Ready for barbecue? (Wow. What a dumb question!)

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

review by Peter Lewis

After traversing Asiatic shores, Latin littorals and American strands, we push forward into yet another realm: barbecue.

Etymologists attribute the derivation of the word to a Caribbean tribe, Taino. From those origins, “barbacoa” spread through the explorers of the new world and took on the shape we know today in English. The meaning of the Taino word is thought to be “sacred fire pit.” Those who have sampled great barbecue understand just how sacred that fire pit is.

BIG AL’S
Our first stop in the barbecue tour of the river valley was Big Al’s. Located at 4416 Towson Ave., I was a bit skeptical of what I would find there. From their modest origins in a caboose trailer, Big Al’s has expanded into a large building that has seen its fair share of restaurants over the years. Though I’ve never put much stock in the location of a restaurant, I feared that the aura of bad luck that surrounds that particular piece of real estate might be too much for the good folks behind Big Al’s to overcome.  Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised with the food.

There are all the requisite entree items one would expect to find at an area barbecue restaurant: pork, pork ribs, brisket (sliced or chopped), chicken, and sausage links. Much of what one might choose at a barbecue restaurant is dependent upon their geographic locale. In Arkansas the pig reins supreme so I generally stick to pork. Big Al’s pork had a nice flavor, but was a bit on the dry side. Their hot links, however, were quite tasty with just the right amount of lingering kick tickling the tongue.

In terms of side items, Big Al’s is stocked. There is potato salad, baked potatoes, cole slaw, fries, and of course beans, that wonderful side staple. I generally steer clear of cole slaw, I do not find the mixture of mayonnaise and cabbage generally featured in restaurants very appetizing. As a result, I sampled the potato salad and the beans.  Their was nothing spectacular about the potato salad, but the beans at Big Al’s were quite delectable.

Even though I was pleasantly surprised with my meal, there is nothing overtly amazing about the food at Big Al’s. This is far from a reproach, just a reminder not to expect the moon when dining at Big Al’s. What I did find bothersome was the overt courting of a certain demographic through a gross aping of Southern identity. I found the affectation of the “ain’ts” and “aw shucks” demeanor quite off putting. It’s one thing to exist as a Southerner, it’s wholly another to approximate it through an assumed sense of speech and mannerisms.

While I touched on my general apathy to a restaurants location above, my opinion seems to have changed slightly over the course of these last few weeks. While in many respects the location of a restaurant is still a largely extraneous issue, I’ve learned to allow how that particular location might affect the finished product on my plate. More importantly, I sense the connection between a location and my wallet. Perhaps it seems obvious to some, but it is easier for those establishments with a cheaper rent payment to competitively price their meals. And paying less, in these tough times, is a boon to any would be diner.

AL’S BARBECUE
This was very evident on my visit to Al’s Barbecue. Open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday – Saturday, Al’s operation is located at 3956 N. O S. Just down the street from Jefferies Boys Club, the building is quite small. The establishment has a drive-thru and a walk-up window. There is no indoor seating, just a few picnic booths. While this set up might be off-putting to some, I rather found it charming. To further my point on location, the situation of the restaurant, not to mention its size, has a direct impact on the price of rent for the proprietors. If the overhead is cheap, they can afford to advantageously lower the menu prices. It seems Al’s has done exactly that. Of the six barbecue joints I secretly tested, it had the cheapest prices.

Despite the lower prices, there is no corner cutting with the quality. Al’s has some of the best barbecue available to diners in the river valley. I went out on a limb and tested the sliced beef. It was an admirable effort. Thinly sliced and moist, it was a pleasant surprise indeed. Even better, however, were the pork ribs. They are slow cooked to the point where the meat just falls off the bone like melted butter. Continuing this trend of general tastiness, I was quite fond of their side of beans as well.  tested both the mild and hot sauces featured at Al’s. While the mild was tangy and adequate, the hot was a clear winner.  It packed a discreet, but pleasing punch to the palate.

Furthering Al’s reputation as kind to the wallet are the daily specials. Each day of the week there is something new to save the diner some coin. From a buy one get one free BBQ sandwich on Tuesdays to free chips on Thursday. With great prices and great food, you really can’t err with this Al.

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]