Showing posts with label Barbecue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barbecue. Show all posts

Thursday, January 1, 2015

The Blistered Pig Smokehouse

The Blistered Pig Smokehouse is a new, long awaited BBQ restaurant in Historic Downtown Apex. Located at 225 N. Salem Street, Apex NC, in the renovated Mule Exchange building, the long rumored dining spot became a reality in December 2014. Reservations are not taken, but if you want to call  to check on availability you may by dialing 919-446-3366.

When you decide to go, plan to search for it since it's located in the back end of the renovated Mule Exchange building across from the downtown depot. After you discover where it is, you will find adequate parking just outside the door with easy access.

Once inside, be prepared for a wait since there's usually a line. And be prepared to be directed to sit on a skinny bench in the busy walkway by the door with waiters and food delivery people zipping by inches from your face while you wait. Hopefully you won't be smacked in the face while you watch all the folks rush by. If you don't want to sit in the aisle you can go over and sit on the hearth by the fireplace to wait behind the hostess. Otherwise you can stand at the door or sit at the bar while you wait. In warm weather you can wait outside on the patio. 

Once you are seated, be prepared to be close to other customers, New York style, in the crowded space. In an effort to squeeze maximum revenue from the small restaurant the owners opted to pack in extra tables rather than allow room for customers to walk and have a little space to enjoy the experience. About half of the seating is at hi-top tables or at the bar with high-chair style seats - comfortable for some but does not work well with customers not able to climb up to be seated. If you need a standard table be prepared to wait.

Once seated, you can ponder the choices on the menu and select from several BBQ styles. Pulled pork (sans sauce), brisket with a dab of spicy red sauce, pork spare ribs, beef ribs and chicken. A small plate ($12.95) comes with one meat choice and two sides. A large plate ($15.95) has two meats and two sides. Sandwiches are also available. Sides are meant to somewhat like southern food choices but not necessarily with a taste you might expect for real southern eating. Be mindful of the beef ribs - some are overcooked and difficult to eat. Mac-N-Cheese (mushy), "yeller" or red slaw (spicy enough to burn), bland grits with cheese on top, collards with red pepper sprinkled in and lukewarm sweet potato fries are some of the sides available. Desserts are available if you have enough room left - banana pudding and other treats . Don't get the key lime pie - it has a left over taste and seems to be flavored with a taste absorbed from other foods in the cooler.

The restaurant offers tea, beer (cans only) and wine. Sorry, no draft beer. Beer ranges from $5.00 to $7.50. Be prepared for you check to go up by $10-15 for a couple of beers on top of the $28-32 for dinner for two, $50-60 for four. Unfortunately this is the only BBQ spot currently in downtown Apex so expect a little sticker shock and food a little different from real southern food you were expecting. 

Monday, November 14, 2011

Houndstooth Cafe

Houndstooth Cafe is likely the very best restaurant in central Virginia. Worth the drive to Hanover, VA, it is the perfect way to end a day of horseback riding, shopping or most anything else you might do in this scenic part of Virginia.

The restaurant is located in an old renovated gas station building in the heart of Hanover, the seat of Hanover County. Only a few miles from Richmond and Ashland.

Go early to avoid the regular crowd and the one hour wait, and be prepared to savor some of the best food around. While you wait, sit on the front porch sipping your favorite brew and watching the country drivers cruse by.

Menu choices range from traditional pulled pork or beef barbecue to a variety of Chesapeake Bay seafood items brought in fresh daily. Top off your dinner with a slice of one of several home-made specialty cheesecakes or truffle desserts made by the owner that very day. Dinner will run around $40-50 for two.

The owner and the cook have operated the restaurant for many years, and as you might expect, are well known for great food and hospitality. Every item on the menu has been time tested and is always at its best.

You can visit the restaurant many times and try new items each trip. Try them all - sauteed seafood, fried shrimp, soft shell crabs (in season), fish, oysters, fresh pulled pork BBQ, beef BBQ and a variety of sandwiches.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Smokey's BBQ Shack




Yet another hidden BBQ spot in the Apex area...

Smokey's BBQ Shack is tucked away on the side of the road out in Morrisville at 10800 Chapel Hill Road (Highway 54). Take a ride out Davis Drive, turn right onto Morrisville Parkway, then turn back to the left onto Highway 54 in Morrisville. Drive about three miles and look for a small diner-like shack on the right.

The BBQ is great and both chicken and pork are available. You can also get ribs, sliced brisket and wings! There are lots of fixin's to choose from - mixed greens, fried okra, green beans, potato salad, mac-n-cheese, slaw, baked beans and the ever present hush puppies to go with the meal. You can also get Brunswick stew.

Prices are reasonable and two can dine for less than $20 - dine in or take out.

Hours are from 11 AM - 2 PM Monday-Wednesday, 11 AM 7:30 PM Thursday-Friday and 11 AM - 7 PM on Saturday. Call ahead (919-469-1724) if you want to place a large order or to be sure they are open before making the drive. When they run out of BBQ they close up and go home!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Road trip - Two Frogs on a Bike !


Looking for a fun trip for good food and antiques?

Take a drive to Ashland, Virginia, and check out the ancient little country store at the intersection of Patrick Henry Road and US 301 in the heart of Hanover Courthouse in Hanover County, Virginia. The old store goes by the name "Two Frogs on a Bike" and is truly a glimpse back into a time from the past. The old store was a roadside country store and is now a destination for those that travel around looking for antiques and items for decorating the home. Not open at night.

Across the street is one of the best dining spots in Virginia - Houndstooth Cafe. Go early to avoid the regular crowd and the one hour wait, and be prepared to savor some of the best food around.

Menu choices range from traditional pulled pork or beef barbecue to a variety of Chesapeake Bay seafood items brought in fresh daily. Top it off with a slice of one of several home-made specialty cheesecakes or truffle desserts made by the owner. Dinner will run around $40 for two.

Monday, March 31, 2008

Elmo's Diner - Carrboro, NC


Elmo's Diner (near the University of North Carolina) in the restored old Carr Mill Mall in Carrboro, NC, (and a second location in Durham near Duke University) offers breakfast, lunch and dinner in a casual setting. Sit at the bar or at a table, casual dress. Prices are reasonable - dinner for two around $18 plus drinks.

Selections range from salads to burgers and sandwiches and complete meals. The food is great and many items are prepared with a slight twist from standard fare to give diners a break from plain old diner food. Among the choices...
  • Grilled marinated chicken breast
  • Salmon cakes topped with creamy dill sauce
  • Chicken dumplings with chunks of chicken, dropped biscuit dough
  • Home style roast beef meal served on open faced toast
  • Elmo's Trifecta - triple decker sandwich with turkey, roast beef, three cheeses
  • Spicy smothered burritos
and of course, breakfast anytime!

Elmo's is open from 6:30 AM until 10:00 PM Sunday-Thursday, 6:30 AM until
11:00 PM Friday and Saturday.

Telephone 919 416-3823 in Carrboro at 200 N. Greensboro Street in Carrboro at the old Carr Mill Mall, 919 929-2909 in Durham at 776 9th Street near Duke.

Elmo's Diner

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Buz and Ned's Real Barbeque - Richmond, Virginia

Just up the road a bit, in Richmond, Virginia, there's a great tiny barbecue place to go when you are up that way and crave some outstanding food. It's a small barbecue joint located near the intersection of Boulevard and Broad streets back behind a local car wash.

Some 21 years ago "Buz" traveled around the country to Dallas, Houston, San Francisco, Kansas City, Lexington and Memphis learning cooking secrets from famous barbecue regions, and in 1992 opened Buz and Ned's Real Barbecue in Richmond. Some of the famous places he learned from offer a variety of barbecue in styles of each area - places like Do-City BBQ in the Fog City, Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City, Sonny Bryan's in Dallas, Goldie's in Vicksburg, Scott’s BBQ in Lexington, Tennessee and Lexington’s BBQ #1 in Lexington, N.C. These are a few of the sources that shared secrets of the old timers that tended the pits preparing secret family recipes, (many of which have been handed down for generations).

According to the story on the Buz and Ned website, Buz met Ned on one of his journeys in Jefferson County, at the crossroads connecting the mountains of Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. Ned made barbecue using recipes handed down for over 150 years. Before he passed away, Ned passed his secrets on to Buz to keep his family BBQ tradition alive.

The menu includes: Beef brisket - texas style, boneless pulled BBQ chicken, hand pulled pork, pork back ribs, pork spare ribs, beef ribs, chicken tenders and chicken wing pieces.

Address: 1119 North boulevard, Richmond, Virginia

Hours: Mon-Thu 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM, Fri - Sat 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM, Sun 12:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Telephone: 804 355-6055

Monday, April 9, 2007

Smithfield's Chicken and Bar-B-Q - Central and eastern North Carolina

A favorite eastern North Carolina restaurant for over 25 years, Smithfield's is always a good choice for fried chicken or barbecue eastern NC style! The chicken is always crispy and fresh from the fryer. You can get barbecued chicken on request.

The vinegar based barbecue is popular in the eastern part of the state. Chopped and flavored with a bit of pepper. Combo chicken platters are available with white meat or dark, served with potato salad or fries and slaw along with hushpuppies. Sandwiches provide a generous portion of chopped barbecue without or with slaw (an NC tradition). Try the "value-pak" for a best buy - sandwich, fries and a drink.

If you are from the area sweet tea is a "must have" choice. Most folks from other areas don't understand the local fascination with sweet tea but quickly adopt it.

Our favorites: Chicken white platter or valu-pak sandwich and drink.
Website: Smithfield's Chicken and Bar-b-que

Locations: All around the area and extending to the coast