Review: Rudy’s BBQ

When out of towners speak of Austin, oddly, they mention BBQ as THE food to experience.  As I stated in a previous post, BBQ really isn’t Austin’s thing.  This doesn’t mean you can’t find some spectacular BBQ in the Heart of Texas.

Having its start just a little south of the city, Austin decided to adopt the gas station/BBQ restaurant as one of its own.  Yes, I did just say “gas station.”  Although  the reason escapes me at the moment, most Rudy’s are a combo with a gas station attached to the actual restaurant.  I think this really adds to the ”down to earth” quality that Rudy’s is proud of. 

Speaking of which, when you walk into the restaurant, you’ll immediately feel right at home.  The decor is family friendly, almost picnic style.  Formalities are thrown out  the window here.  When you’re here, it’s almost as it you’re family. And eating with your hands is perfectly acceptable.

When you walk up to the counter, almost always, you are greeted with a friendly cashier who is always willing to let you try some of their delicious offerings.  Aside from the ribs, everything is available to sample.  I highly recommend that you do if you are a new comer.  Rudy’s offers a good variety of BBQ from brisket (get the moist version – you won’t regret it) to sausage to even turkey.

Most of everything is sold by the pound.  I suggest that 1/2 pound of brisket or turkey makes two decent sandwiches.  Of course, being a fat boy, I have to get a 1/2 pound of the moist brisket and the moist turkey.  Of course, that isn’t all.  Although not super spectacular, Rudy’s offers some delicious sides from potato salad to cole slaw to their famous creamed corn that will win over even the biggest cynic.  Once you order your food, all is placed on what they call “Texas Fine China” or rather parchment paper on top of a plastic crate.  Oh and their bread is simply sliced white.  When I said “down to earth,” I really meant it.

Rudy’s is self serve only.  Help yourself to all the ”fixins” you want.  Onions, pickles, and their BBQ is available to you at your leisure.  Pick a seat from one of the many picnic style tables and prepare to chow down.    

Simply put, the food is fantastic.  Although I haven’t tried their ribs, the best of what they have to offer is the moist brisket.  Fork tender, juicy, and so flavorful, the brisket will leave a smile on your face.  The slight saltiness and peppery nature goes well with a nice slice of white bread and a dab of Rudy’s special BBQ sauce.  Good brisket takes hours to make.  I can’t imagine how long it takes to make brisket this tasty. 

If you’re not a beef fan, I suggest you try their turkey.  On a side note, they do offer BBQ chicken which I have yet to try, but I’m sure it’s as tasty as the bovine counterpart.  The turkey is smoked and baked I believe.  They take huge chunks of turkey breast and slice it up to order just like the brisket.  The flavor is simply wonderful.  Much like the brisket, their is a slight saltiness and pepper flavor.  Furthermore, just like the brisket, the turkey is super tender.  You won’t a better turkey else where I guarantee it. 

Everytime I go to Rudy’s, I leave satisfied.  It’s a vegetarian’s worst nightmare but a sweet dream for meat lovers.  The no frills atmosphere make it a perfect place to get a nice, warm meal without attitude and pretention.  Admittedly, meals can get expensive if you are feeling like trying a few things here and there, but it’s all worth it.  Austin may not be the place for BBQ but at we have a place that we can proudly call the best BBQ the city has to offer.

Rudy’s

Multiple locations.  Check rudys.com for more info.

Review: Jimmy’s BBQ

Earlier this week, while having one of those days where you just had to get out of the office, I stole away with my partner to a little place that I had driven past dozens and dozens of times and never noticed… Jimmy’s BBQ.

Yelp.com gave it four stars and the reviewers stated that it was some of the best BBQ they’d had in the area. Now my favorite BBQ restaurants (yes two of them) are both in NYC. Virgil’s BBQ and RUB (Righteous Urban BBQ) are both great places and of course they’re on my short list of places to review in NYC as soon as I get back there. I wasn’t expecting much from Jimmy’s BBQ for lunch but boy was I wrong!

We arrived at the place smack in the middle of the lunch rush and to my surprise, Jimmy’s was relatively empty. We were greeted by the owner who explained to us that they do a dry rub BBQ and that everything is smoked over hickory in the giant smoker at the back of the restaurant. We even watched them put some of the meats in, but to be honest, I was too nervous to snap a pic. We decided to do it up Dammit Let’s Eat style so we ordered two of the “Any Two Meats” plates to be sure we could sample each of the four meats they were serving. It certainly didn’t hurt that you also got four side dishes!

The four meats were, pulled chicken, pulled pork, beef brisket and chorizo sausage. Each “Any Two Meat” plates were also served with a slice of white bread (natch!).

The sides we loaded up on were collard greens, potato salad, creamy mac and cheese and cornbread.

Ok so on to the important stuff… was it good? I have to say it was. I tried the meats plain and with each of the three sauces they had on the table, one was mild, one was spicy and the other was vinegar. Each of the sauces was really quite tasty and the hickory smoke really penetrated the meat and made it oh so tender and flavorful. Also I think you got a pretty good serving of meat for your money (15$ for the “Any Two Meat”). The sides however were hit or miss, the mac and cheese while tasty, was a bit run of the mill, the greens were bland and under seasoned, the corn bread was moist and not too sweet and finally the potato salad was on point and I wanted much more that they gave me.

Overall, Jimmy’s BBQ is a hidden little gem of BBQ not too far from work. The BBQ was delicious even if the sides left me a little meh. I would go back in a heart beat. Definitely a solid 4 pans from me.

Jimmy’s BBQ
309 W Lancaster Ave
Paoli, PA 19301
(610) 879-8805
http://www.jimmysbbq.com

Review: The Drafting Room

I have been meaning to write this review from the very first time I was invited to blog on Dammit Let’s Eat. It’s just about my favorite restaurant in my area and a place I frequent at least once a week. This won’t be a review of a specific visit to the place but rather an overall review of The Drafting Room.

Years ago when I lived in Exton, PA, I found a very nice restaurant called The Brickside Grille. It’s a great restaurant and I will get a review of it up eventually. One night while eating with some friends one of them mentioned that the Brickside owners had another restaurant in the area called the Drafting Room. More of a tap room/upscale bar and restaurant than The Brickside Grill, they raved about the food and the service and with that my love affair with the place began. It’s an assuming place, again sort of in a strip mall, but once inside you forget that you’re on a very busy road running through the center of town. While it is dark inside, it’s cozy and warm, not too big and not too small. Sadly the place is actually so dark that taking photos of food and decor are tough. It’s one of the reasons it’s taken so long to get this review done, that was until I found out that they opened a SECOND location near my parent’s house. It is MUCH bigger than the original, better lit but still decorated exactly the same!

One of the first things I want to talk about at the Drafting Room is their incredible beer list. Deep and varied, you can find just about anything you want on there from local breweries to domestic microbrews to imports. For me, I love the fact that they have one of my favorite “beers” Framboise. It’s a Raspberry flavored Lambic Ale that I first had at Maison (see Chuti’s review here) and have trouble finding at most places. They get extra credit for having my favorite beer!

Now on to the food. I won’t even pretend like I don’t have favorites but… everything I’ve ever had at the place has been wonderful. I usually try hard to get an app, an entree and dessert. My favorite app is their Tri Color Nachos. I seriously go there just for the nachos! red, blue and corn nachos with refried beans, jack cheese and their own home made salsa and sour cream… they are simple but absolutely amazing!

Now that’s not to say that the other appetizers aren’t just as amazing. The Belgian Cheese Fondue with it’s three cheeses and cubed Rye & Black Bread is just so smooth and tasty and they give you so much bread that I can’t even finish it!

Now if appetizers aren’t your thing they have a daily soup special and this time of year, they have my favorite soup… butter nut squash soup. Their soup is so creamy and decadent, I could eat bowl after bowl until I burst!

So enough about appetizers and on to the entrees! My hands down favorite is the Texas Smoked Brisket. The brisket is slow roasted with molasses BBQ sauce and served with veggies and buttermilk whipped potatoes. To die for! Of course in the past few weeks since I decided to write this post, I’ve been ordering everything but the brisket to make sure I had a good feel for the rest of their menu.

Recently I’ve tried the Irish Bangers and Mash with it’s Dijon mustard demi-glace, beer braised sauerkraut and the intoxicating cheddar & chives whipped potatoes.

And the Crab and Shrimp Fettuccine, a delightful bowl of pasta with fresh crab meat, creole scampi and Roma tomatoes… quite tasty!

My most recent trip to the Drafting Room with my Dad and my partner was to the one near my parents and once again I resisted ordering my favorite brisket to try the decadent and indulgent Southern Fried Pork Chop. A huge pork chop, fried and served smothered in Apple Molasses Syrup, served with collard greens with bacon and three cheese baked Mac & Cheese. Talk about a heart attack on a plate!

Even their lunch menus is packed with some tasty unique sandwiches. Two of my faves are the Crab and Spinach Melt and the Buttermilk Chicken BLT. Both a little taste of nirvana!

And of course no trip to the Drafting Room would be complete for me without one of their scrumptious desserts! There is always something tasty on the menu from Key Lime Pie to Warm Apple Pie to another favorite of mine this time of year… Pumpkin Cheesecake. Oooh so rich and smooth with just the right amount of pumpkin flavor on a plate drizzled with caramel sauce… mmmm!

I’m sure it will come as no surprise at this point that the Drafting Room gets a five skillet rating from me. This is the place that I drag people to when they come to visit, and if any of you ever visit you’ll be in for a fabulous meal!

The Drafting Room
635 N. Pottstown Pike
Exton, Pennsylvania 19341
610-363-0521
or
900 N. Bethlehem Pike
Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477
215-646-6116
http://draftingroom.com

Eating Out: Austin – BBQ Edition

What’s great about DLE is the fact that everyone lives in a different part of the country.  I thought it would be a great idea to do an ongoing journal about the eating out in Austin so that the readers can have a good idea on what food is like in Heart of Texas. 

For the first edition, I thought it would be great to address BBQ in Austin.  Here are some myths I would like to talk about:

1. Austin is known for great BBQ.  Eh…not really.  Don’t get me wrong.  Austin   has some spectacular BBQ eats.  However, I would give the nod to the southeast when it comes to amazing BBQ.  I will say that Austin is home to truly great BBQ  in Texas such as Rudy’s Country Store and the Salt Lick, both of which I’ll talk             more in detail later.    
2. Austin is home to meat lover’s central.  Yes and no.  Texas, in general, is a meat- loving state.  The official state food would probably be beef.  In fact, the long horn steer is a revered animal especially in Austin for culinary and NCAA reasons.  Austin, for the most part, is a vegetarian-friendly town.  Actually, in general, Austin is a very open-minded town when it comes to grub. 

 Despite these myths, Austin is home to some truly great BBQ places.  Here are a few notables:

Rudy’s is a staple food in Texas, especially in Austin.  Although only open for 20 years, Rudy’s has firmly placed itself as the place to go for some great BBQ in Texas.  Although I haven’t done a review yet, I can give you a quick preview: it’s damn good. 

Oak-smoked meats are immediately noticeable when you walk-in the very down-to-earth interior of the restaurant.  Rudy’s takes pride in their no-nonsense approach to food.  In fact, they don’t actually have plates.  Instead, they serve their food on parchment paper on top of plastic crates.  Yes, you heard me right.  It’s a great, low-key, affordable place to get BBQ that reflects the natural mood of Austin.   

Next on my list is the Salt Lick, a legendary BBQ joint just outside the Austin city limits.  The layout is similar to Rudy’s in that it’s no frills.  Rows and rows of wooden picnic tables fill the gigantic barn-like house.  As you walk by, you’ll smell the sweetness of the bbq pit.  

The Salt Lick offers a wide arrange of meats such as brisket, ribs, chicken, sausage, etc.  They also offer a family style type of meal where it’s all you can eat.       

Although technically located in Driftwood, TX, Austin has adopted it as its own.  The Salt Lick’s insistence on being low-key, friendly, and accessible makes it an easy Austin adoptee.

In general, Austin isn’t THE place for BBQ but that doesn’t mean there are some seriously good BBQ to be had.  There will be reviews on both Rudy’s and the Salt Lick in the near future.

Review: Artz Rib House

Me and a couple of friends of mine decided to do some BBQ.  Typically, I try to find something local.  Austin has some great local businesses and restaurants.  One of the more established joints would be Artz Rib House.

Located on the famed Lamar strip in South Austin, Artz Rib House has been serving BBQ and live music to locals for years.  Of course, I had to try it for myself.

You’ll immediately notice that Artz has a very low-key atmosphere that typical BBQ joints usually have.  Wooden furniture, red and white checkered table cloth, friendly staff, and the smell of sweet BBQ greeted us as we entered.

We happen to stop by a night where live music was offered.  A nice blue-grass type duo serenaded our table as we perused the menu for some delicious BBQ eats.

The menu suggested that I try their most popular dish and their name sake, a full rack of baby back ribs. Oh dear what did I get myself into…

Forgive the picture quality.  My iPhone doesn’t do well in low lighting.  Despite the quality of the picture, you can tell the plate was loaded.  Baked beans, cole slaw, and potato salad accompanied the main event.  I would have liked to the choice of sides instead having them be standard on the plate.

The sides were a bit of a disappointment to be frank.  The cole slaw and a nice tang to it but nothing else.  The potato salad was very bland as well.  The beans had a nice texture but was way too peppered to be enjoyed fully.  Honestly, I took a few bites and left the sides alone.

As for the main course, the ribs were a bit of a disappointment as well.  Now, keep in mind that I have very high standard for food.  The problem with the ribs were that they weren’t as juicy and tender as they could have been.  It could be that the kitchen was having an off night.  My friend commented  that his brisket was a little dry, something that usually doesn’t happen.

When I think of ribs, I think juicy, fall off the bone goodness.  I didn’t get that here.  On the bright side, the ribs were very meaty and had some nice spice to it.  I also liked the house BBQ sauce which was slightly spicy, sweet, and with a nice mustard under tone to it.  The problem was that they didn’t have a bottle for me to use at my own leisure.  Most places will give you a bottle of their house BBQ sauce to baste at your will.

Overall, I wasn’t blown away.  Artz offered a pretty average experience, not bad but not particularly great either.  I’m willing to give it another go, but this time around, Artz fell short of my expectations.

Artz Rib House

2330 S Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704-4727
(512) 442-8283

What’s for Lunch?—Hong Kong Eatery, Boston

I created a new section today called “What’s for Lunch?” since I do eat out at lunch a lot

One good thing about working in Boston is that there are lots of choices for lunch, especially when you work near Chinatown… quick and cheap good eats can be had by all. Today, I had a taste for some good Chinese BBQ and when I do, the Hong Kong Eatery is on the very top of my list.

We sat down with another group at the same table (since they try to fill all the chairs at lunch). It was kind of funny since across from me were 3 Thais who ordered exactly what I wanted but in a larger portion since they were sharing over gossip about their other friends. I ordered a BBQ combination plate of 3 different kinds of meat consisting of BBQ pork (Pork with crispy skin usually fatty but very good), roasted duck, and salt baked chicken served on a bed of rice with Bok Choy.

Boy, it really hit the spot. Everything was right on. Plus they usually serve it with a bowl of soup -today’s was lotus root with pork. All that combined with a few cups of hot tea was just enough to sent me to food bliss.

The place is very small but worth the effort it can take to get in, however some of the tables may be a little tight for larger patrons. Over all the food is decent and they have enough choices for people who don’t fancy BBQ meat.

www.hongkongeatery.com