Well, this will be the final post on this blog. It's not the end though...I am just moving all future reviews to a Facebook page I have set up in the same name. This promises to be easier to update (so more frequent posts!) and easier for people to find, so it seems to make sense all around.
In my initial attempt to find some decent 'que on the island, I actually pulled into the parking lot here. It looked like a run-of-the-mill buffet restaurant that also served barbecue, but in a strip mall, and I just wasn't feeling it that day. Several weeks later, and with a couple of the other local options under my belt, I finally decided to give it a try.
It's a small space, but big on local flavor- not exactly what you would expect to find next door to a PC repair shop. Or maybe it is. There was a small buffet, which was what most of the clientele who all seemed to be regulars were eating. They did have a menu, and it included several barbecue options, so I went for the pork sandwich and slaw.
In the short time I waited for my food, I heard a lot of small talk about who was renting what apartment and whose kids were trying out for the baseball team- the kind of stuff average people talk about over a decent lunch on a Friday afternoon. Most patrons were not masked, but I got the feeling no one would be looked down on for wearing one either.
My sandwich arrived piled high with mostly chopped pork, but there were some bigger pieces along with a good amount of seasoned edges included on a fresh roll. The one drawback was that it also included several pieces of cartilage that I had to spit out. The mustard sauce added some interest. The cole slaw was respectable.
After my last experience, I was pleased to have found a good sandwich that seemed to be freshly prepared, even if the cleanliness of the place and preparation of the food weren't exactly professional grade. While it might not be worth a return visit, I found the unpretentious atmosphere to be just what I was looking for. If you're looking for laid-back, this is your spot.
Of the several barbecue options I researched when I knew I was going to be spending some time on Amelia Island, State Line looked the most intriguing and potentially promising. It had a good percentage of great reviews online, but also a higher than normal amount of 1 and 2 star ratings. I knew I needed to try it for myself to see what could cause such a variation.
They were closed on my first attempt, or so I thought. Later I found out that they don't open until noon, and I may have been a bit early. In any case, I returned on another occasion to the gas station parking lot that they share and walked toward the OPEN sign, masked up. They are big on masks, at least at the time of my visit. The first line on their website is "WEAR YOUR MASK and STAY BACK!" For whatever reason, they are taking things extra seriously- which is fine with me. Maybe the owner or an employee is high risk. I don't know and I won't judge. But this is definitely not typical for the area, as you will see in my next story.
I was the only customer a little after noon on a weekday. The gentleman behind the counter, who I took to be the owner, greeted me and put on his own mask before approaching. I asked for a pulled pork sandwich and added a side of potato salad (sides do not come with a sandwich) and a bottled drink which is the only kind they serve.
After I paid, he proceeded to assemble my sandwich from the foil-wrapped meat in a ...crock-pot? Looking further, I saw another slow cooker on the table to the right. With barbecue, low and slow is the way to go- but you can't make barbecue in a slow cooker. It might be good, but it wouldn't be barbecue. What I eventually surmised is that the slow cookers were being used to keep the meat warm. This, however, led to the question of what he did cook with, and how long ago it had been cooked. For now, I watched as he doused the meat in a vinegar sauce, wrapped the sandwich and scooped my potato salad from a gigantic plastic bin that came out of a refrigerator.
I grabbed a bottle of sweet tea from the cooler, thanked the proprietor and returned to my truck, as they are take out only. From my seat in the shade, I prepared to find out once and for all what they were selling here.
Similarly, the potato salad was a great recipe. Sadly, it seemed like it had been in the refrigerator for quite a while, and possibly had been frozen at some point. This didn't detract from it quite as much as the meat, but it just wasn't quite what it could have been.
I am sad to report that this is one of the few times I can remember that I have not been able to finish a sandwich. It was large, as I would expect for the price, but eventually I just reached the point where the taste I was getting was not a fair trade for the calories I was consuming.
So here's my conclusion. The owner is someone who without a doubt knows how to make good barbecue. I would suspect that if I had visited on a day when the food was fresh I would have rated it much higher- hence all the good reviews. It seems though that due to a lack of business, or for whatever reason, they are cooking ahead of time in large quantities and serving that food for at least a couple days. So anyone who visits on an "off day" would be likely to rate it much lower. I hate to see this happen to anyone, especially to someone obviously talented in the barbecue realm. Hopefully business will return, or they can make some other adjustments to improve the consistency of their food.
For my first new visit and review of 2021, I ventured into the Fernandina Beach/Amelia Island area, a locale I have visited very infrequently despite living less than an hour away. I found a couple of interesting looking prospects in a quick online search, but alas, the first one was not open, and the second looked more like a strip-mall buffet failure than I cared to take a chance on at the time. Perhaps I'll get a chance to return to them. Taking one more glance at the map, I noticed Captain Jack's, almost hidden at the base of the bridge back to the mainland. Seeing it was my last option, I made the required U-turn and found my way to the door.
It really is a nice location, even though it's a little outside of the town proper. Inside is spacious, and there is an inviting back porch that faces the Intercoastal Waterway, which would have been a pleasant spot to spend my lunch hour if the weather hadn't been so damp and chilly.
I got a window seat overlooking it instead. Observing the several references to Captain Jack's prowess in some of the regional bbq competitions, I quickly made the decision to try the pulled pork sandwich. The weather seemed to call for a heartier side, so I opted to pair it with their smoked mac and cheese.
It came out quick and hot. The presentation was perfect even if the sandwich itself was a bit underwhelming. To give the reader a better sense of the type of place this is, their menu includes steak and seafood options and a full bar, in addition to all the standard barbecue fare. So the barbecue experience here is a little bit filtered through an "island chic" lens. I hoped to still get a good sandwich, since their barbecue was award-winning. Ans it was. It just wasn't great. The toast was more sweet than the typical garlic, and the meat didn't have enough flavor on it's own to take command. I searched for smoky bits, but was left empty handed. It needed some sauce.
Fortunately, there were six to choose from, and while none particularly stood out, at least half of them worked to make an edible sandwich. The mac and cheese was quite good, although I didn't really detect the smoked flavor in that either. I left full, if not 100% satisfied. It would have been a great meal at any casual dining spot, but as a strictly barbecue offering it came up a little short.
I will be in the area more in the future, so hopefully I will get back to try the rest of the barbecue menu. And maybe sit out on that porch for a while.
This is kind of an update to a previous review, but I'm treating it as a new review because in the ensuing decade (can't believe it's been that long!) they opened this newer, larger location and closed the previous one. And *spoiler alert* they got better.
This location actually feels a little older- I think it was an existing building they remodeled- and it isn't spacious by any means, but it's just the right size for a down home barbeque joint. It is a little cramped, which makes social distancing rather difficult, and the use of masks is not enforced, so if that is an issue for you be forewarned. The inside seating area is tastefully decorated in a rustic theme along with multiple expressions of support for law enforcement.
Since it had been so long between visits, I went with my standard first try choice of a pulled pork plate with two sides. Let me say something about the sides. Willard's has far more than the standard beans and slaw; they offer about 15 different southern/country style sides to pair your meal with. I choose one standby- baked beans, and one which is common at country buffets but not often seen at a barbecue restaurant- stewed okra and tomatoes.
quality pulled pork.
It didn't taste bad, but was lacking much of any smoke flavor. Besides
that, it had not been cooked enough to become tender, so it was mostly
cut rather than pulled, and contained quite a few pieces of fat. Did I
mention it was barely warm?
I methodically deconstructed my sandwich (it was far to big to eat whole anyway) by first sampling the sausage, which they make themselves. Even in small slices it had great texture, the crisp pop of the skin contrasting with the juicy interior for a quick burst of perfect flavor. The brisket lived up to the billing as well. I'm not sure if it was intentional, but my sandwich had one slice that was lean and one more fatty, so I got to try both. Regardless, both were excellently smoked specimens of that most famous staple of Texas barbecue. When I got down to the pork, it wasn't quite as amazing as it seemed to be a little lacking in flavor. There wasn't anything really wrong with it, it was more like it just didn't steal the show like the other two meats. But with a little of the tangy sauce- another check for the authentic Texas claim- it too was delicious.
OVERALL: 4 OF 5
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