meat was also really tender. I quickly inhaled the whole thing. If the mutton is this good at the St. Pius X church picnic on June 11, they'll be in good shape.

The burgoo was just the thing to warm my bones. I enjoyed all of the corn mixed in, and there was a nice hit of black pepper in each spoonful. I could also taste some definite chili powder, but it wasn't overpowering by any means.

Our Lady of Lourdes
4029 Frederica St
Owensboro, KY 42301
(270) 684-5369
http://www.lourdescatholicchurch.com/

Next up was Our Lady of Lourdes, who placed second for mutton last year. Their picnic is coming up on June 18, so this would no doubt be good practice for the cooking team. This time I ordered a mutton sandwich on purpose, along with another cup of burgoo stew.

The Lourdes burgoo had more meat than my first sampling and more diced potatoes, too. The spices did a great job of opening up my sinuses, but this cup of stew was definitely more about the meat than the seasoning. I liked that.

Mutton is a bit of an acquired taste, I suppose. The meat had a little gristle in it, which actually helped this sandwich in the texture department. The shredded mutton was tender as can be, and it was nice and salty. It was good, but I guess I just prefer pork and beef for the most part.

Precious Blood
3306 Fenmore St
Owensboro, KY 42301
(270) 684-6888
http://precious-blood.net/

Precious Blood's June 4 church picnic is fast approaching, but the festival is a major fundraiser for them as well. Their burgoo won third place in 2015, and I could tell they were pulling out all the stops this year. Burgoo was the first thing they had ready to sell, so I had to circle around like a hungry vulture until they started slinging sandwiches, too. Once everything was ready to serve, I ordered a pulled pork sandwich and a cup of stew.

This was my first bite of pork for the day, and it was superb. I found nice pieces of bark throughout the heap of juicy, tender meat. I loved the tomatoey acidity, as well as the creeping spiciness that took me by surprise.

Precious Blood's burgoo was also really good. The large chunks of potato made it seem the most stew-like thus far. I also tasted what I believed to be hints of lemon, but I could also just be making things up. Either way, it was tasty.

St. Mary of the Woods
10534 Main Cross St
Whitesville, KY 42378
(270) 233-4196
http://www.stmaryofthewoodswhitesville.org/

The St. Mary of the Woods crew has only two weeks of downtime between the festival and their May 22 picnic. They were already sold out of burgoo by the time I made it over to their station, so I ordered a sandwich duo of pulled pork and smoked bologna instead.

Wow, this pulled pork sandwich was definitely my favorite of the event. It had beautifully pink smoky bits throughout and a smoky flavor that would be hard to beat anywhere. The meat was also very tender and deliciously juicy, with plenty of bark and well-rendered fat to go around.

The absolutely massive hunk of bologna, aka Oklahoma prime rib, completely dwarfed its bun. One bite and I was five years old again. There was a surprising smokiness, though no real seasoning. Bologna isn't most people's first pick for barbecue, but I found it rather satisfying.

Life Community Church
2767 Veach Rd
Owensboro, KY 42303
(270) 926-1200
http://lifeowensboro.com/

Life Community Church is the first Baptist church to ever the festival's Governor's Cup cookoff, which might put them at a bit of a disadvantage. They don't have a barbecue church picnic like their Catholic counterparts either. The profits they earn at the festival will support Sunrise Children's Services, a nonprofit organization that provides care and hope for Kentucky's hurting families and children through ministry (visit https://www.sunrise.org/ for more information or to donate). I ordered myself a pork sandwich and another cup of burgoo.

Their chopped pork sandwich had a nice mild vinegar flavor and just the right amount of salt. There wasn't much smoke to speak of, but it was decently tender. It was a commendable effort, though I doubt they'll take first prize in the Cup.

The burgoo was the thickest I'd eaten all day, and I actually liked that. I also enjoyed the addition of peas to the mixture, and it was pleasantly spicy. Nicely done.

It's admittedly not a fair head-to-head comparison, but of the five competitors I sampled, I would give top pork honors to St. Mary of the Woods, mutton to St. Pius X, and burgoo to Precious Blood. I wanted to try all seven of the Governor's Cup cookoff teams, but by 11:30am St. Mary Magdalene and Blessed Mother, two of the festival's heavy hitters, hadn't started serving yet.

The sustained 20mph winds brought the already frigid temperatures down to a brisk 42 degrees. I'm not normally a wimp in these situations, but I was underdressed for the wind chill and got to a point where I could no longer feel my fingers enough to type out blog notes on my phone or take pictures. After two hours in the elements, it was time to pack it in. It's probably just as well, since I'm not sure I could have eaten much more anyway. As Peter Hathaway Capstick once wrote, "I felt like an anaconda that had engulfed a pig just a little too large."

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International Bar-B-Q Festival 2016
Downtown Owensboro, KY
(270) 926-1100
http://bbqfest.com/

Carl's Perfect Pig Bar-B-Que & Grill (White Bluff, TN)

It's often difficult for me to attempt a barbecue excursion during the week, so weekends offer the perfect opportunity to explore some of the more out-of-the-way joints. At nearly an hour's drive from my side of Nashville, Carl's Perfect Pig fit that description nicely. Over the river and through the woods, in search of barbecue I went.

This place has a distinct "More coffee, hun?" country diner feel to it, with high-back wooden booths and tables that were probably built by hand nearby. Their hodgepodge decor includes everything from framed newspaper articles and homemade Father's Day gifts to signed photos of Emeril Lagasse and Pat Sajak. The entire interior is painted pink and white as an homage to pigs everywhere. Well, at least they've got a consistent theme going. I could see Carl himself hard at work back in the kitchen, and I appreciated his hands-on leadership style.

Pork is unsurprisingly the meat of choice at Carl's Perfect Pig. Not being one to rock the boat, I ordered one of their Combo Plates. Fortunately for me, today they had a special pulled pork (which they simply call "bar-b-que") and ribs sampler, which was half the price of their full-size combo and still came with a ton of food. Their combos are all paired with a side of fries, but I humbly requested my potatoes in salad form instead.

Carl's potato salad had a pleasant mustardy zip and a nice acidity, with an ever-so-slight spiciness. I also liked the crunch of the pickles and pimentos, which added to the overall flavor as much as it did the texture.

The big heap of pulled pork was much more than I expected for a sampler. I found each bite tender and really juicy. It was just salty enough to be interesting, with hints of vinegar here and there. There was also a good smoke level, especially in the smoke-kissed pieces of bark mixed throughout.

Despite the sampler's advertised third-rack, I ended up with a half-rack of ribs. I certainly wasn't going to scoff at that. These bad boys were big and meaty, with a beautifully charred, peppered crust. The ribs were even juicier than the pulled pork, and the meat pulled away cleanly. Carl's semisweet honey-based glaze was a perfect contrast to the savory smoke and the tasty char. These were some serious ribs.

I'm quite certain that I received a full-size combo rather than the sampler, and I'm eternally grateful for their mistake. I left Carl's Perfect Pig with a mild case of the meat sweats, but I left happy.

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Carl's Perfect Pig Bar-B-Que & Grill
4991 Highway 70 E
White Bluff, TN 37187
(615) 797-4020
http://carlsperfectpig.com/

Nick's Original Bar-B-Q (Charleston, SC)

I always like to find new barbecue joints to try when we're on vacation. My wife, not so much. Of all the purveyors of smoked meat to be found in Charleston, South Carolina, Nick's Original Bar-B-Q offered the best mix for both of us: barbecue for me, and plenty of burgers, sandwiches, salads, and the like for the Mrs. This place is a member of the Jim 'n Nick's barbecue family, so I had high expectations.

I really liked the open floor plan at Nick's. They had great music pumping to liven things up, and I'm sure the fully-stocked bar would be put to good use as the day progressed. The decor was an eclectic mix of rustic and vintage, which somehow gave the place a modern feel.

To warm up my palate, I started with an order of the Heavenly Deviled Eggs, only partially because of the play on words.

The deviled eggs were loaded with smoked paprika and just the right amount of salt, which added a nice savoriness to the slightly sweet mixture. I also enjoyed the crunch from the diced pickles. Three eggs were probably enough, but I'm sure I could have eaten at least a baker's dozen.

Nick's has an enormous 4 Meat Combo on the menu, and at only $19.00 it's a heck of a deal. My wife/primary care physician strongly suggested that I settle for a trio, but I like to live dangerously. I ordered this four-meat behemoth with pulled pork, brisket, smoked wings, and ribs (an extra $2.00, totally worth it). For my sides, I picked potato salad and fried green tomatoes.

The light cornmeal batter was a nice coating for the tart tomatoes. They were a little salty, but I like a bunch of sodium in my diet anyway. The potato salad was sweet at first bite, followed by a sneaky spiciness. It had just enough mustard to make things interesting without being overpowering.

I was sad to find my brisket chopped, although the flavors more than made up for the presentation. The well-rendered fat had smoked up quite a bit of smoke, and the delicious bark was a pleasure to eat as well. Nick's spicy barbecue sauce was a nice addition, but didn't detract from the natural beefiness.

Truth be told, I was expecting plain smoked wings rather than buffalo wings, but these were tasty enough to counteract my flawed expectations. The chicken was very tender and incredibly juicy, and the crisp skin was just glorious. I noticed a mild smokiness, at least best I could tell through the buffalo sauce. Even the mild wings were fairly spicy, so I'm glad I didn't opt for hot wings.

It was difficult to find any smoke in the pork, and it was also a touch too dry. There was only a mild flavor to the meat, so their tomato-based sauce was definitely necessary to add a little depth of flavor. Overall the pork was ok, but not that great.

The huge, extra-meaty spare ribs looked rather menacing on the plate. They had an exceptional, well-seasoned crust, and there was a great smokiness throughout. Best of all, the juicy pork ribs weren't served drowning in sauce, letting the meat stand on its own. These were easily the best part of my meal.

Mediocre pulled pork aside, Nick's Original Bar-B-Q was a great pick for lunch, and its downtown Charleston location was ideal for our itinerary.

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Nick's Original Bar-B-Q
288 King St
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 577-0406
http://www.nicksbarbq.com/

East Nashville BBQ Co. (Nashville, TN)

East Nashville BBQ Co., one of the newest players on the Nashville barbecue scene, represents the continued revitalization of Nashville's once-ailing eastern borough. When I was in college here a decade ago, one did not venture over to that side of the Cumberland River, especially not at night. Now things are looking up, and I've been eager to experience more and more of what East Nashville has to offer.

The big covered patio was perfect for a beautiful, cool day like today. I'm not sure what this building housed in its former life, but I like what East Nashville BBQ Co. has done with the place. It's a simple counter-order joint, no fuss. That being said, the lively red/black/gray paint scheme gives it a more modern feel.

Options for smoked meat are pretty limited here, with the choice being confined to pulled pork or barbecued chicken. The menu board says "More Coming Soon," although they've been open for six or seven months, so I'm not sure what the holdup is. As their logo features a pig rather than poultry, I decided on the showcased offering and ordered a BBQ Plate of pulled pork. They were sadly out of potato salad, so I settled for baked beans and mac and cheese as my two sides. I also received a cornbread muffin and a portion of their spicy slaw (which I originally thought only accompanied the barbecue sandwiches).

The macaroni was standard blue-box mac and cheese. I don't have any major complaints about it, other than being fairly boring. The beans had a decent sweetness to them but not much else. Some black pepper and/or jalapeño would really make this dish pop. It, like the macaroni, just sort of fell flat. I'm not normally a coleslaw person, but I gave theirs a try anyway. The slaw had a great spiciness. It also tasted fresh and had an equally fresh crunch to the veggies. My cornbread muffin was just as tasty. There was a pleasant sweetness to the muffin, which crumbled nicely without being dry or dense. If East Nashville BBQ Co. put as much effort into the beans and the mac as they had the cornbread and slaw, they'd be in good shape.

I made sure to request my pulled pork sauceless so that I could get an accurate feel for their barbecue prowess. My taste buds kept searching for both salt and smoke, but were thwarted on both counts. I couldn't find any bark, pink/red smoky bits, or anything that would remotely suggest seasoning. The pork itself was also fairly watery. Not juicy, watery. At least it was tender.

After I'd finished as much of my meal as I was able, it occurred to me that there was no smell of delicious smoke in the air, inside or out. I peered through their fenced work area on the side of the building, and I could make out a pit and a few cords of wood, though none of it appeared to be in active use today. More troubling, one of the pictures featured on East Nashville BBQ Co.'s own Facebook page (they don't have an official website) includes the caption, "BBQ Chicken fresh out of the oven!" Wait...oven??? Surely this is just a poorly-conceived figure of speech, but sadly I have my doubts. Regardless of the cooking method employed here, the end result is disappointing.

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East Nashville BBQ Co.
829 Lischey Ave
Nashville, TN 37207
(615) 645-9613

Round 2: Hog Heaven (Nashville, TN)

Apparently I'm five years old, because one of my coworkers insisted on setting up a play-date with me and one of her friends. Sigh. Knowing my affinity for smoked meat, she decided that barbecue would be the best ice breaker. It was hard to argue with that. Hog Heaven is easily the closest barbecue joint to our office building, and even though I wasn't exceptionally impressed with it on my first encounter, I'm always willing to give places a second chance.

Despite its prime real estate next to Centennial Park and being a mere hop-skip-and-a-jump from Vanderbilt University, Hog Heaven is quite literally a barbecue shack. There isn't really any way for them to spruce things up at all either, unless they could somehow manage to hang pictures on a porch screen. That's ok, I came here for the food and the company more so than the ambiance (which is good, because there isn't any).

Having been disappointed by the spare ribs during my initial Hog Heaven visit, I thought it best to try a Pulled Pork Plate this time. Since I already was mixing things up meat-wise, I decided to opt for some different sides as well. I picked their BBQ Beans and Mac and Cheese, along with the mandatory cornbread pancake. Patrons are also presented with their choice of sauces. Here, I stood firm with the tasty white barbecue sauce that I had sampled before, on the side of course.

Last time 'round I received a mediocre, dry cornbread pancake with my meal. This time was no different. Maybe it needs more butter, I don't know. The beans had an interesting flavor. I found them slightly spicy, but the base was far too viscous for my liking. They could have used a little more salt as well. As expected, the macaroni and cheese was gooey and comforting. It was tasty enough for a quick lunch, but nothing to get overly excited about.

As for the pork, color me disappointed yet again. I struggled to find the taste of delicious smoke, but came up empty. The pork was also somewhat waterlogged, which was odd but probably indicates that it was left to steam itself inside of a large container prior to serving. There was no discernible salt or other seasonings, even on the few pieces of bark that I received. The one saving grace was their homemade white barbecue sauce, which added a depth of flavor and spiciness to the void. As I recall, this was the only thing that halfway salvaged the subpar ribs on my first trip here.

The adage "three strikes, you're out" comes to mind, but this ain't baseball. Two unsatisfying meals at Hog Heaven are about all that I can endure. Oh well, at least the company and the conversation were enjoyable.

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Hog Heaven
115 27th Ave N
Nashville, TN 37203
(615) 329-1234
http://www.hogheavenbbq.com/

Edley's Bar-B-Que East (Nashville, TN)

I had a college buddy in town this weekend, and we needed a good lunch spot to watch some March Madness games and knock back a few cold ones. Neither of us were really in the mood for a traditional sports bar, so that made things challenging. My first thought: Edley's. I've been to Edley's original 12 South location, but I really wanted to check out their newer Edley's East spot for a little compare-and-contrast. Plus, it was a great way to show my buddy how much East Nashville has changed since our college days nearly a decade ago.

The place was absolutely packed at 12:45pm with a few boozy stragglers left over from brunch. There was a fairly long line, but it wasn't a horrible wait by any means. Edley's East has a great atmosphere. It's lively and welcoming, yet it doesn't seem to embody all of the hipsterness that's common to East Nashville. I especially loved all of the natural woodwork, which is a hallmark of Edley's original locale as well.

After the big bowl of Captain Crunch I had for breakfast, I probably didn't need an appetizer, but I couldn't resist an order of their BBQ Nachos with pulled pork.

In addition to the pulled pork, these BBQ Nachos were loaded to the brim with pico de gallo and cheesy goodness. Every part was delicious in its own way. The pulled pork was smoky and fantastically tender, and it had just the right amount of simple salty seasoning. I really enjoyed how the spiciness from the jalapeños offered an interesting juxtaposition with the gooey cheese and sour cream. There was just a drizzle of sauce across the plate, which added a nice accent as well. Best of all, the thick-cut homemade potato chips were a perfect substitute for the usual blasé tortilla chips.

With my palate thoroughly warmed up, it was time for the main event: the Brisket Platter with cornbread, grits casserole, and black eyed peas. Heck yeah!

Every one of my side dishes had a layer of spiciness hidden within. The cornbread was toasty and buttery. It was also quite dense, but not the least bit dry. Jalapeños were sparsely scattered throughout, though just enough to add some good zip. Black eyed peas are one of the most Southern sides you can find, and these were quite tasty. I really liked the peppers mixed in, both the sweet and the spicy variety. The grits were the best of all. They were fiery and delicious. I found a great crunch from the added crumble, which paired well with the otherwise creamy texture.

The brisket was beautifully smoky, and the midnight-black bark was absolutely packed with flavor. There was also a prevalent smoke ring that matched the taste. Well-rendered fat made each bite melt in my mouth, and the meat itself was also very tender. The sauce was nice and tangy, but didn't mask the natural beefiness. In short, the brisket was phenomenal.

As much as I enjoyed my meal at the original Edley's, I think the barbecue at Edley's East might be even better.

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Edley's Bar-B-Que East
908 Main St
Nashville, TN 37206
(615) 873-4085
http://edleysbbq.com/

Kolacny Bar-B-Q (Hallettsville, TX)

When Kolacny Bar-B-Q (pronounced co-lotch-nee) first opened its doors in Hallettsville, Texas in 1989, I was but a six-year-old chap in neighboring Schulenburg. It's hard for me to fathom how I spent the next twelve years of my childhood a mere hop, skip, and jump away from Kolacny's and never even knew of its existence until a few months ago. If you scour the Internet, you'll barely find mention of Kolacny's on any of the usual sites. In fact, before Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn reviewed the joint back in September, its presence on the World Wide Web consisted of a dummy Facebook page, a blank Yelp profile, and one brief nod on a Czech food blog from 2013. My dad had never heard of it either, and my mom was only vaguely familiar with the operation through a friend. Had we all been living under a rock this whole time? This was an oversight which I was hell-bent on rectifying as soon as humanly possible. I flew back to Texas to help celebrate my grandma's 87th birthday, a worthy reason in and of itself, but I won't pretend that the smoky allure of barbecue didn't play into my calculus as well.

Its Saturday and Sunday-only hours make Kolacny's a bit of a barbecue unicorn, as does its off-the-beaten-path locale. The bright pink building isn't what you'd expect to find in a town of 2,500 people, and it certainly doesn't scream "barbecue" by any means. Kolacny's isn't so much a restaurant as it is a place to house a counter and some pits. In a town like this, however, the general idea isn't to provide customers with a ritzy dining experience, it's meant for you to pick up good food to enjoy at home with friends or after church with family.

Their 'que is cooked via direct heat over the pitmaster's own felled oak trees. That's some serious dedication right there. Kolacny's is literally a "mom and pop" operation, both of whom are incredibly friendly and welcoming (although Mom is decidedly more talkative than Pop, who stays hard at work out by the pits). They're some interesting characters, that's for sure. Not wanting to miss out on any of their tasty offerings, I made sure to call my order in a day ahead of time. It's a good thing that I did. When we arrived at 11:30am to pick everything up, the only meat which hadn't been spoken for was one chicken, some sausage, and a little pork steak. Bottom line: if you want barbecue from Kolacny's, plan ahead.

I had ordered a meat-tastic buffet to get a true sense of Kolacny's expertise: pork steak, brisket, pork ribs, and a few half-chickens. Head sausage was also available from the deli case, but I chose not to partake today. We also snagged sides of potato salad and coleslaw for good measure, even though we had plenty of side dishes left over from the previous night's dinner.

Not being a big fan of coleslaw in general (particularly the heavy mayonnaise variety), I stuck to the potato salad. It was nice and creamy, with just a hint of mustard to jazz things up. The small-diced potatoes were just right, with a good crunch of pickles in each bite.

The pork steak is certainly Kolacny's specialty. It had a great char from the pit, and the rosy pink meat beneath was perfectly cooked. The tender and juicy pork had a great smoke level, which was all the more evident in its well-rendered fat. I would have liked just a touch more seasoning on the crust, though.

I have to say, this was some of the best, juiciest barbecue chicken I've ever had. I liked that the skin hadn't been cooked to a rock-hard crisp, and it was packed with flavor. I found just the right amount of saltiness to satisfy my palate without being overpowering. The meat itself was very juicy and much smokier than I had expected.

When it came time for pitmaster Ervin Kolacny to slice up our order of brisket, it was readily apparent that we were getting the very last of today's allotment. This ended up being a glorious fatty chunk of the point. Spectacular! The brisket was beautifully smoky, especially the jet-black bark. A simple salt and pepper rub was more than sufficient here. Flavors aside, the meat was a little tough for my liking, but it was otherwise fantastic.

The big, meaty pork ribs came with a nice dose of black pepper that permeated each bite. They were decently smoky, although there wasn't much bark to speak of. I also thought they were a tad on the dry side. The meat, however, still came away cleanly with just a slight tug. Direct heat tends to be a bit hard on moisture, so I chalked this one up to the cooking process itself.

In a digital age where even the most obscure information can be uncovered in the blink of an eye, it's astonishing that a place like Kolacny's could exist for nearly three decades in relative seclusion. I find comfort in the knowledge that there are still some surprises to be found in small town America. Kolacny Bar-B-Q might be hard to come by, but it's certainly worth the effort.

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Kolacny Bar-B-Q
100 S. Russell
Hallettsville, TX 77964
(361) 798-4400

Jack and Jameson's Smokehouse (Franklin, TN)

One week ago, Jack and Jameson's Smokehouse opened up shop in the former home of Mickey Roos Barbecue down in Franklin. The owners of this joint are new to the barbecue arena, but you'll likely recognize them anyway. Television stars Jonathan Jackson (Nashville, General Hospital, The Sarah Connor Chronicles) and Steve Burton (The Young and the Restless, General Hospital) joined forces to bring this restaurant/bar/music venue to life. I can imagine that Jack and Jameson's will become a tourist hotspot, so I wanted to check them out before word officially spread to the masses.

With most of the open tables adorned with "reserved" signage, my seating options were limited to the bar or a large communal table. Not having the slightest desire to dine with strangers, I settled for the bar, which was only slightly better. High barstools and no foot rail made things a little uncomfortable for a tall person, my knees aching by the time I left. The large flat screen TV mounted above the beer taps would have been perfect for a little lunchtime athletic entertainment. However, it's sole use seems to be as a digital list of their available draft beers, all of which are local and craft beers (none of the usual domestics). On that topic, I think they're being a little too heavy handed with the faux Southern charm; everything does not need to come served in a mason jar.

The atmosphere here is about as rustic-chic as you'd expect. The plank wood that lines the walls gives this place a homey, welcoming feel, while the large windows bring in plenty of nice natural light. Near the rear of the dining room is a large music stage, which I assume they intend to make frequent use of (although not today, I was told). I'm also sure that the outdoor patio space will be hopping once Spring has sprung.

The vast majority of their offerings were burgers and patty melts, with more choices for salad than for smoked meat. For a restaurant with "smokehouse" right in its name, I was rather aghast to see only two barbecue entrees on the menu (not including a burger that you have the option to stuff with pork or brisket). With no multi-meat combos either, I settled for a brisket plate with loaded baked potato salad and mac-n-cheese on the side. It took just over 20 minutes to receive something that should have only required slicing and plating. By the time my order finally came, I was both starving and irritated. Not a good start.

The potato salad was inelegantly slopped down right into a puddle of grease and/or juice draining from the brisket. It did have a great flavor though. I could definitely taste the bacon, and it was delectably creamy. Braided noodles were an interesting choice for macaroni and cheese. It was nice and cheesy, but didn't have much flavor beyond that. I'm not sure what type of shredded cheese they put on top, but it was certainly not one of the good melty ones (e.g. Gouda, Fontina, Gruyere). In the end, it just kind of sat there adding a hard texture to an otherwise gooey side dish.

Chopped brisket? Seriously??? Ugh. Once I got past my initial disdain, I explored the pile-o-meat further, only to find even more disappointment. It had a slight touch of smoke, but not nearly enough. There were plenty of red bits of smoked meat scattered throughout, though they seemed to have only picked up the smoke's coloring and hardly any of its savory deliciousness. The brisket was tender, but its juiciness came mostly in the form of a liquidy au jus poured over the top. Frankly, this tasted more like a pot roast or what I'll call "Hanukkah brisket" than real barbecue.

My favorite part of the meal was their potato salad, by a very, very wide margin. I overheard the bartender say that their grand opening isn't until March, which I suppose makes this a soft opening. The other customers sitting near me seemed to really enjoy their burgers. That being said, I hope these guys add some new barbecue menu items between now and March, otherwise they might as well rename it "Jack and Jameson's Burger House". Either way, I doubt I'll be back.

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Jack and Jameson's Smokehouse
509 Hillsboro Rd
Franklin, TN 37064
(615) 465-6253

Rollin' Smoke Barbeque (Las Vegas, NV)

Even though the primary goal of my Vegas trip was to find a black bear hunt at the Safari Club International convention, I also couldn't resist hunting down some delicious barbecue while I was in town. When we visited last year's convention, we ventured far into North Las Vegas on a barbecue expedition, but this year I decided that something a little closer to the Strip would be more logical. At a mere mile away from our hotel, Rollin' Smoke made perfect sense. It also had the highest ratings of any Vegas barbecue joint I researched, which was just icing on the cake.

This joint opens its doors bright and early at 10:00am, although I'd suspect that most of the usual tourists are still in bed at that hour. Vegas is a town built on hospitality, and the guys and gals over at Rollin' Smoke are some of the friendliest you'll find. When you combine that with their Arkansas roots, it's impossible not to feel welcomed here. The pitmaster, who I understood to have had some Le Cordon Bleu training, invited us to tour their smoking operation. If we'd had a little more time to kill, we definitely would have taken him up on that.

In true Las Vegas fashion, Rollin' Smoke offers an all-you-can-eat meal option which encompasses their entire menu! Tempted as I was, my stomach didn't feel quite up to the challenge (partially due to the prior night's "festivities"). I set my sights a little lower and ordered their Pit Special: brisket, pulled pork, burnt ends (instead of the advertised quarter-chicken), spare ribs, and hot links with bacon potato salad, cheesy mac n cheese, and kick'n bbq beans on the side.

The potato salad was, in a word, magnificent. Bacon and green onions give this side a great crunchy texture that brilliantly compliments the creamy mayo base. I'm going to have to steal this recipe and make it at home. The beans were nice and sweet, with a great spicy kick on the black end. They certainly weren't lacking for black pepper, that's for sure. There was also a good amount of shredded meat mixed right in. Large-size pasta noodles allowed the gooey cheese to get embedded in each nook and cranny of the macaroni. The extra layer of cheddar on top was just what it needed, too, adding another degree of cheesiness.

Rollin' Smoke's brisket comes chopped unless otherwise requested. Ordinarily I would have asked for slices, but today I decided to live dangerously and sample my beef the way that the pitmaster intended. Chopped or not, there was a ton of bark to go around. I also found a great smoke level in each bite of the incredibly tender brisket. There was just a hint of sauce drizzled on top, which allowed me to taste both it and the delicious meat at the same time.

The rosy smoke-kissed pulled pork looked exceptionally inviting. Upon closer inspection, it came with a smokiness that mirrored its appearance. The meat was also really juicy, with very flavorful chunks of bark throughout. As a Texan it pains me to say this, but I think that I enjoyed their pork more than the brisket. Shocking, I know.

I'm not sure what the source of their sausage is, but the hotlinks were damn good. They had a great snap to the casing, with a char that added to the crispness as well. The heat of these links catches you a little off guard. It also masks any potential smokiness (at least for those of us with more delicate palates), but that's to be expected.

Burnt ends aren't something that I get to enjoy all too often, so I was happy to find them on Rollin' Smoke's menu today. These were worth every bit of the $3.00 upcharge, and then some. Melt-in-your-mouth tender doesn't quite do them justice as a descriptor, but it's the best that I can muster. Essentially, these are barbecue's answer to pork belly. There was a great smoky flavor, coupled with a somewhat spicy glaze. I could have easily eaten a whole plate of them.

The ribs were cooked perfectly, with only a slight tug needed on each bite. Rollin' Smoke managed to produce tender and juicy ribs without cooking them into "falling off the bone" oblivion, which in my opinion is nothing more than a euphemism for overcooked meat. The crust had a great blend of spices that combined both heat and sweet. Each bite of rib meat also contained a good smoke level that kept bringing me back for more.

In a town known for celebrity chefs and Michelin-star restaurants, Rollin' Smoke offers a blue-collar alternative so indulgent that you'll forget all about the glitz and glamour of the Strip.

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Rollin' Smoke Barbeque
3185 S. Highland Dr
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 836-3621
http://rollinsmokebarbeque.com/