3 /5 Robert Mc: The BBQ Joint has a nostalgic charm to it with a great atmosphere, friendly staff, good smells, and decor that was at least made to look like it was from a bygone era. The prices were fair, the appearance of the food was very attractive, and the portion sizes were generous given the prices. The ribs had a nice smoke ring and were decently tender and juicy.
Unfortunately, for me, flavors were a bit of a miss. The “Sweet Hickory smoke” flavor was almost too subtle to notice and the rub which should have been a prominent feature on the “Memphis ribs” lacked any kind of a punch and was applied to sparingly to matter. The end result was meat that had to speak completely for itself, but just didn’t. The pulled pork was on the dry side and also lacked the bold smoky flavor and seasoning that one would have expected based on its appearance.
The single sauce available was good but a little overly sweet and not my style.
The honey cornbread was baked well and maintained good moisture, but fell short in flavor, especially with a title that included the word honey.
The baked beans followed the same trend with more sugar than spice.
It is possible I am overly critical, but I feel like this place has a good deal of potential and these are fixable problems. I want to like you more, I just need more flavor and smoke.
With all of that said, I am willing to try it again thanks to the atmosphere, staff, and value.
