A true win-win: Good barbecue and a bucket-o-beer

Editor’s note: Peter Lewis, who has authored “The Friday Feast” since November, is reviewing 30 locally-owned and/or operated restaurants across five categories: American, Asian, BBQ, Mexican and Date (establishments to impress your date, spouse or both). Each Wednesday through late August, The City Wire will post Lewis’ review of two restaurants. That’s a review of 30 restaurants in 16 weeks for those keeping score at home.

Week 1: Taqueria la Guadalupana, and Las Americas Too
Week 2: The Cuban Grill and El Rodeo
Week 3: El Milagro and Restaurante Salvadoreno Norita
Week 4: Green Papaya and Pho Vietnam
Week 5: Fried Rice and Pho King
Week 6: Diamond Head 2 and Tran’s
Week 7: Yellow Umbrella and Goodson’s
Week 8: Red Rooster and Boom-A-Rang
Week 9: Lewis’ Family Restaurant and Hamburger Barn
Week 10: Big Al’s and Al’s Barbecue
Week 11: Neumeier’s Rib Room and Jerry Neel’s

review by Peter Lewis

Tucked away in a corner of May Branch Square there is a gem of barbecue restaurant.  It is here, hidden amongst boutiques at 2801 Old Greenwood Road, that Ralph Taylor and his brood are pumping out award winning barbecue. From inauspicious beginnings in the late 90s, a one-time hobby for Mr. Taylor has turned into a successful business.

First thing is first. Let’s tackle the most important subject in locally owned eateries: alcohol. It should be no secret that the availability of adult beverages is also an instant gold star for this reviewer. Thankfully, Pink Flamingo is one of a seemingly small crowd of restaurants authorized to sell beer. What warrants a second is the bucket-o-beer deal. Five long necks housed in a bucket of ice for ten bucks. Certainly there are worse ways to wash down your eats.

Somewhat unexpectedly, their signature item is sausage. For many, sausage is often an afterthought. In the barbecue world, it’s always the brisket or the pork that get the glory. Not so at the Pink Flamingo. Every diner gets a complimentary piece of award winning sausage. It seems Mr. Taylor wishes that every visitor know the experience of consuming a champion. This sort of perk, if you will, is one thing that pushes Pink Flamingo into the upper echelon of barbecue establishments in the river valley.

While free sausage is always a delight, the familial atmosphere is a second aspect that helps further Pink Flamingo’s cause. One should never underestimate the power of friendliness and customer care. Like the guru said, “service wins the game.

Apart from free sausage and friendly service, side items are another point in which Pink Flamingo excels. Whether it is the cheesy taters or the BBQ baked beans, the Flamingo’s certainly hit the high note.

All of these things are building a soft pillow for the one niggling complaint I did have about the restaurant: the pork. Je l’adore porc. Though I am no longer under any false impressions (apparently, it’s not really a white meat), I eat pork often. The extent of this indulgence would make many Semites blush. Arteries and soul be damned, it is a joy consuming quality pork. Given my predilections, I can be rather finicky. The pork at Pink Flamingo, while by no means sub-par, unfortunately hovered in mediocrity.

Though a youthful addition to the dining scene, Pink Flamingo BBQ has carved out a much needed slice in the area. With reasonable prices, friendly faces, and award winning sausage, they should be around for quite some time. That’s the hope at least.

For those wishing to visit this fine establishment, be warned that their hours of operation can be confusing. On Sunday and Monday the restaurant is closed. On Tuesday and Wednesday they are open only for lunch, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. However, the hours of operation on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

ART’S BBQ
While the Pink Flamingo is a relative newcomer to the BBQ scene in the river valley, Art’s BBQ at 4620 Rogers Ave. in Fort Smith has a history that stretches decades back.  Though it has had several homes over the years, not much on the menu has changed.  There is a continuity of décor that, despite the different location, is reminiscent of the previous location on Rogers Avenue, one which housed fond memories. Recollections of the bountiful days of youth certainly had me salivating.

To ascertain a wider birth of product, I opted for the combo dinner platter. At $11.49, it was a bit on the expensive side. Which, it seems, is rather a general tendency on most of the offerings at Art’s. For those watching their wallet, the BBQ sandwiches seem the best bet. ($6-$7).

As for the food itself, I was relatively pleased. The pulled chicken was quite moist with slight hints of hickory. Unfortunately contrasting this, the potato salad was less than enticing. Somewhere in the middle were the pulled pork and the beans. They were both of average quality, not wholly unpleasant like the potato salad nor quite as tasty as the chicken.

When there is average meat products, some restaurants are able to wholly redeem themselves through delectable sauces. Though I much prefer quality smoked meats that do not require these accouterments, often these are sufficient enough to trick the diner into thinking that a fine product is being consumed. It is a sort of wolf in sheep’s clothing ruse. “Trickeration” at its victimizing finest (cue Don King). Art’s sauce comes in two varieties. The regular, like my ex, is dark, thick, and tangy. Conversely, the other is a Memphis style vinegar based sauce. Both are quite convincing, but the truth always wins out.

Despite my expectations, Art’s is an establishment that straddles the middle ground. As a diner, one most always be wary of expectations. As the eldest Brontë gal pointed out once, “life is so constructed that an event does not, cannot, will not, match the expectation.” So, tread lightly over the ground of expectation, especially when they revolve around the halcyon days of youth. Those ephemeral memories are polished bits of nostalgia, larger and more glorious in our mind’s eye than in reality.

An explainer note from Peter
Having such cultural diversity within easy reach is one of the many dining pleasures in the River Valley. As we continue to explore the different cooking styles throughout the area, I hope it will spur you into trying something new. Broadening horizons is as old as time itself.

You can reach Peter at [email protected]