Saturday, December 18, 2010

Fat Boys BBQ (Picayune, Ms)

I just read several positive reviews online of 'Fat Boys BBQ'...needless to say I am shocked as another underwhelmed blog hits the press. Luckily the south has at least one southerner that is not afraid of being honest and calling a spade a spade without putting a fake smile on. Here I go...

What is the deal with with cumin on BBQ? While I enjoy cumin as much as the next person, I am not a fan of cumin in a BBQ rub. What's interesting is that I find that the people that use cumin in their rub, always have a heavy hand in it. That was Strike 1.

I'm not blind, I saw the smoker in the back, why is the smoke flavor so light? I assumed they were being cheap on the Hickory. Strike 2

The Baked Potato Salad was a Ranch Dressing nightmare. People that eat/use ranch dressing are almost as bad as people that eat ketchup on meat. Strike 3 on the Ranch Dressing.

While the ribs and brisket were tender, it was a little over salted, over cumin(ed), and dry. However, the sweet tea was perfect and the collard greens were highlighted with pieces of brisket in them. I also liked the aesthetics of the place; a little red cinder-block shack off the side of the road with a gravel driveway. I also managed to get all this food and a drink under $10.

Small town living limits your options of dining out, so the residents of Picayune are limited to Fat Boys BBQ unless they go on a road trip. It's not great but it's cheap.



Fat Boys BBQ will be receiving 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Fat Boys BBQ on Urbanspoon

McDonalds (New Orleans, La)

Yes you read that right, I am blogging about McDonalds - the gross fast food chain. "Why" you may ask? Answer: Because the McRib is back! I haven't eaten one of these "things" in 15 years. I figured I'd let my seasoned taste buds judge this "Bar-Be-Que"sandwich.

Here is the low down on the McRib...it is not rib meat. It is a pork patty that is pressed to look like a rib and then deep fried. Slather super sweet tangy sauce on the "meat" with some onions and pickles on a roll and bon appetite. The meat quality is a glorified deep-fried hotdog.

This was a pretty gross sandwich. When people serve BBQ slathered in sauce, you need to ask yourself if the meat would taste good dry. If the meat would not taste good dry than you are eating garbage. What people enjoy in the McRib is the sauce. I personally do not like sweet/tangy sauces. I think God made sweet BBQ sauce for children who are picky eaters that need everything they eat to taste like candy. A grown ass man should not be eating sweet BBQ sauce.

Next time you are looking for a "BBQ sandwich." Spend the extra dollar and go to a BBQ joint and get a sandwich there. Even if the BBQ joint sucks, I guarantee it will be a better sandwich than the McRib.

McDonalds will be getting a generous score 0 out of 5 stars.



Here are some pictures from www.foodfacts.info

Thursday, December 16, 2010

The 2010 BBQ Recap

The end of a year is a time where awards and nominations are made for award ceremonies. If there is any ONE thing this world needs, it's another award showcase. BBQ is a culinary delicacy. BBQ is an art. Having said all that, nothing is more American than making art a competition. So let the games begin...





2010 Best Brisket:
Louie Mueller's BBQ (Taylor, Tx)


2010 Best Sausage:
City Market BBQ (Luling, Tx)


2010 Best Ribs:
City Market BBQ (Luling, Tx)


2010 Best New Orleans BBQ:
Squeal BBQ (New Orleans, La)


2010 Worst New Orleans BBQ:
Voodoo BBQ (New Orleans, La)


2010 Worst BBQ Ever:
Stricks BBQ (Hattiesburg, MS)



Let us take a minute and reminisce what we have seen on this blog in 2010.

The most important event was our Texas BBQ Tour. This trip proved that Texas has the best BBQ hands-down. We've also learned that there are some Texans that make ignorant judgments on restaurants based on the restaurant's hype and not the taste of the BBQ itself (aka Kreuz Market). We found out which BBQ joints shamefully oven bake their BBQ (aka Voodoo BBQ, Bywater Restaurant & BBQ), which franchise BBQ joints are half-way decent (Dickey's), and which BBQ joints almost had it but never quite made it (Hillbilly).

What's in store for 2011?

We will be covering the rest of New Orleans' BBQ joints like Walkers, The Joint, The Rib Shack, and Whole Hog. We'll also be doing some vloging (video blog), interviews, and more tips of the trade (Smoke Ring, Grilling vs. BBQ).