For a BBQ/Donut Roadtrip, we’ve eaten less BBQ than you might expect, which is to say, none. That all changed the night we drove into Phoenix. Looking for a place to eat, Marianne came up with Bobby-Q. Though it has a metaphorical odor of chain-liness about it, all the reviews were emphathetically positive, and one mentioned getting a surprise free donut at the end of the meal. It was meant to be, so we rushed over to arrive 30 minutes before closing.
The truth on the ground turned out to be: Bobby-Q used to be called Bobby McGees, which has reinvented its brand as a BBQ destination. Our server mentioned a few accolades it has gathered, appearing on a couple of “best BBQ” lists (“in the top” 30 and 100 – for some specific categories which I didn’t quite catch.) Bobby-Q serves many items aside from BBQ, and it seems to mix a few styles of BBQ. I thought this was perfect for a start-of-trip calibration: out-of-region pretty-good unspecialized BBQ.
Marianne got two types of ribs – baby back and “St Louis style.”” I got brisket and pulled pork. Since the only standard by which I can judge BBQ is Jack’s central Texas style, the brisket and pulled pork seemed bland on their own, but nice with the tangy sauce. The ribs were the standouts of the meal. There’s a particular adjective phrase that I think I’ll be seeing a lot of, and it applies here: fall-off-the-bone tender.
Marianne noted that their sides are exceptional. The mashed potatos and mac & cheese she got were delicious, and I liked my shoestring fries and smoked corn just fine. This led to a discussion of whether a BBQ place should be evaluated on its sides. Note well, Franklin BBQ – considered by many to be the best BBQ there is – is not known for its sides.
I think it depends on whether you’re evaluating BBQ, the crafting of the dishes vs. BBQ restaurants as a place to eat. The second doesn’t exist without the first, sure, but I originally thought I wouldn’t care about value or atmosphere, or whether you have to wait in line for 4 hours, because all I wanted to focus on is BBQ meat. Not price, or style, or sides. I guess I can’t really isolate those things from each other. I already acknowledged that I have a strictly limited perspective on everything, due to my limited experience. I may as well acknowledge that BBQ does not exist in a vacuum (unlike sous vide, har har) and my opinion is going to be colored by everything from whether I slept well to what the server is wearing. So be it.
The sides are nice, and it improves the whole meal. The mac & cheese is proper – sort of like a plain Philly cheesesteak without meat and instead with macaroni. Gooey sodium citrate cheese and soft macaronis. The cornbread comes in moon-pie sized pucks, and is sweet and fine-crumbed, like cake. The homestyle mashed potatoes are as good as it gets. Most places in Seattle do potato puree, and the ones that do homestyle often wind up with a chunky bland product. These have few lumps, bits of potato skin, and just enough salt. I guess there isn’t a whole lot to homestyle mashed potatoes, they’re unpretentious and classic.
On the other side of my plate, Bobby-Q served up an amber ale brewed for them. A nutty, sippable and unbitter brew. Good for the weather in Phoenix in June, which is a hundred and balls degrees.
After the bill, the server brought up a small bag of freshly-fried mini-donuts for us to take. This was really nice. Even if you don’t want to eat anything after the meal, having your car smell like fresh mini-donuts on the way home is vastly preferable to the scents coming out of your body after a meal like that. And on that super-classy note, I leave you.
