Fat Belly's Bar-N-Grill, White Springs,FL

 There isn't much for restaurant options in the town of White Springs, and the few that there are seem to come and go with the seasons. So, I didn't pay much attention when a place called "Fat Belly's" opened up shop a while ago. But seeing that it had stayed open over a year, and the parking lot was full of work trucks most lunch hours, I finally decided to give it a try.

The inside, of which I got zero good pictures, is a simple square dining room, with booths and tables packed tightly together. The wood-boarded walls are likewise cluttered with miscellaneous country decor, giving it the feel of eating a family dinner at an organizationally-challenged relative's home. But at least they can cook.

I didn't come specifically looking for barbecue, but when I saw they had a  barbecue section on their menu, I knew I had to try it. Options were limited; sliced or chopped pork sandwich, sliced pork plate, or chicken. I  went for the chopped sandwich and was not disappointed. A pile of perfect pork completely covered one half of a large, lightly toasted sandwich bun. It was smoky with lots of bits of flavorful crust throughout.

I was intrigued by the bottle of "gold sauce" that the waitress brought, and I tried it on a portion of the meat. This was one of the best mustard sauces I've had recently. It gave even more flavors to the meat and was an excellent addition even though the pork was good alone. Their sweet sauce was average- normally it would have been used, but with the gold sauce around, it didn't stand a chance.

The beans and fries I got as sides were both respectable- beans meaty and fries hot and fresh. They also brewed good, strong sweet tea- something you don't find everywhere. But the pork was the star. I'll be back for one of these sandwiches again, as long as they can keep the doors open.

FOOD RATING: 4 OF 5
OVERALL RATING: 4 OF 5