Adam & Eats: Lawrence’s BBQ

Editor’s note: Adam Brandt is a graduate from the Cobra Kai School of Culinary Callousness, where he received their highest award, the Red Apron of Merciless Eating. Aside from eating and talking about eating, he makes pots, paintings, prints, books, photographs, and generally, a big mess. He has been the studio assistant at Mudpuppy Pottery for almost nine years and is attending a local university in a desperate attempt to earn a biology degree. Feel free to give him a hard time.

We have established recently that Spring is in the air and therefore I crave smoky meats. We have also established that I enjoy eating food from out of a cart. It doesn’t take a stretch of the imagination that the combination of these two ideas would lead to eating at Lawrence’s BBQ.

Located in the parking lot of Famous Beauty Supply on North Greenwood Road, Lawrence’s BBQ is not much to look at. Having heard that Lawrence’s was slinging some pretty good food, I overcame my desire to judge a book, or rather in this case a cart, by its cover and swung into the parking lot late one cloudy afternoon. As it turns out, despite the unattractive nature of the venue, the lead turned out to be pretty accurate. Lawrence’s does serve up some pretty decent barbeque.

Let it be known, Lawrence’s does not serve up spectacular food. Simple food? Yes. Mind-blowing amazing food? No. It was good for the price, which was cheap. Let cheap translate into, “Feeds three grown men (until their bellies are almost bursting) for under $15.” Lawrence’s is most definitely budget friendly and, given the location, beats the hell out of Taco Bell or McDonald’s any day of the week. It may not be the healthiest food to eat on a daily basis, but once again, see the previous comparisons.

Let’s get into the food a little bit more in depth, shall we? Let us begin with the hot dogs, which are the lunch special. For $4 you get two hot dogs, fries, and a soda. The hot dogs have that fresh from the grill taste that takes you back to family cookouts. I was surprised that they were served dry, and had I not already departed the joint before noticing this, I would have most definitely asked for at least a little French’s.

The fries are surprisingly delicious considering they are of the generic crinkle cut variety. The choices of sodas varies depending on when you eat there and whether or not Lawrence, I can only assume that is the owner’s name, has made a run to Harp’s to re-stock. I suspect that is where the fries and okra come from as well. The pork sandwich and the beef sandwich are decent, leaning toward average. The BBQ sauce is tasty, with just the right combination of sweet and tangy with a little bite of heat at the very end. Now, I saved the best, and most surprising, for last.

Every great once in a while, you come across something in a restaurant that just strikes at a part of you and you can’t help but smile. For example, finding a diner that still charges 35 cents for coffee or opening up your burger to discover a smiley face drawn with mustard.

At Lawrence’s it is getting a Styrofoam coffee cup of baked beans. When I removed the plastic lid, the smile plastered itself wide across my face. The scent of smoky beans rose up to my nostrils and my eyes closed in reverence. I breathed deep the rich and deliciously pleasant aroma. It was heavenly. That was until I took the first bite. Then, I knew that those beans were not sent from the divine, but from a place much hotter and smokier. Those beans caused me to indulge in one of the Seven Deadly Sins, Gluttony. After devouring every last one of those tasty little legumes, I used my finger to scoop out the last of the bean juice from my little white coffee cup.

The next time you are looking for a place to grab a quick and inexpensive bite, think of Lawrence’s BBQ. They are perfect for lunches and you can pick it up on the way home for dinner. Whatever you do, don’t forget to try the beans.

Feedback
When he’s not beating his eggs, Adam makes time to respond to e-mails that get past his hard-ass spam filter. You can try to reach him at [email protected]

Adam also has this thing called Sandwich Control.