ABBQ- Atlantic Beach, FL

ABBQ is a recent addition to the Jacksonville barbecue scene, so I naturally had to check it out. I will willingly admit that even before visiting I was a little leery of their claim to serve "Central Texas BBQ at the beach". Seems like everyone around here is claiming "Texas Style", even if they don't know what that means. So I was extra suspicious when I saw a sign touting authentic Texas something or other as I parked next to a plastic wood fence and walked inside.

I was able to park because I visited for a weekday lunch. Parking is very limited here, and word is it is hard to find a spot on evenings and weekends. They do offer valet parking during those times. (I won't claim it never happens, but when I picture a Texas barbecue joint, valet parking isn't usually in the picture. But more about that later.) The inside, on the other hand, is very spacious. Both the indoor dining and outdoor backyard offer plenty of seating options.









Ordering and seating was a little confusing because everything I read said they had counter service, and there is a counter, but there was also a sign saying to wait to be seated. However, I was quickly greeted and told to sit wherever I liked. As it was one of the first pleasant blue sky days of fall, I chose a spot on the patio where I was quickly provided with a menu and a glass of water.

I wanted to sample as much as I could, so I chose the "1513 Sandwich" which includes pulled pork, brisket and sausage, along with cole slaw and pickles. I asked for the sauce on the side so I could sample the meats in their natural state, then added a side of potato salad and a sweet tea to round out the meal.

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.

The potato salad was some of the best I'd ever had. Creamy mayo met red potatoes in a glorious union, along with a surprise guest. Whatever else I have to say about this place, there's no doubt they know food. They know what it's worth as well. My basic meal set me back 20 bucks. It was worth that for sure, but I don't know how many working class people like myself are comfortable with that price point for a weekday lunch.

And so can you see why I am incredibly conflicted in deciding how to rate them. Service was good, the food was excellent, but it was definitely a mixed bag as far as authenticity goes. Authenticity is a big deal to me, and since that's what they claim, I feel obliged to factor that in my rating. I'm not a complete expert on Texas barbecue myself, but I know the basics. So let's review the points for and against.

What makes them authentic?

Wood-fired smokers (custom from Moberg in Texas, according to their site)

That brisket perfection

Dang good homemade sausage

Thin, simple sauce that complements them well 

Counter service (maybe sometimes?)

Meats available by the pound

What says this ain't your regular Texas 'que joint?

Uh- plastic wood anything

Valet parking

$20 sandwich and side

Another "outhouse" sign with a crescent moon- puhleez

Absence of cowboy hats or country music-but please

note if these were used as props, the result would be worse

The only way I know to handle this, and I've been considering this for a while, is to add a "Authenticity Rating" to my reviews. To me, this is more about being real than meeting specific criteria. Every barbecue place has it's own persona, and I personally am much more drawn to the ones who have their own story instead of trying to convince me that they are like something else. So I will add this line to my reviews, starting now, and you can use it or not as you choose.

In this case, I would have no problem if they marketed themselves as a trendy, slightly upscale restaurant that serves Texas-style barbecue. There are several of those, and honestly, ABBQ does it better than most in my opinion. If that's your thing, you need to eat here. Just maybe wear the good pair of jeans, leave the dirty truck at home, and be sure you've got a high credit limit.

FOOD: 4.5 OF 5

AUTHENTICITY: 2.5 OF 5

OVERALL: 4 OF 5

HOURS

Tuesday – Sunday
11am – 10pm
Monday-Closed

 

LOCATION

461 Atlantic Boulevard
Atlantic Beach, Florida 32233
Get Directions

 

Smok'y Blues Barbeque- Spartanburg, SC

Heading north on I-26 on a Friday evening, I was looking for a barbecue dinner to start the weekend with. Everything I saw seemed run of the mill, until I saw the good reviews for Smok'y Blues (Why the apostrophe? I don't know, but I'll oblige them...). One blurb I read said they only cook with wood, so I bee-lined it in their direction, arriving barely 30 minutes before their 7:00 closing time.

The restaurant is in a small shopping strip kind of off the main road, but it wasn't hard to find. As I pulled up, the staff were relaxing outside chatting with a customer. Inside, the restaurant was empty except for one table. A gentleman came inside and cheerfully explained the menu to me and took my order. He was pleasant through the whole meal despite me being the last customer of the day, but I did make a point to be on my way by their closing time.

Not having had a real meal since breakfast, I opted for a two-meat combo of pulled pork- the staple of barbecue, and hash- an item I had never actually ordered before, but fairly common in South Carolina barbecue although the hash here is actually beef instead of pork. Within minutes, a heavy plate with a mountain of meat accompanied by a dinner roll and my side choices of their bourbon beans and potato salad was placed in front of me. I filled my cup from the tea dispenser and dug in- after a few photos.

I found the pulled pork to be quite good. It did indeed seem to be cooked over wood, although the smoke flavor was just hinted at rather than made obvious. It was moist and flavorful, with the meat, the smoke and the seasoning combining equally rather than any one overpowering the other.

The beef hash, which is more of a stew and served over rice, was good and filling. It's not technically barbecue as I view it, but it's been traditional in the area for a long time and I can see why. Like the pulled pork, it was seasoned simply which let the flavors of the meat come through.

I was impressed by the sides. They seemed to be home made. The beans were better than most, kind of sweet but balanced out well. The potato salad was made with unpeeled white potatoes, which is a little different, but the heavy dressing made it work really well for me.

They offered the typical mild, hot and mustard sauces. I rate them as average, giving the mustard a slight edge as the best for the pork, but then I usually lean towards mustard sauce anyway. In addition, they had two specialty sauces; blackberry and moonshine. I've honestly never seen either of these before, but I was curious to try them.

I thought the blackberry would be overly sweet like syrup, but it was actually quite good. It had just a hint of berry taste and wasn't any sweeter than a normal sweet sauce. I was not a fan of the moonshine sauce. It was sweeter than I expected and just didn't seem to add anything to the meat.

Friendly service and a giant plate of good food made this a memorable stop for me, one I would come back to again if the opportunity arises. It's worth the short detour off the interstate.

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

Memphis Jax BBQ- Ponte Vedra, FL

After a couple more visits, I'm glad to be able to update and upgrade my review. I still haven't tried everything on the extensive menu, but the pork, brisket and ribs have all made a good impression on me. I wouldn't say any of them are exceptional, and on the last visit the flavor of the pork was down slightly, but I would rate all three above any average chain restaurant. Sides are more than just an afterthought. We enjoyed delicious collard greens, hot fries and more of their creamy style potato salad. I'm not the biggest fan of their sauces but that might just be me.

Service has improved greatly. My latest meal was with a group of eight for Father's Day lunch. We arrived a bit after the lunch rush, but the restaurant was still over half full. All of our food arrived within five minutes of ordering and taking our seats. They were fully staffed with friendly, efficient employees who made our meal a pleasant experience.

(Original review continues below, posted 1/21/18)

I usually like to give new places at least a few weeks to get up and running before I visit, but since this one is 5 minutes from the house, I figured I would brave the crowds and the opening weekend excitement. This is sort of a preliminary review- I'm sure I will update it as I make future visits and try more of the menu.

Orders are placed at the counter, where if you are dining in they give you a number to place on your table. As all the tables were full, I took a seat at the small bar where I got a good view of the bustling serving line. They were slammed for the second day in a row, and close to running out of meat again as they did the day before.

For this visit I stuck with my basic bbq lunch- pulled pork, baked beans and potato salad. Their platters come with either a dinner roll or jalapeño cornbread, (I chose cornbread, because jalapeño) and topped it off with a sweet tea.

The pork was right on- hot, smoky and barky. Although it was a decent sized portion, it looked small on the metal tray they serve their food on and almost made you wonder if it was actually a $15 lunch, which is what it came to with a drink. The pork redeemed itself though, and I especially liked their full-flavored original sauce with it. The hot sauce was pretty good too, but I felt like the mustard sauce, which is usually my favorite with pork, was an afterthought that needed more flavor than just mustard.

My sides were just average. No complaints on the potato salad, but it didn't stand out either. The beans seemed straight out of a can with maybe a couple specks of meat sprinkled in. The tea was average as well.

Service was friendly, if slow, which is understandable with how busy they were. I waited over 30 minutes for my food, but it was fine on a Saturday afternoon and didn't bother me. To be constructively critical, my opinion is they are trying to offer too many choices. Besides all the typical meats and more, they also offer pizza, catfish and other non-barbecue items, as well as a long list of sides. This leads to extended prep time in getting food out. It might have been better to start with a smaller menu and add items as they have the chance. I would hate to see their good barbecue get lost in the clutter of everything else, which happens a lot.


Time will tell- I can only hope a barbecue joint this close to home will stay in business and stay consistent. I will be back to try more items and update my review- hopefully upward.






 FOOD RATING: 3.5 OF 5

 OVERALL RATING: 4 OF 5

Memphis Jax BBQ- Ponte Vedra, FL

Woodpecker's Backyard BBQ- St. Augustine, FL

When I first saw some of my friends raving about Woodpecker's online, I thought I had been there before. When I was finally in the area again, I drove by and realized I was thinking of a different place. Since I wasn't often in this area of no man's land between south Jacksonville and St. Augustine, I figured I better take advantage of this time and make a stop. I pulled in the almost full dirt parking lot a little after noon on a Friday. The place was packed, and I was under a bit of a time constraint, so I opted for getting my lunch to go.

Woodpecker's sits diagonally at the intersection of SR 13 and CR 210. Here, the main entrance is in back, and the to-go counter is in front facing the road. There is a large, rambling dirt parking area among the shade trees out back, as well as several picnic tables for eating outside when the weather is nice or when the the inside is packed, which happens often.

This time, I went for the standard pork plate with two sides. The pork was some of the most moist and flavorful I've had, and the sides didn't disappoint either. Many of them incorporate datil peppers, a flavor unique to the St. Augustine area. I tried the datil beans and datil corn. In both the sweet heat of the peppers gave a delicious kick to the taste buds. I was hooked.

Since that first trip, I've returned several times, made possible by our move to Ponte Vedra last year. Woodpecker's has become a solid favorite of mine, forming the western point of a triangulation of top-notch joints within 45 minutes of home. They are complemented by Down South BBQ in Ponte Vedra Beach, and Smokin' D's near Crescent Beach. I don't know of a place within the triangle that serves better 'que than any of the three.

Woodpecker's brisket, pictured here with a meaty rib bone, is some of the best I've found in Florida. It has the thick but not overly dry bark characteristic of a long slow smoke having imparted it's ever present but not overpowering flavors to the beef. This is probably my favorite meat here, though any of the others can stand up on their own too. The sides hold up their end of the deal, making a meal that so far has failed to disappoint.

SPST RATINGS

FOOD RATING: 4.5 OF 5

OVERALL RATING: 4.5 OF 5

EXTRA POINTS FOR: LOCAL FLAVOR

 

Old Clinton Bar-B-Q- Gray,GA

Old Clinton Bar-B-Q has been on my radar for a while. Problem was, it's in the tiny town of Gray,Ga- not near any route I regularly travel. But after a weekend trip to Lake Sinclair, we were passing through around lunch time on the way back to Florida. Problem solved.

Even if you weren't looking for it, it would be hard to miss the low-slung building with it's dirt floored porch and vintage advertising, including the proclamation "Best in Georgia".

The interior has similarly been left un-updated for the most part, and feels like a 50 year step back in time.

Chopped pork with a thin vinegar and pepper sauce is what they are known for here, although they also offer ribs, turkey and chicken. Their classic plate includes the barbecue, brunswick stew, bread and a pickle, plus slaw or potato salad if you want to add it on.

We ordered several of these, and someone got ribs too, so I got to sample both.

The pork was a nice mix of different textures of well cooked meat- well cooked in that it was moist and flavorful, though the smoke wasn't too prevalent. It was perhaps overshadowed by the vinegar in the sauce. I could also detect a bit of a reheated taste. Still, it was every bit as good as any of this style of barbecue that I have had. Piled on a slice of fresh white bread, it made a barbecue sandwich that would be hard to beat.

The ribs were properly smoked and perfectly done, though they didn't have much in the way of seasoning. Old  Clinton's version of Brunswick Stew is a little on the thin side. It was good, but lacked anything that set it apart for me. Our sides of slaw and potato salad followed suit in that they were a good complement to the meal but didn't stand out on their own.

I enjoyed the experience of eating here as much or more than the food itself. It's definitely a must visit for anyone interested in the history of Georgia barbecue. I can't agree that it's the best in Georgia though. In my limited forays into the Peach State I have already been fortunate enough to eat at a few places that give them some stiff competition for that title, but having said that, they are definitely close to the top of the list.

FOOD RATING: 4 OF 5

Wall art at Old Clinton

OVERALL RATING: 4.5 OF 5

4Rivers Smokehouse- Gainesville, FL

     

The 4Rivers location in Gainesville has been open for several months now, so I decided it was time to stop in. Returning by air from the barbecue-scarce Northeast, I passed up the temptation to sample airport barbecue during a layover in Charlotte for the opportunity to share a meal at 4Rivers with my wife and kids. Less than 30 minutes after touching down in Gainesville, we were standing in a medium-long line at this Florida chain's newest location.

The inside eating area is more spacious than the other branches I have been to. Though there are a few outside tables, this location lacks the large outdoor eating area that the others have. It sits on the end of a strip mall, surrounded by parking spaces and sidewalks. The crowd on a Thurday night was noticeably younger and louder, as could be expected in a college town, but the line moved smoothly and orderly.

As at the others, you order your meats first. While they are being sliced and packaged, you pick your side items from the display case in front of you. With the whole family along, I added a half slab of ribs and a half pound of pulled chicken to the requisite pound of brisket we ordered. The boys wanted fries and mac and cheese as sides. We got these but also ordered sweet potato casserole and an order of bacon-wrapped jalapenos.

Brisket is the main attraction here, and they do it well. It's perfectly smoky and well seasoned, and though we didn't specify, ours had a good balance of lean and fatty slices. Those who complain that the brisket is too fatty or too dry probably don't know that you have to order it how you want it; each brisket has a fatty and lean end, and if you don't specify, you just get whatever they slice. A legitimate concern, I think, is the temperature. By the time I made it past the cashier and to our table, the brisket was cold. I've noticed this during visits to their other locations, but it seemed worse here. This was a minor issue though and quickly forgotten.

The ribs were good too. They were meaty with a good combination of smoky and sweet flavors. I would consider them slightly overcooked though, with a bit too soft of a texture. I don't actually like when they "fall off the bone"- great ribs take a few teeth to chew. Pulled chicken is not something I normally would order, but our 2 year old liked it, and it was actually pretty good. It came doused with sauce, but that was ok. The sauce goes better on chicken than it does on their pulled pork.

The smoked jalapenos were epic as usual and they disappeared first. The rest of the sides were good too, but nothing stood out like the peppers.

Overall, 4Rivers has taken over the top spot for barbecue in Gainesville in my opinion. Their brisket is definitely the best in town-maybe even the state. I would still go to Adam's Rib Company when I'm looking for ribs, and Adam's or David's for pulled pork. But if you're going with a group and want to make everyone happy, or if you're even considering eating brisket, this is the place to be.


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