Old South Family Barbecue- Cross City, FL

Following the Cross City trend of playing musical restaurants, a new barbecue place has opened in the building which used to be a chinese buffet, and before that was the Carriage House restaurant. I gave it a try, to see if it was an alternative to BubbaQue's. Their menu actually has more burgers and sandwiches than barbecue, but they had a two barbecue sandwich special on the day I visited. The only  options were chicken or pork, so I asked for one of each, along with fries and tea.

Service was a little slow. When the food arrived, it was a good amount for the price. But quantity does not equal quality. The fries were okay. The meat was piled on regular hamburger buns, and I honestly had a hard time telling which was chicken and which was pork. Both were flavorless, finely chopped and smothered in a sauce that did them no favors. I stuffed most of it down, and left with a full stomach but unsatisfied taste buds. Sorry to say, but even BubbaQue's is a better option when in Cross City.

FOOD RATING: 1 OF 5

OVERALL RATING: 1.5 OF 5

BubbaQue's-Cross City,FL

 

As mentioned in my April review of the Chiefland BubbaQue's, I wanted to try another one of their locations and see if it was any better, or if the lousiness was chain-wide. Their Cross City restaurant is in the building formerly occupied by the short lived Smokey's BBQ. I have to  admit the log style exterior and rocking chairs out front make it look a lot more inviting than the Chiefland strip store. The inside is slightly more appealing too, still cluttered but a little more tasteful. You order at the counter, then find a seat.

This time, I ordered a beef sandwich on garlic toast and cole slaw. The cole slaw was fresh and crispy. The beef had a little tasteful spice, but again was very low on smoke flavor. They have the same wide selection of sauces to jazz it up. It's a little fun dipping your sandwich in "Tractor Grease" and "Pine Tar", but still no substitute for real  flavor.

Overall this is a slight improvement from the Chiefland location, the difference being, I would  actually try this one again, if only to sample all the sauces.

FOOD RATING: 2.5 OF 5

OVERALL RATING: 3 OF 5

 

Captain Stan's Smokehouse, Woodbine,GA

Knowing I was going to be near Woodbine the following day, I did a quick search for restaurants in the area. Of the few I found, Captain Stan's sounded intriguing, so I had it in the back of my mind as I was searching for a lunch spot. Still, it snuck up on me and I drove past before I realized this was it:

Not seeing anything else interesting, I turned around and drove by again. There was a small shack, no big sign but lots of smoke and miscellaneous oddities strewn around the building. Either this was a redneck junkyard, or the signs of some authentic down home barbecue. I pulled in. Walking through the front door, it took my eyes a minute to adjust to the cluttered, dim interior. The wood walls and counter gave a comfortably worn feeling that made you immediately feel at home. I looked the menu over, and since I was short on time, ordered a rib plate to go. The kitchen is directly behind the counter and open to view, so I was able to watch as my order was prepared. I wandered past the few inside tables and out the side door, which opens to a dirt courtyard complete with picnic tables for outdoor dining:

There was a campfire burning in the middle, and if I had the time to linger it would have been the perfect way to enjoy my meal, which by now was ready.

 

Potato salad was good. Baby lima beans were a little watery but seasoned well, almost like a bean soup. And for the ribs...I had seen the cook place them on the grill so I knew they were reheated. But, they were still tender and had excellent flavor and texture. I could tell they had been smoked for a good long time, the only drawback was they seemed to have picked up a little extra garlic from the grill. I'm guessing because they also offer garlic crabs and shrimp- see the whole menu here. Anyway, the ribs were good but probably would have been awesome when they were fresh.

Captain Stan was evidently not around during my visit, but judging from the country meets island flavor of his place, he's a real character. According to their website, he also leads guided gator and wild boar hunts in the area. As a side note: they have a bar as well as restaurant and several other reviews have said it can get loud and rowdy on some nights and weekends. When I went it was just a small,quiet lunch crowd, enjoying some great barbecue.

FOOD RATING: 4 OF 5

OVERALL RATING: 4 OF 5