1-24-2013 Smokin Mo's

First of all, I'm at a loss on how to start this. For all practical intents and purposes the BBQ Hunter has been put out to pasture. I could make all kinds of excuses for the laziness I've felt over the last 4 1/2 years (EGADS......yes, I am that lazy!) but the bottom line is that health (diabetes) and running out of things to say has got the better of me. The person you can blame for this blog entry (WOOKIE) requested it as a personal favor that I write about todays experience.

 

It all started with some idle chit chat on Facebook and I threw down the gauntlet, "What? Smokin Mo's?". Sure he said, I'll be there in an hour. 1hour 15 minutes later, Wookie and I sauntered in the front door for a great lunch. I asked the waitress if Tom or Mo were in and the answer was yes. Tell 'em the BBQ Hunter is here. In no time flat out comes Tom. It was very good to see him again. Frankly, the whole time he was out at the golf course was a sad time for the city of Shelton and for the BBQ Hunter. I went out there twice and it was......well....lets just say it was disappointing, at the very best. It had to have been hard to run a BBQ joint out in yuppyville. I can picture Ted Knight, as the judge on Caddy Shack, saying "We don't serve BBQ in Bushwood".

 

Taste: When Tom asked me what I wanted I said surprise me. Wookie changed his mind from the brisket plate to a 2nd order of surprise. "You hungry?" Tom asked. Fair to middlin' I said. Minutes later he brings out 2 heaping platters of food. I hope I can remember all it right. Pork ribs, pulled pork, brisket, chicken, cold slaw, beans, black eyed pea salad, mac & cheese, corn bread and 4 different kinds of sauce. Wow, maybe I have to reconsider not having anything left to praise Smokin Mo's about. The chicken was smoky and moist, the ribs were falling off the bone and seasoned to near perfection, the pulled pork and brisket were tender and kissed with the right amount of pit smoke. If I had to say anything bad about it, maybe I could put forward the claim that the brisket was ever so slightly, itsy bitsy, dry. But, that would be nit-picking because a small drop or two of sauce and it was as close to moo nirvana as it could be. The black eyed pea salad was incredible, with just the right amount of heat. I all but ignored the rest of the sides because I was too busy being a carnivore. Gonna give you 9 stars for todays effort.

 

Value: Just south of $40 for all of this. WHAT!!!!!! you say. 40 bucks for lunch, you gotta be outta you mind! Nope, I'm not. If you have read my entire blog you will know that good BBQ is a labor of love. Its not the McRib, its not a plate of prepackaged crap you buy from WalMart. Its what is served here and its not 2nd best. 2 Andrew Jacksons for this mountain of food was worth every penny. 10 stars.

 

Staff: What can I say? Seeing Tom again and his exuberance about the restaurant. His story about the Chamber of Commerce welcoming Smokin Mo's back (to a standing ovation I believe). Nothing less than 10 stars would be a crime.

 

Ambiance: I gotta give Tom and Mo a lot of credit here. They took a old bank (the building is on the historical register), scraped up an old carpet, put some pigs on the ceiling and created a nice place. They even had a bucket of peanuts on each table. Other than that it was pretty plain.  You get 7 stars for the blank canvas you have to work with.

 

Friends: I would and I most certainly will do my best to promote Smokin Mo's. I hope that you will too. 9 stars.

 

Overall Smokin Mo's gets a must deserved 9 stars out of 10 for today. Its good to have another choice for local dining. Its great to see Tom again (you have been missed). Its great to have Smokin Mo's back! Welcome back you two. Keep up the good work.

10-22-2009 Ranch House BBQ

Today found Wookie, Daylight and I heading down to the ocean beaches as I had seen a report of high surf and swells reaching 17 - 20 feet. Sounded like a good picture opportunity to me. After striking out at Westport, the 3 of us headed up to Ocean Shores and the Jetty on the north side of Grays (or Greys depending on the map used) Harbor. The pictures were great and I even was able to test out my new wet/cold weather gear when a wave, slamming into the jetty, dumped all over me. Only because I had the jacket unzipped was any water able to get to my skin. The first gear suit shed all the rest. I mentioned a couple of local spots to eat (both very good by the way) and that the BBQ hunter had taken too long of a rest. Well, to make a long story endless, the Ranch House was on the way home for 2 of us, and the other rider (ME) would not be put too far out of the way. So off we went and a short hour later we were pulling into the parking lot.

Taste: All of us decided on the rib tip platter (one of the specials). I had slaw and beans and those two had garlic fries as one of their sides. I believe 1 had potato salad and the other slaw also. After a very short wait the waitress brought out a small basket containing corn muffins. Another short wait and our food arrived. Wow! A veritable mountain of food swamped the plates. The aroma was incredible. I dug into the ribs without any further conversation. Half my plate was finger licking good. The other half not so great. Some of the rib tips were done almost to the point of being jerky. The others were very tender, but not too moist and juicy (my preference). Adding some of the BBQ sauce provided at the table helped some, but not enough. The slaw was a little bland and the beans were delicious. You could sure taste the smoker though. I'm gonna have to score you guys a 7 today. Not up to your usual excellence. Coffees and waters around for us too.

Value: 65 bucks for all this food and all the coffee we could stand. Not bad for a dinner with 2 good friends. The waitress kept us filled up on water too. 8 stars.

Staff: As usual, the staff at the Ranch House really go all out to make our stay this night a good one. I can't add anything to this visit that I haven't already mentioned before. 9 stars and very well deserved.

Ambiance: Got it going on in spades on this category. Your "new" old place has really got the sweet scent of BBQ sunk into the paint now. Wookie commented that you have taken down the pictures of the destruction visited upon you by the creek that runs by. Lets hope the wall you constructed will prevent any future mishaps. Gotta give you another 9 stars.

Friends: Would I take my buds to your joint over some other place in the area, because you should know that there are lots of great restaurants in the area and even a couple of super BBQ joints not so far away either? Who am I kidding? Of course you would be my first choice. 9 stars.

Overall I'm thinking that today's visit garners the Ranch House 8 stars out of 10. Not bad, but I know you can do better. I hope my next platter of rib tips are not overdone, but maybe I'll order up one of your sandwiches instead. Keep up the good work and all you dummies who haven't made it here yet, get your arse in gear!

7-30-2009 Smoking Mo's Kitchen

Sometimes it seems that no matter how hard I try to not do something events conspire to head me in that direction anyway. Today I was going to enjoy this HOT summer day with a ride up the Hood Canal. Maybe catch a bite to eat at some random restaurant alongside what ever road my travels put me on. Within minutes I hit new chip seal and too much traffic. So, just a mere 5 or 6 miles north of Shelton I turned around and was thinking about what should do. Without too much conscious effort on my part I found myself pulling into the parking in front of Mo's. Hmmmmmm... how did I end up here? Lord knows, I couldn't have picked a better spot to just chance by. HA HA, who am I kidding? Smoking Mo's Kitchen doesn't need divine intervention to get me in the door.

Taste: Last time I was down there Tom was talking up the new sandwich, aptly named the Big Country. I was intrigued and the thoughts of this monstrosity had my interest and appetite whetted, so without too much apprehension that is what I decided to take home. Good grief folks! 1/2 pound each of pulled pork and brisket, piled very high on a huge bun with slaw and sauce. Just the right amount of sauce too, as it complemented the smokey pork and beef. The beef was incredibly tender and extremely smokey. The pork was well done and tasted just like the inside of a well seasoned pit. The slaw added a very nice crunch to the sandwich. The bun, well the bun was made for hamburgers. Not my top favorite for serving BBQ on, but it didn't detract from anything on this feast. 9 very deserved stars.

Value: A full pound of BBQ piled onto this giant sandwich with a double order of slaw (on the sandwich and on the side) made this $15 w/tip a very good bargain indeed. 9 stars.

Staff: Today I had a treat. I got to say hi, then bye, then hi again.......and then another goodbye to Mo. She was running in and out of the joint getting ready to head home. Tom was his usual friendly self and I heard about the new sandwich, which will put the Big Country to shame. 9 stars.

Ambiance: As usual, I can't find any faults or wrongs here. One of these days I'm gonna have to catch you guys when the smokers are running. 9 stars.

Friends: I needed a friend today as this lunch/dinner was enormous. I wondering who I might drag down to try another one. Anyway, its just one more thing to recommend to my buds. 9 stars.

Well....lets see...take the root angle of the circumference of the outer diameter of the right triangle. Divide by pi and factor in the air velocity of a coconut laden swallow.....and the results are......drum roll please....9 STARS. Well, another fine BBQ experience thanks to the great folks at Smoking Mo's Kitchen. Come on people, you ain't had BBQ until you try Mo's.


Later...

7-17-2009 Po-Boy & Bar-B-Q

A couple of weeks ago Wookie and I were making good time heading back to Olympia for dinner with folks and friends when we passed by Po-Boy in Puyallup. The savory scent of a smoker knocked on my nose as we barreled down the road. We both looked at each other and I decided at that moment that the BBQhunter would return before too long to try this place out. That day was today as Wookie, Her Majesty, Daylight and I ran up to Mt. Rainer and back. What a beautiful day for a ride and what a great way for the BBQhunter to end on. This fine afternoon also had the smoker in operation with the sweet perfume of smoldering wood kicking out copious quantities of smoke. After looking at the menu I decided on the pulled pork sandwich combo that included beans and one other side of choice. I chose the macaroni salad and for 50 cents more had a scoop of slaw put on the sandwich. I also had a super cold iced tea and an equally as big and icy water. I believe Daylight ordered pretty much the same and Her Majesty and Wookie had the brisket.

Taste: Well, I'm here to tell ya folks that the pulled pork was smokey and tender. Just a wee bit too much sauce. Not over powering by any stretch, but just a little in the way of really tasting the meat. The bun was a typical hamburger bun with sesame seeds. Not my favorite choice for serving up BBQ, but it was a sizable sandwich. The beans were good, but tasted a little too much like Bushes beans that you get out of the can. The real winner on this plate was the macaroni salad, done up with small shells and spiced up with what I think might have been seasoning salt. Very smooth, creamy and delicious. I've seen on TV how southerners sometimes get a scoop of slaw on the sandwich and thought it went pretty darn good too. I'll score you 8 out of 10 stars for this category and that is only because of the bun and beans. My riding and dining partners thought everything was great.

Value: Nothing wrong here. I can't remember for sure and they do not have a website to check this on, but I believe my combo plate went for 6 dolla fitty cent. That is not a misprint (just a not so subtle try at slang). $6.50 for a pretty big sandwich, a BIG scoop of salad and beans, and all the iced tea and water I could stuff down my neck. I believe the bill for all of us came to around 36 bucks (thanks Wookie!). 9 easily deserved stars.

Staff: Well, this is kinda hard to judge as we pretty much were left alone except for when the food was delivered to the table. The two staff in attendance this afternoon were polite enough whilst the orders were made and then pretty much left us on our own afterwords. Our gentle teasing and questions did not even raise an eyebrow with them. We pretty much had the run of the place to ourselves. Maybe it was the sight of 4 dehydrated bikers left them a little aloof this day. Who knows, but I'm only gonna score you a 7.

Ambiance: If you are a John Deer fanatic besides an eater of some pretty good BBQ than this is THE place for you. John Deer bric-a-brac was the theme decoration here. A couple of other whimsical decorations and a great tee-shirt (that wasn't for sale; what the heck is up with teasing us like that?) were the other items to look at besides the DVD of some ultimate fighting being played on the big screen. At least my back was turned to it so I would't have to watch it. Not a bad look, just not my idea of a BBQ joint. 6 stars.

Friends: Yeah, I admit it. I would take my buddies to this place because when it comes right down to it, its the food that is the real ticket here. I bet you will see my friends and I again. If I understand it right, I believe Wookie put you at the top of his list for "local" eateries to visit. 9 stars.

Overall I award Po-Boy and Bar-B-Q 8 stars out of 10. Pretty good for a resaurant. You folks up in Puyallup have a BBQ joint that you can be proud of. So count me for having yet 1 more BBQ place in my top 10 and who knows, maybe I'll darken your doorstep in the not so far future.


Later...

7-16-2009 Smoking Mo's Kitchen

YIKES! Has it really been this long since my last BBQ experience. I guess so, seeing how my last entry was 27th of last month. I have eaten BBQ during this time frame. It came out of my smoker and I was informed that it was the best chicken they had ever had. Plus my smoked ribs got a lot of attention too. Well, to make a long story even more endless; today found me at Ft. Lewis at a new memorial park dedication. What a great day for a ride and to have the PGR so honored by our active duty heroes stationed at Ft. Lewis. Kinda wish more than 5 of us showed up. Oh well, no use griping about it. It was my privilege to be there. Anyway, it was late in the afternoon before I was able to leave the base. Robo & Lil' Bit's bike shed a belt, so Beacon Keeper and I waited around for the Tow Truck to arrive and take those 2 back to Rochester. On the way home I was thinking......ok, ok..... I was obsessing about some BBQ from Smoking Mo's. I spent some awkward moments with a new guy at the counter before Tom made it back in to take my order. I told him I had 20 bucks to spend for meal and tip, so surprise me. And here it is....

Taste: The mountain of food I ended up with was as follows. Ribs, chicken, pulled pork, potato salad, beans and a piece of corn bread. For sauces I got the Carolina style mustard, sweet BBQ and a new offering of Lexington vinegar. I was told that down in Kentucky this Lexington sauce was used to make pulled pork sandwiches. Any who, the pulled pork was at the bottom of the pile so first I tried dipping the ribs and the chicken in it. Hmmmmm, not bad but not great either. I took a fork full of the pulled pork and dredged it into the sauce. Now that's more like it. I couldn't quite put my finger on what the sauce reminded me of. I know I've had it before, but I've never been in Kentucky my entire life. After much mental twisting I had the mystery solved. This Lexington vinegar sauce is a dead ringer for the vinegar sauce I used to get in the Philippines with fresh outta the fryer pork rinds. No wonder it went great with the pulled pork. As for the other items, the ribs were their usual falling off the bone tender and smokey. The chicken was done to a T. The beans were fantastic. The potato salad was just a wee bit bland (I like LOTS of mustard in mine) but other wise not too bad. My disappointment was the corn bread. Smoking Mo's , in my not so humble opinion, makes the world's best corn bread...........usually anyway........today it was a dry as a piece of Styrofoam. Insert sad face here :( sigh......... So for today I can only score you 8 stars out of 10.

Value: I can't think of a single new adverb to describe these guys any differently than before. My bill (+ tip) came to an even 20 dollars. The container I took it home in was bulging at the seams. I'm not kidding, it was a miracle that it even closed........barely. 9 very well deserved stars here.

Staff: You know....I sure have fun going down to Smoking Mo's. They know who I am now and this afternoon I got a big "How's the BBQ Hunter doing today?" as Tom came back in from making an enormous delivery to someone's car heading back to Gig Harbor. I apologize to the "new guy" for not letting him take my order, I just felt like waiting for Tom to come back so I could do my surprise me order. I got to listen to Tom talk about their future plans with Smoking Mo's for a bit and I really felt like I was at home there. 9 stars here too.

Ambiance: I guess I must just be getting used to the place. Part of me wants to remain objective and gripe about this and that. For example, I wish I could see the pit and smell it just a little ( ok, a whole lot more). The other part of me is saying "What the heck!", I'm just around the corner from home and I don't care......it's just great having a place like this so close to home. There just isn't anything to gripe about (besides the corn bread) so I would be remiss if I didn't award another 9 stars here too.

Friends: I don't hold anything back when I talk about Smoking Mo's to my friends, coworkers and anyone else I can pin down for a couple of minutes. I even told the owner of Big Lou's Texas Style BBQ in Camas and the owner of Tatu BQQ in Kingston that they really really........no really really really needed to try this joint if they are ever in town. 9 stars!

Overall, today's visit nets 9 stars out of 10 for Smoking Mo's Kitchen. I hope that any of you reading this blog take the time out to visit this place. Shelton not that far out of the way for most of you. Heck its on the way up to Hurricane Ridge and back. So take the time to visit and I guarantee you won't be sorry (guarantee void in 5 seconds or when you say "Hey honey, lets go visit this BBQ joint this idiot raves about" or whichever comes first).


Later...

6-27-2009 Caveman Kitchen

This very perfect Pacific Northwest day would find me in Renton at Renton Motorcycle Company checking out a new set of boots. I found a great set of Alpinestars Alpha Touring for $170 and June is no sales tax month too. After perusing some bikes my tummy was a rumbling for some BBQ. Good ol' Garmin said that there was quite a few BBQ restaurants in the area. I selected the Caveman Kitchen as its name was...well, kinda catchy in a way. Easy find and they had what appeared to be 2 converted water towers (smaller farm style) for pits and 1 of them was puffing out a stream of smoke that I could smell a block away. So far so good. The place was no-frills with a menu that was entirely made up of grilled and smoked choices. They even had a sandwich called the salmon dip. Sounds intriguing, to say the least, perhaps next time I'll have to give it a whirl. I saw a container of meat at the workstation and after finding out it was beef I decided on the beef sandwich.

Taste: Along with the large BBQ beef sandwich I also ordered up a small cole slaw and a small drink. Drinks were self serve and on the honor system. Diet coke with lots of ice. I observed my sandwich being prepared which consisted of a over sized handful of sliced beef placed on a 9 or 10 inch french bread. A scoop of BBQ sauce went on top and then much to my happy surprise the whole thing went open face into a broiler oven to get a bit of toasting. After a quick toast, I grabbed my order and headed outside to the plethora of well worn picnic tables. I'm sure the tables were both worn from being out in the sun and having lots of butts planted on them enjoying BBQ. The sandwich was huge with a big pile of very tender smoked beef. The BBQ sauce was less than spectacular and it seemed to me to be dressed up ketchup. I'm glad there was only a little on it. The meat was the star here for sure (along with the toasty bun). The slaw was what I could get down at the local Fred Meyer deli. Pretty fair and creamy. Soft drinks were the only drink offered and I thought that perhaps a Pale Ale would have been perfect with this lunch. Lack of adult beverages, the BBQ sauce having absolutely no character and the "store bought" cole slaw will only net you a 7 this day. Not bad, but certainly not perfect.

Value: Under 15 bucks for a giant sandwich, slaw, drink and a tip was a pretty darn good value. You deserve nothing less than a 9 here.

Staff: I was glad I was 2nd in line. There was only one counter person working when I walked in and she had to call someone up from the back to help out (more than once) as foot traffic started piling up behind me. As I was standing in line she was more than happy to get a head start on my order until help came up and wrote it up so I could pay. All the staff I saw (2) were very polite and friendly. I gotta give ya another 9.

Ambiance: This joint was only about BBQ and nothing else. In spite of the gimmicky name, which intrigued me enough to make the trip, there was nothing else in the way of decorations. The only thing, other than the menu, that was posted for public consumption was a local newspaper article which proclaimed the Caveman kitchen as the local favorite, as voted by the public. But, I have to respect that they seem to feel that nothing can or will get in the way of serving up BBQ to the locals. You get a 8 for this category. Your giant pits were great to look at and I would not have mined not having to peer at them through a tall fence.

Friends: I would certainly take my friends here and even let folks know about you if I think they will be in your area. There are a lot more BBQ joints within 10 miles of you and I may or may not stop in again in the near future. Another 8 stars.

Overall I award the Caveman Kitchen 8 stars out of 10. You BBQ was pretty generic, but not bad. I would like to try some of the other BBQ that you offer. Maybe the salmon or the pulled pork next time. For all of you up in the Kent area I respect your choice of favorite BBQ in your area.


Later.....

5-29-2009 Big Lou's Texas BBQ

This fine Pacific Northwest spring day would find me back in Camas WA and just a short 1/2 mile from Big Lou's. Ever since I made plans to attend a PGR mission down there I knew a visit to one of my favorites was in order. I spread the word before and after the mission that I would be heading over and 4 of us found our way there. What a great sight to behold, that huge pit right next to the road and the promise of BBQ within. Now for the ratings.

Taste: I had bragged up the chopped brisket sandwich to my fellow riders and that is what two of them ordered. I had the The Big Lou which was a giant baked potato smothered in chopped brisket, sauce, sour cream, butter, cheddar cheese and chives. A pulled pork sandwich for the last rider of our group. In addition to this I ordered a icy cold iced tea which really hit the spot as the temperature had soared into the mid 80's that day. My potato arrived out our table looking like it truly was the size of Texas. It had to weigh just shy of a pound and the heaps of brisket piled on top set the BBQ tone. After digging in I found the last little bits of potato swimming in butter. I think my cholesterol was pegged against the needle, but that's OK once in awhile. Everyone there showed their appreciation to this fine fare by not leaving one bite behind. I'm pretty sure the others would agree with me that Big Lou hit another one out of the park this afternoon and my award of 9 stars is what is deserved here.

Value: As I've said before, Big Lou's has a great bargain for the food. I spent a $10 dollar bill for my lunch and the others seemed happy with the menu and its prices. 9 stars here too.

Staff: Big Lou himself was on hand to take our orders and see to it that we were happy with our lunches. After eating I went inside to order up some to go for my buddy Wookie (who was dinged up and couldn't make the trip) and had a long chat with Big Lou about BBQ and some of our favorites. I recommended that he try Smoking Mo's the next time he found himself in my area. Anyway, he was the picture of a southern gentleman and he along with his staff deserve nothing less than 9 stars.

Ambiance: Nothing changed here since my last visit. The big pit next to the road and the picnic tables under cover had the perfect touch of a good old fashioned BBQ joint. 9 stars.

Friends: It should go without saying that I would recommend this place to all of my friends. Camas has a great place for BBQ right in their midst and I hope that they know it. Big Lou's will be a spot that I will get to again with some of my buddies. 9 stars.

Overall Big Lou's Texas BBQ gets 9 out of 10 stars. I wish that it wasn't a 120 mile ride there. It would be great to have the "perfect" trifecta of Big Lou's, Smoking Mo's and the Ranch House within decent riding distance. The care package that I delivered to Wookie and Her Majesty was a hit with them two. 1/2 pounds each of chopped brisket and pulled pork. Perhaps maybe its best that a really great ride does end in Camas and that Big Lou's will be waiting for me.

Later.....

7-08-2009 Rooters BBQ

What a well spent way to end 2 days of volunteer work with the Patriot Guard Riders of Washington State. I had been asked by more than 1 if the BBQ Hunter was ready to get his grub on. Heck yes I was. Daylight, being from the area, spoke pretty highly of this place and that it was just around the corner, so to speak, didn't hurt my feelings at all. It had been another dry spell in the world of BBQ for me. What we didn't announce was that we were headed out to eat, so our group slowly whittled it self down to 4 bikes from around 9 as people began to realize that the freeway, and home, was not our destination. Anyway, it wasn't too long after leaving the hallowed grounds of Mt. Tahoma that the restaurant was in view and we were parked & heading inside. It was before dinner and well after the traditional lunch time, so we pretty much had the run of the place. Two tables were pushed together and we got seated at some pretty massive looking log furniture that could take the weight of leathers and not tip over. What a great menu and the prices were really good. After drooling a bit and almost proposing to our waitress (she provided me with a "menu" of adult beverages) we all made our choices. On with the ratings.

Taste: Wookie and I ordered The Pig Pile. Daylight got the The Mess of BBQ. Trike Daddy ordered the Long Horn and finally Hobbler, who really wanted some diet BBQ ordered up a half Caesar Salad. Coronas for Trike Daddy and Wookie, Red Hook ESB for me and not so adult beverages for the Daylight and Hobbler. I also asked for a side of ribs. The Pig Pile was just that! A gargantuan mound of pulled pork and beans baked into a giant slab of cornbread, topped with sauce (spicy this time) and grilled onions. Also included on the plate was another 3 inch round of super moist corn bread. Off to the side was a pickle wedge and a little cup of honey butter. Absolutely delicious! The pork baked into the cornbread tasted like it was fresh out of the pit, the ribs were super tender and the meat fell off the bone. My only concern was the amount of sauce used. Just a wee bit heavy for me, but very good, so that not really a complaint and just an observation. The ESB was icy cold and went great with the spicy sauced BBQ. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their food as the only take home was half of the "half" salad. I have to point out that Rooters perception of a half salad is slightly skewed. It was just as enormous as the rest of the "carnivores" lunches. Based upon my meal and I'm pretty sure that everyone else would agree, I score 9 very deserved stars for this fare.

Value: Nothing but praise here too. The entire lunch menu is priced at $8.99, the dinner menu was priced well too and the ribs were on the house. Very generous portions! $13.53 for food and drink. 9 stars.

Staff: I wish I could remember our waitress's name. She was great and took any ribbing (pun intended) we dished out in stride and giving me the ribs gratis was a really nice touch. As I passed the plate around the table she wondered if I didn't like them. Heck no! I just wanted to share. Anyway, she was the very picture of hospitality. Another 9 stars here too.

Ambiance: This place was pretty much like Famous Dave's BBQ, but on a smaller scale. Very rustic and my first impression was that of a log cabin, perhaps a cabin next to a lake (nudge, nudge......Lake Sawyer is in the area) as fish and fishing seemed to be the decor. My only complaint, and this one I take seriously, is that I could not detect a pit by smell. I sure could taste it in the food though! 8 stars.

Friends: Yep! I would be remiss if I didn't rave about this place to my riding and eating buddies. Way off the beaten path of my normal haunts, but well within reach for PGR missions. You will see me again and thanks to Daylight I now have another "favorite" joint to talk about. 9 stars.

Overall I award Rooters famous BBQ 9 out of 10 stars. Keep up the good work and next time I'll have to try the The Mess. Any of you living up there in the Black Diamond area need to make this place one of your favorites too. Check them out out www.rootersbbq.com and see for yourself.


Later...

4-06-2009 River View Dining

I was as helpless as a moth drawn to the flame. The savory smoke of the pit wafted across the road as I was burning up the miles on this first really great day of spring. My heart had been set all day on making it to Artic and a burger at Clark's Tavern. So far my only stop other than to fuel up was a rest stop, where I had some travelers coffee. I never intended to let the BBQhunter out to play today. My plans were set and I was determined to make it the last 20 or so miles before sitting down in front of something off the menu at Clark's. I caught the first whiff of something grand as I entered South Bend. On the right hand side of the road was a pit in operation. I even made it about a hundred yards past the joint before my unconscious bidding had me turned around and facing back whence I had just traveled. I pulled into a spot in front of the River View Dining. Small and kinda dingy at first impression, but the sight of the pit belching smoke overcame any objections that I might have had. After being seated inside, I perused the menu and decided to take a wee bit of a step outside of the comfort zone that I have known up to now as the BBQhunter. Instead of the usual BBQ fare that I normally order, I decided on a dozen fire grilled oysters. Now, I have sat down and consumed many hundreds, if not thousands, of oysters fresh off the grill and somehow that choice seemed right on this fine day. After all, South Bend sits on the banks of the Willapa River and they are pretty well known for the succulent variety of bivalves that come out of the local water. What the heck, lets give it a try.

Taste: Sitting inside the restaurant, enjoying an ice cold tea, I watched the pit master lay out the oysters onto a grill over a smokey hot fire made of alder wood. As the minutes ticked by I watched him turning the shells over until they finally popped open. Then he pried apart the oysters, shucked the meat and placed each morsel back into 1/2 of the shell. Butter was carefully brushed on and seasoning and spices were applied. At the last moment a sauce was poured over the oysters and they were whisked back inside and in front of me. I was told to dip my garlic bread into the sauce for a tasty treat. Good grief! What ever oysters I have had up to this point in time where nothing compared to these. Hints of garlic, onions, lime, cilantro and what I believe to be some sweet chilies accompanied the buttery morsels of goodness. In between bits of seafood I was dredging my bread through the sauce, just as suggested. Fantastic. 9 stars.

Value: Well, just north of Shelton I can get a whole bunch of oysters for the grill at a very reasonable cost. Enough to keep my brother and I eating for most of the afternoon. My bill for this fare came to just under 18 dollars. I'm really not sure what kind of bargain this was because I normally don't eat seafood in restaurants. It was sized well for a snack. I felt like I could have eaten another 12 and not been stuffed. The side of garlic bread was pretty big and the plentiful tea was ice cold. I think because I was so overwhelmed with the excellent taste I'll give you guys a 7 in this category.

Staff: Very friendly and welcoming. I was not kept waiting in any aspect. I even enjoyed a little chat with the pit master before leaving. I confess that I told him that he was a genius on the grill. 9 very deserved stars.

Ambiance: Well, this place certainly was about the pit. I could have had any of the normal BBQ choices instead of the oysters. The place was cozy (there is that code word again) and had seating for about 25 or so at a choice of a mish mash of assorted tables and chairs. Other than the pit and the menu I did not get a feel for this place other than a sightly worn out road side diner. But here, your pit saves the day. 7 stars.

Friends: I would definitively recommend your establishment to my buddies and to others. I'm pretty sure that you will see me again. 8 stars.

Overall I award the River View Dining 8 stars out of 10. I suppose I shouldn't gripe about the cost, but if I had to find one flaw in this place that that would be it. Not the strict definition of a BBQ joint as defined by me, but certainly not a bad stop to make. I will try to duplicate your oysters the next time I find myself with a few dozen on the grill (for well under 2o bucks) and hopefully I come close.

Later...

3-13-2009 TaTu BBQ

I am very pleased with myself that I chose to go to Kingston instead of Poulsbo. I would have never had the privilege of meeting Mr Patrick Momany and gotten to chow down on his interpretation of Texas Style BBQ. The other location, which I found on the Internet and was led to believe that it was the main site, was closed for good and the Kingston joint is the only one around these days. If I had chosen Poulsbo, I would have ended up taking my riding buddies, Wookie and Andy (he needs a nick name), to some other BBQ establishment. Upon arriving in Kingston, Wookie and I searched around for NE Maine. After making a right turn Clyde we traveled the entire 2 city blocks of its length in vain. Aghhhhhhhh! Didn't see it anywhere! On the flip side Wookie's nose pointed us in the right direction. Sure enough, just after he pointed out the joint the sweet and savory smell of a pit smacked me in the face. The shack was located behind another business that had the NE Maine address. As we were pulling into the parking area this cowboy looking dude comes out of the tiny building and greets us. This guy looks like he could costar in western movies right along side of Sam Elliot and Tom Selleck. I found out later that he was from this area and that he had learned the art of BBQ just a few years ago. He had even taken a course on the subject. We got to listen to his story of how he was involved with the Wounded Warrior project and that he had even flown to Germany to serve up our men and woman service members some good ol' USA BBQ. What a treat it was to meet this gentleman. Wookie presented him with a PGR coin and we 3 expressed our thanks for what he does. Again , it has been my incredible opportunity to meet another kindred soul. Patrick, it was an honor to shake your hand. Now, lets talk about some BBQ.

Taste: After being handed samples of ribs, rubbed nuts (yes, they are pistachios; get your minds out of the gutter) and some incredible smoked corned beef I couldn't make up my mind. Staring at the menu didn't help. Well, pulled pork was at the top so that is what I ordered. Wookie and Andy ordered the same. We also shared an order of riblets. Tree hugger tea for my cohorts and I had a diet "whatever is on top of the cooler". Our sandwiches were served up on big hamburger buns with a side of slaw that was intended to go into the sandwich. OK by me. The pork was incredibly tender and the smoke assaulted my senses with its aromatic flavor. We all pretty much shut up except to eat and to offer our praises. I chose not to dress mine up with any sauce, but there were plenty to choose from with Carolina vinegar and mustard at the front of the pack. I tried dipping one of the riblets into a Habanero sauce which made me glad I just had a drop on it. I tried another with the Mustard sauce. Homemade and very delicious. 9 very well deserved stars.

Value: The bill came out to 41 bucks for sandwiches all around, a big order of riblets to share, drinks and a jar of his self labeled rub. Not bad, not bad at all. The pleasant experience of meeting Patrick and hearing his story certainly even added an additional worth. 9 stars.

Staff: Well I can't say that your waitress was very cute. Kinda hairy in the face and should have been starring in western flicks. Wait a sec.......that was no waitress.........that was Patrick. See what happens when I'm bedeviled by BBQ. All kidding aside, the one man operation that is TaTu BBQ was not understaffed as this one man seemed to be everywhere all at the same time. 9 stars.

Ambiance: No complaints at all here. The pit in use was ever so smokey good. The joint had a "side of the road" (which it was) easy in and out atmosphere to it that ranks it high amongst others and puts the pretenders to shame. The white board with the simple menu , the table of sauces and the lone smoker in operation (there were others) were the only trimmings necessary to this no frills operation. The single table offered was a wee bit to far away for my taste and not really needed as a day in the saddle left me with the desire to stand anyway. 9 stars.

Friends: This is an excellent place for a destination ride. Being right next to the ferry terminal in Kingston, I could see a motorcycle run having a quick chow break here as we all waited for the next boat ride. I will recommend you to my buddies and I bet that my riding partners of today will probably do the same. 9 stars.

Overall (this is a no brainer) I award TaTu Texas style BBQ 9 solid stars out of 10. I will be using your rub tomorrow to smoke up some pork ribs as my daughter will be in town for a visit. I hope my next visit isn't too far down the road, but you never know where the BBQhunter will strike next. Folks, if you want to meet a genuine good guy, and you are in the Kingston area, you probably couldn't do better than to stop by this place and give it a try.

Check him out at:

http://www.tatubbq.com/index.htm

Later...

2-28-2009 Ranch House BBQ

I'm pretty sure that I ended my last entry stating that I was going to spread the BBQhunter around a little before heading back to the Ranch House. Well, today's visit was not preplanned, it just happened. Mind you, I'm not complaining. I can't think of a better place to catch a impromptu dinner. It all started with a PGR mission to Grays Harbor county and the services of a fallen hero, SSgt Davis. The day was cold and some drizzle fell on us now and then. I decided to play hooky from work (yes, believe it or not, being the BBQhunter doesn't pay the electric bill) and it was suggested by my favorite Wookie that we stop by the Ranch House on the way home. Most excellent! The two of us quickly became 4 (with the addition of Daylight and Biker Vet) and off we went flying down the highway at warp 10. Egads! Upon arrival we found that the parking lot was packed up, except for strangely right in front of the BBQ trailers, and that there was a 20 minute wait to be seated unless we wished to sit in the bar. So off we went to the bar, which I have to say was cozy (code word for tiny), but had just emptied. Perhaps it was the sight of 4 leather encrusted bikers that gave us the run of the place. While we were sitting and yakking it up, we were joined by 2 more PGR members and 2 active duty Air Force members who had also attended the services today. Now there were 8 of us in the bar and we could barely turn around to say howdy as it was wall to wall people (did I say the bar was cozy?). I will try to encompass our group of 8 while scoring this visit, but will most likely remain focused on my individual experience this day.

Taste: I had the BBQ chicken sandwich, garlic fries, potato salad and a cold beer to wash it down. I believe there was only one other order of the chicken sandwich. The rest of the "gang" had brisket or pork. I know from previous visits that the brisket is great. I should have ordered the brisket today, but I felt like chicken. Sigh! My loss as the chicken, while very tasty, was as dry as Styrofoam packing peanuts. The over abundance of sauce was its only saving grace. I don't usually like a lot of BBQ sauce on my plate, but today it was entirely the correct thing to do. The potato salad was good, but not the cat's meow, and the garlic fries were as usual very delicious. The Sam Adam's Boston Lager was icy cold. The rest of the group seemed to enjoy their meals as the conversation died down to the minimum after the food was served. I'll score you a 7 today. That is the low end of splitting the difference between my meal and what I perceived from the others.

Value: Lets see......18 and 1/2 bucks for dinner and a beer. $4.25 of that was for the Sam Adams. Egads. 1 beer! For a couple more bucks, I could have bought a 6 pack from the store. Not the best bargain on the planet folks. I also had a iced tea and can only hope that the two drinks were combined to come up with the total. I'll score you an 8, because I'm giving you the benefit of the the doubt.

Staff: Absolutely no complaints here. Our huge order came out of the kitchen with a minimum of wait time and our bartender/waitress was a delight, especially watching her at the mixology trade. I have never seen a lemon drop made before today and believe me its a sight to behold. 9 stars

Ambiance: You got it going on here. WOW! The smell was incredible. I'm sure the pit must have been in full operation all day or maybe it was the mountains of BBQ being served up and consumed all around me. I was in BBQ heaven! Your bar, while "cozy" had a great selection of brews and mine was ice cold. The place was packed to the gills and during our stay it even got busier, if that is possible. When we finally cleared out of the bar it was standing room only in the waiting area. The second we left our seats they were filled again. Its nice to see that so many people share my opinion of this joint. 9 very well deserved stars.

Friends: As I have said before, I will recommend this place to all, far and wide. Maybe not the chicken though. Well, perhaps some day I'll try it again (the chicken that is). There is no perhaps concerning the Ranch House BBQ. This place still is 1 of my favorites in the local area. I will return and drag along a couple more buddies. 9 stars.

Overall I award the Ranch House BBQ a score of 8 stars for this visit. Not bad at all. My only real complaint was the chicken and I suppose I shouldn't gripe too loudly. I certainly gobbled it down like I hadn't eaten all day (which is the truth, except for a cookie or two). Everyone else in the group sang your praises loudly. But, this is my blog and its my opinion that counts here. I'm looking forward to my next visit and perhaps this time I'll actually spread the BBQhunter around beforehand.

Later...

2-20-2009 Ranch House BBQ

This visit started out as a run to Olympia to meet up with my bank to talk about a home mortgage. Well, to make a long story endless, I called my buddy Wookie from the parking lot of the bank and invited Him and Her Majesty to lunch at the "new" old location of the Ranch House BBQ out on Kennedy Creek Road, midway between Olympia and McCleary on Highway 8. Didn't take any more than a half a second and I was on my way to their house to meet up. I've never been to the original location and if you have paid any attention to this blog you will remember that this has been one of my consistent issues. It was a very easy find, especially since I was letting Garmin do the navigating. The 3 of us spent a little time gazing at Kennedy Creek and the still visible signs of cleaned up destruction. The Ranch House itself was in great shape and we proceeded inside.

Taste: Little to no perusing of the menu occurred as we all ordered the brisket sandwich, cole slaw for Wookie and I, potato salad for Her Majesty. And as before, we all ordered the garlic fries as the additional side. Diet Pepsi for my lunch partners and a iced tea for me. After a very short wait we each had a plate of some really great looking BBQ with sides sitting in front of us. I dug straight in and couldn't find hardly any fault with the food. The cole slaw was my only concern. It was crunchy, just as I like it, but at first, second and third plus fork full it didn't seem to have any dressing at all. I found out a bite or two later that it was all pooled at the bottom of the cup the salad came in. Oh well, next time I'll remember to stir it first. The fries were piping hot and loaded with garlic. The brisket was super tender, moist, very plentiful and topped with a kiss (a sloppy kiss) of tangy BBQ sauce. Our lunch time conversation was interposed with the sounds and happy looks of three hungry BBQ lovers. For dessert I had the cheesecake with wild mountain blueberries. Wookie and Her Majesty shared a peach dessert (I can't remember if it was cobbler or pie) with a scoop of ice cream. Only problem was that it was apple. Those 2 didn't even notice for the most part though, the way it disappeared could only suggest that it was just as wonderful as my cheesecake. 9 very deserved stars for this excellent fare.

Value: The bill came to 55 greenbacks. This was not a bad exchange for the wonderful food and fellowship. 9 stars

Staff: Folks, the people that work here are really some of the friendliest you will ever find. They seemed so happy to be back home and I can't blame them one bit. Our waitress was a delightful breeze as she took care of our hungry bellies and checked back often with refills. 9 stars here

Ambiance: Finally I get to rate the establishment on their home turf and not as homeless waifs. I didn't fail to notice the pit area back in the kitchen. The interior of the place was decorated with BBQ awards and other stuff (including a big bronze pig). It reminded me a lot of a typical road side diner, but with the look and feel of a BBQ joint. I couldn't smell the pit, but I knew it was there. I would guess that with a few more months of "seasoning" the new building then I'll be able to detect the pit with my nose. The outside of the restaurant had 3 towable pits parked ranging in size from gigantic to really large. I mentioned to Wookie and Her Majesty that they could arrange to get me one for Christmas. LOL! Gotta give these folks credit for getting back on their feet. 9 stars

Friends: Even at the temporary location I recommended this joint. I certainly can say with all confidence that I would take any of my buddies to their "new" old place. Today I got to spend a couple of hours with 2 of my PGR family. The time spent at the Ranch House just flew by as I enjoyed a wonderful meal with 2 wonderful people. The wait staff and the casual conversation all around us (some even included us) was the tonic for this ol' farts soul. John and Becky....Thanks for your companionship today, thanks for your undying friendship and a big thanks for all the hugs. 9 stars

Overall this day truly was firing on all cylinders. I will try to patiently wait for my next visit to the Ranch House and spread the BBQhunter around a little. But, it won't be too long before you find me back to enjoy some more great BBQ. A very well done and a highly deserved 9 stars out of 10 for the Ranch House. Don't take my humble word for it though, get your lazy derrieres out there and try it for yourself.

Later...

2-19-2009 Southbay Dickersons BBQ

"Have you been to a BBQ?" was the words I heard inside Gravity Beer Mart in downtown Olympia. I turned to see the owner of the store standing next to me. "Yes" I replied; "Why, am I wearing any?" As I said this I was combing my beard and moustache with my fingers. She said; "Nope, I can smell it on you, you smell smokey in a good way!" As a matter of fact, I had just left Southbay Dickersons BBQ less than 5 minutes ago.

Now that the Ranch House is back in operation at their original location, I was in the "market" for another BBQ joint in downtown Olympia. A buddy of mine had said that he heard of a new place in downtown somewhere in the vicinity of the Fish Tail Brewery. Not being sure of the exact location, I cruised the streets of downtown Oly looking for this "new" place. Eureka!! I had found it, but alas, this trip which happened a couple of weeks ago found them closed. Today was a great day for a ride, so I saddled up DiDi and off I went to see what I would find. As I approached them on Legion way, there wasn't a parking spot in sight. Just in the nick of time a truck pulls out and I hang a quick U-turn straight into the vacated spot. Still had 30 minutes left on the meter, but I fed it another quarter just to make sure. I entered the establishment and was hit right across the face with the succulent smells of a pit in operation. Right behind the order counter was a huge steel door, which I assumed was the BBQ pit. I made my order, left a tip and a card in the jar, took a seat and 5 minutes later was eatin' some pretty darn good grub.

Taste: This was my first visit, so after perusing a well stocked menu I ordered the pulled pork combo with beans and slaw. The beer selection was nice and I asked for a Hefeweizen to round out the fare. Ladies and gents, make sure you are HUNGRY when you get the combo. A massive amount of just right smoked pork with a kiss of sweet & tangy sauce, sitting upon a bun, awaited my first bite. Wow.....very good and oh so very tender. Just ever so slightly dry. The beans were spicy and went great with the BBQ. Big chunks of onions graced them too. The slaw was a big mound of crunchy vegetables with not much dressing. Could have used just a bit more. All in all it was really quite good. Hefe is usually my beer of choice, but next time I'll choose something with a little more bite to counteract the sweet BBQ. 8 stars

Value: Nothing wrong here. A veritable mountain of food and a beer for a tad under 15 bucks. I could have easily made 2 sandwiches from the pork included in this lunch. 9 stars

Staff: Very friendly. They made sure I was greeted and promptly answered any questions I had with a smile. The place was hopping with a lunch crowd and as I waited for my food I noticed that the staff make all the rounds filling drink orders, delivering food and checking back in a efficient matter. They never seemed to be in too much of a hurry and radiated cheerfulness. Another 9 stars

Ambiance: What a cool place. During my lunch I found myself wondering what sort of history this location had. It appeared to been a garage (as in service station) or maybe the loading dock of a long closed store sometime in the past. The front wall was mostly made up of 2 huge roll up doors. The ceiling was solid wood and the beams were enormous. It definitely had the feel of a building that was built a very long time ago. The walls were covered in a mish mash of things that celebrated old Olympia, logging and up in the rafters I even spotted some Rainer Beer stuff. Behind the counter was located the pit. It was faced with a giant steel door that you could have driven a small car into. I got a peek once and although I could not guess the depth of the pit, every rack had something big and meaty sitting on it. 9 stars

Friends: I might hesitate to take suits and ties into here as you could get messy eating this BBQ. So its not quite the place for a business lunch (that is not a deduction BTW), but I would highly recommend Southbay Dickersons BBQ as the joint in downtown Oly to get some great food. I will be back here and hopefully next time I'll have a friend or two along. 9 stars

Overall I award 9 stars out of 10. Very well done! Its sometimes said that first impressions are the lasting ones and believe me when I say that I am very impressed. Keep up the good work.

On a side note, Its my understanding that this restaurant used to be located in the Safeway building. I have no idea of actually how long they have been in operation in the downtown Olympia area and their website offers no insight on this matter. So, they may not be a new BBQ joint after all, just new to me.

Later...

2-07-2009 Smoking Mo's Kitchen

Another long dry spell as the BBQ Hunter is yet foiled over and over again. Either its snow that just won't go away, a failure to hook up with friends at the right time or perhaps the fact that I can be just plain lazy at times. I'm not saying that I haven't gone out to eat, but it just hasn't been BBQ. It is my loss too with Smoking Mo's just a quick few minutes from the house and a "new" BBQ place in downtown Olympia that I want to try.

It was just last week and I was debating food in the local area with a buddy at work. I had made the claim that the best eatery in Mason County was the buffet at the Little Creek Casino. My point of view that it was the best bang for the buck being that they always have lots of mostly pretty good food. Its the place to go when I want to get my "sea food" on. Dave argued that Smoking Mo's was the best. I had said "No way" and that is because they specialize in one food and that is BBQ. I thought that I had won the argument and went on believing just that. Being a dry spell on BBQ, that Smoking Mo's had come up in conversation and I was returning from the PetCo in West Oly, I decided to head through downtown and get some BBQ. After a brief pause at the front door to check if I actually was carrying cash I headed in. After a hearty welcome I was asked about the missing hot link. WHAT! I couldn't believe that they knew who I was. Its not like I've darkened their doorstep everyday griping about the missing hot link. I haven't been there since the middle of last November. As a matter of fact, other than blogging about it I've never mentioned it or really even had any heartburn over it. I'm a pretty easy guy 99% of the time. I was told that they were out of links that day and had included a little extra pulled pork to make up the difference. I felt I needed to mention that in my blog as a token of my appreciation for setting things right, even if I was not aware of it at the time. They now have a smoked link to supplement the menu. Other chit chat included why Philly Bob's is out of business and other eateries in the greater & local area. I was also briefly told the story of how Tom (good grief, I hope I remembered your name right) had met Mo and how they made it here to Mason County. I know, you are probably wondering when I'll get to talking about the food. Hold on to your britches youngster, I'm almost there.......just one more thing to say. Its not a rare occurrence to meet great people. They are all around me. Its not a unusual thing to eat great food, whether or not its BBQ. Wonderful restaurants are all over the place. Surrounding us are people who are very passionate about their lives and chosen professions. Usually you only find one or perhaps two of these attributes in any given situation. The owners of Smoking Mo's Kitchen, in my opinion, have graced this area with not only themselves but with a really outstanding BBQ joint. The "salt of the earth" some might say. Tom, Mo and Smoking Mo's is that rare almost one of a kind experience that embraces everything I've mentioned and so much more.

Taste: Today I ordered the 3 meat combo plate. Brisket, ribs and a link (yep.......I finally got a link and BTW, the wait was worth it). Sides of slaw, Mac & Cheese and a slab of corn bread. I chose the Carolina Mustard to top it all off. Where do I start? The brisket was smoky and tender. The ribs were perfection! The link was very good and smokey. The sauce was tangy and a great compliment to the smokiness BBQ. The Mac & Cheese was very good. I'm not a big Mac & Cheese fan, but I glad I took the recommendation to try some. The slaw was crunchy. The corn bread.....hmmmmm.....what to say about the corn bread? If Smoking Mo's was to open a joint that just sold corn bread, then I would be a customer. Melt in your mouth and buttery goodness aplenty. 9 very deserved stars!

Value: Don't get me started here! The menu has this feast listed for $12.95 and that would be a great bargain. Smoking Mo's gave it to me for the price of a single meat combo.......$9.95! I was told it was to make up for the lack of a link the last time. I'm humbled. Very nice touch folks and a award of anything less than 9 stars would be criminal on my part.

Staff: Hopefully I said it all in my intro. 9 stars (maybe a special award of 1 thousand stars should be created).

Ambiance: Couldn't smell the pit which I knew darn well was there. No deductions though, it was enough to know that it was on the premises. 9 stars.

Friends: I have and I will continue to promote Smoking Mo's kitchen as the BBQ joint in Mason County. After today's visit I might just have to be more vocal about what a great place this is. I've got a grandiose plan in mind to really promote Smoking Mo's, but that is for another day. 9 stars.

Overall Smoking Mo's gets 9 out of 10 stars. If I ever get my lazy butt in gear and actually create the "special award of a thousand stars" then I would have to award them 1009 stars. Hmm....now that I think about it I'll just stick with the 9 stars. Good job folks.

Later...

P.S. Smoking Mo's Kitchen is the best place to eat in Mason County!

11-14-2008 Smoking Mo’s Kitchen

Its been a long dry spell for the BBQhunter as personal events and the season have conspired to cause a lack of enthusiasm in seeking out BBQ, much less blogging about it. This last Friday was a play day for me as it is my normal day off and I was to have a buddy from work spend the day here instead of working 2 jobs and heading back to his home more than an hour away. Besides, with AC/DC right around the corner, there was some concert footage to watch and some beer to drink. It was decided that Smoking Mo’s was the flavor of the day. I was looking forward to kicking myself in the rear and getting back on track as the BBQHunter. So, on with the nitty gritty, as I’ve said before.

Taste: Well lets get this party started. Right out of the gate, the mouth watering smells that emanated from the place got some serious looks as Andy and I looked at each other and started grinning. We decided earlier in the week to order up the family platter to go as it included a bit of most everything that is included on the menu. Ribs, brisket, pulled pork, chicken, hot link, cornbread and 4 sides. Only problem was that the hot link wasn’t in the order when we got back to my place. That will be a automatic deduction, which comes later. I couldn’t make up my mind which sauce went the best with this feast so I asked for some of each and Smoking Mo’s had no problem delivering. Carolina mustard, sweet, fire and spicy in pretty generous cups. Everything in the bag lived up to the promise of great BBQ. The pork and brisket were fork tender, but just a wee bit dry. The chicken was absolutely delicious, but dry. The ribs were the champion here as they were falling off the bone tender and very juicy. I’m sure the hot link would have been as great as it sounded, but alas it was not to be found. With additions of one of the sauces the dryness of the before mentioned items took a back seat to the wonderful aroma and flavor of some good BBQ. The double order of beans and slaw were a pretty good partner to the main meal. The slaw could have used a bit more sauce as it seemed to lack flavor other than what super crunchy veggies have to offer and the beans were fantastic with additions of meat. The cornbread was really good, sweet and buttery. Overall it was a meal (actually a couple of meals) worth. 8 stars. This reflects the lack of a hot link and the dryness of the meat.

Value: 32 bucks for a veritable mountain of food. I’ll surrender up 9 stars and that is in spite of the fugitive link. Serious good bargain here folks. You get your moneys worth and then some. The missing link doesn’t detract from this score.

Staff: No complaints here. Very friendly and seemed eager to please. The gentle suggestion when I called in the order to wait for the next offering of ribs to come out of the smoker before picking up the takeout was spot on as the ribs were indeed the best of the lot. 1 point deduction for not including the hot link. 8 stars.

Ambiance: The last time I was at Smoking Mo’s my only issue was the lack of any indication of a smoker in the place. Well, that was certainly not the case this time. My nose was singing praises to the heavens over the “smokiness” of the BBQ that was driving my senses crazy with the promise what was to come. 9 stars.

Friends: 9 stars. I will continue to promote Smoking Mo’s Kitchen as a great place to get some BBQ. Andy was very impressed with the food and so was I. I’m very grateful to have you in my neighborhood. I can’t wait to bring another convert to your door. Oh, by the way, Andy is a southern boy. He knows what good BBQ is supposed to be.

Overall I award Smoking Mo’s kitchen 9 stars out of 10. The wayward hot link and the dryness of the other meats (excepting the ribs) kept you from getting 9 stars across the board. Keep up the good work and I am looking forward to another encounter.

Later…

9-19-2008 Bunk House BBQ and Burgers

After a super day of riding to the Salmon Hatchery on the Cowlitz river and then taking the back entrance into Mt. Rainer it was time for some food. I had casually suggested that the Bunk House in McKenna would be a great dinner. Wookie teased me that he and Her Majesty thought it was kinda funny that the self proclaimed BBQhunter hadn't eaten any BBQ at the Bunk House yet. You know what? Its true. Although the Bunk House is more known for their great hamburger menu, they do offer up 3 items for BBQ (beef, pork and chicken). Plus, the restaurant usually smells like a pit is in operation. So what the heck, I'll go for it. Now for the meat of the matter (pun intended).

Taste: I ordered the BBQ beef brisket sandwich with fries. This was duplicated by Wookie. Doug (another rice burner) ordered the pulled pork sandwich and Dave, our lone Harley rider (from California to boot) ordered the fried chicken basket. Iced Teas around, except for Wookie who had to have his diet "whatever". The BBQ beef sandwich was very impressive to look at. Piled high with meat, which was pretty darn tender. The downfall is that I couldn't taste the meat at all because of the amount of tangy BBQ sauce. One of my firm beliefs about BBQ is that too much sauce hides the meat defects. So what is going on here Bunk House? What are you hiding? Doug thought that the pulled pork was good and Dave said the same about the chicken. I'll give you guys a 6 out of 10 stars for this category.

Value: No problem here. A BIG (and I mean really big) sandwich with a bunch of fries and a drink for less than $15 dollars is very nice. 9 stars.

Staff: No complaints here. The waitress was efficient and had our drinks out to us in no time. The food was just a short wait and us macho retread, leather encrusted bikers gave her a bunch of our usual lip. 8 stars.

Ambiance: Not quite the look or feel of a BBQ joint, but sure is a great hamburger place. The smell from your pit was incredible when it blew in my direction (we were eating outside). 7 stars.

Friends: I ask myself if this is a place to bring my friends for BBQ. Nope.......Would I bring my buddies here for a great hamburger. Yep..... Unfortunately, this is a blog about BBQ. If you want a writeup about what a great hamburger joint this is, go to www.robsnet.com and read all about it. 6 stars.

Overall I award the Bunk House BBQ and Burgers of McKenna 7 out of 10 stars for their BBQ menu. If I was to make a side award for their hamburgers I would say 8 stars out of 10 would be the final score. You guys are a great place to stop after a day on the road. Being just a short stones throw from Stewarts Meats is a plus too. Your hamburger menu is extensive and I would love to see the Trail Boss challenge done some time when I am in your establishment. Your BBQ is not bad, but it doesn't compete against your burger menu. For all of that, keep up the good work and you will see me again with my buddies.... for burgers.

9-18-2008 Ranch House BBQ

On this day DiDi was due her 12K checkup, which South Sound Honda said was 5 hours long. So at 1000 hours I dropped her off at the service department and and met my buddy Gery for a bit of bike drooling and lunch. After an hour of driving to the various shops in the Olympia/Lacey area and checking out the motorcycle selection we headed into downtown Olympia and the Ranch House BBQ. As a side note, during our travels I spotted 2 other BBQ joints that my GPS doesn't know existed. Eureka! More BBQhunter travels ahead!

Taste: It didn't take much convincing (OK......no convincing at all was required) to choose the lunch special. A BBQ beef brisket sandwich, hotlink and 2 sides. We chose the slaw and beans as my previous visits has brought me to the realization that these guys really know their sides. We also ordered a glass of Whistle Pig Hefeweizen from the taproom to go with lunch and it was a great beverage to enjoy with BBQ. The brisket sandwich was piled high with savory chunks of brisket with a kiss of sauce. The hotlink was juicy and very flavorful with grill marks that gave it a great "just off the BBQ" look. It was split lengthwise and served on top of the sides like it was a garnish. Nice touch! The beans were spicy and sweet. The slaw was crunchy and had that great honey dressing. A very deserved 9 stars. You were really hitting on all cylinders this visit.

Value: 32 bucks for 2 identical lunches. Not bad. We were both pretty darn full walking back to Gery's truck. 9 stars.

Staff: All cylinders were firing in order here too. The gentlemen had us quickly seated, served up some ice cold water and had our Hefe back to the table lickity split. We no more than had started to sip at the brew when our orders were whisked out to the table. He was very attentive and made sure our lunch was to our liking. 9 stars. Very well done!

Ambiance: Maybe it was the cool overcast day that put visions of a broke air conditioner out of my mind. Maybe it was spending the day with a good friend and a great lunch. I know getting to do some window shopping for bikes (with the exception of the dirty feeling I had leaving the Yamaha shop) had me in a great mood. Somehow being a hotel bar with a BBQ menu didn't just to seem so important this visit. 7 stars. Not perfect, but today it didn't matter.

Friends: Another one of my associates has seen the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel that is the Ranch House BBQ. I can't say much more than that I am looking forward to my next visit and another convert to your place. 9 stars.

Overall this visit was great. Your staff and food were top notch, as usual. My question is, When are you going to complete the experience and get out of the hotel? 9 stars and well deserved.

9-14-2008 D.O.C. Employee Recognition Fundrasier

The only reason I'm even blogging this is because of the singular experience of which has to be the world's worst BBQ. I can't even give these folks an F for effort, it was that bad. My employer, the Washington State Department of Corrections threw a BBQ beef dinner for a fundraiser. In the past the fundraisers that involved food usually were hamburgers, chili, nachos, salads and the like. I pulled into work last night and what the heck, its only 5 bucks for a BBQ sandwich, chips & a drink and I wasn't even paying.

Taste: I had a choice of Beef or Moose. Hmm.......moose? I'll take the beef please. Maybe I should have tried the moose because the "beef" still had the whip marks from the track. I probably would have had a more tender cut if I had tried to eat my work boot. I took a big bite of sandwich, chewed on it for 30 to 45 seconds and spit it back out. My new chompers from the dentist were no match for the under done rawhide passing as BBQ beef. 1 star.

Value: Well 5 bucks for an inedible sandwich, a bag of chips and a bottle of lukewarm water wasn't much of a bargain. I should have just given them 5 dollars and skipped this treat. 1 star.

Staff: Well, my friend and I were welcomed very nicely. The server was polite and his diligent poking around for the toughest piece of meat made it seemed like my best interest was uppermost in his mind. I'll give it 4 stars.

Ambiance: Riding into the parking lot I saw a smoker/grill in full tilt cooking mode and the smell was pretty good. The sight of meat spinning on the rotisserie fooled me into thinking that I was getting into something decent. It was a very picnic style of atmosphere. 5 stars.

Friends: I went out of my way to warn coworkers to make sure their dental insurance was payed up before trying this BBQ disaster. I actually saw other people in muster sawing at the "meat" with all of their might in vain attempts to choke it down. 1 star.

Overall I award the D.O.C. Employee Recognition BBQ 2 stars. Next time stick with the burgers and chili and leave the BBQ to the experts. Or at least leave it to someone who at least has one BBQ under their belt.

8-30-2008 The Mesquitery

Located in Hood River Oregon (I was there on the first night of my vacation), this place was a welcome 2nd BBQ of the day. Earlier in the day I had eaten some really good BBQ and still had 2 ribs from that establishment. I had spent the afternoon touring the countryside around to the south of Hood River and was ready for some food to take back to the Hotel. I was coming from downtown Hood River were I just spent a pleasant hour at the Naked Winery sampling some vino and a pint of good beer. My GPS listed the Mesquitery as the only BBQ in town (I don't count Applebees, Tony Romas and sports bars as BBQ, even though Garmin wants to). So up the road I went. It was a very easy find and I was able to park right in front of the establishment. Now for the ratings.

Taste: I perused their very extensive menu and chose the BBQ beef ribs with 1 side (garlic bread BTW). The waitress seemed a little taken aback that I wanted this order to go and had to enlist the help of a more experienced staff to actually take the order. The cook/chef came out and informed me that these ribs were boneless. Cool I thought, I told him go for it. Well, if I was a betting man, which I'm not, I would say that these "ribs" were in fact 9 ounces of succulent and moist brisket. The garlic bread was loaded with butter and garlic. Very tasty and the side of sauce I received was sweet and a little spicy. 8 stars and that is because I felt like you tried to hide brisket under the name of ribs. Just call it what it is. It was quite good.

Value: Not too bad for a sit down restaurant, which is what this place is. The amount of meat was pretty big and the side of garlic bread was sized just right. But, for $18 bucks I would expect that maybe a second side would make it a better value. 6 stars.

Staff: The waitress could not figure out a simple takeout order. maybe it was her first day, who knows? She was very gracious to offer me some water and a place to sit while I waited. Little did she know that standing was a relief as my rear was kinda saddle sore from a day on the road. I'll stand, but thanks anyway. The cook/chef (not sure what to call him) was nice enough to come out and explain that the "ribs" were boneless. I'll give you 7 stars.

Ambiance: Not much I'm afraid. Having the grill located behind glass up front was a pretty cool touch. I got to see my order and others get some grill marks put on. Otherwise the only thing that screamed BBQ to me was the name of the place and some of the menu items. 6 stars.

Friends: If I was in town I would suggest your place as a possible eating location. I wouldn't insist on it though, just offer it up as a suggestion. I would recommend it only because you seem to be the only place in town (with the exception of the before mentioned Applebees and Tony Romas) to offer up BBQ. 7 stars.

Overall I award the Mesquitery 7 stars. The food was tasty. Your place was easy to find and I might want to try some of the extensive menu you offer.

Later...

8-30-2008 Big Lou's Texas BBQ

This date was the first day of my "big" trip on my new 2008 Goldwing. I had mulled over in my head many times about where I wanted to go and how far I was willing to travel. The closer my vacation got to be the more apprehensive I became because the weather forecast kept changing every 5 minutes, or so it seemed. So my final plan was to head straight to Omak WA and skip any extra running around. The day before my trip the weather forecast lightened up enough for me to leave a day early and that is just what I decided to do. Being the Labor Day weekend and the last minute I was pretty lucky to find a vacancy in the Riverview Lodge, located in Hood River Oregon. Of course, me being the self proclaimed BBQhunter, I had to at least make the attempt to find BBQ on this trip (little did I know just how hard that would be). My first attempt to find BBQ was in Vancouver WA. My GPS insisted that there was a BBQ joint called Joe's BBQ Bus in Vancouver. I drove around in circles before I came to the conclusion that this place doesn't exist anymore. The best I could tell is that a church resides at that address now. The next closest BBQ was located in Portland OR. No way I'm crossing into Portland. That town is nuts! So off I went east down Highway 14 (the Washington side of the Columbia River). Not a very auspicious day so far. Almost got run over by a crazy lady on I-5 and no BBQ in Vancouver. A couple of miles out of town I took another look on the GPS just in case there was BBQ ahead of me. My luck must be turning, because in Camas WA is a place called Big Lou's Texas BBQ. My fervent hope is that they still were in business and that they would be open. They were! Easy find and at the sight of that magnificent pit a big smile crept across my face. It got even bigger when I could see that they were open. Now, lets see what they are all about.

Taste: I was so happy when I walked in the joint, that when I was formally welcomed to the establishment I blurted out that I had traveled 120 miles just to eat there. Its not a complete fabrication, it really was 120 miles from my home to there. I even told them that I had tried to find another place first. Didn't matter, they thought it was still pretty cool and welcomed me with true southern hospitality. A gentleman standing behind me at the condiments bar had this great looking sandwich he was dressing up. I was told it was chopped mesquite smoked brisket. WOW, looks good, so that is what I ordered. The person taking my order said I could get the "plate" which included 1 side and a drink for 8 bucks and that is what I went with. Chopped Brisket Sandwich, Cold Slaw and Iced Tea. The sandwich was every bit as good as it looked. A giant scoop of tender brisket with a great mesquite presence. The slaw was fresh and crunchy and it was liberally sprinkled with celery seed (one of my favorites, by the way). The iced tea was super cold (not sweet - THANKS!) and cut a huge path through the road dust caking my throat. I would be truly remiss if I awarded anything less than a 9. Great job!

Value: 9 stars. All this for $8. Are you guys actually making any money?

Staff: Where do I start. From the second I walked in the place I felt like I was truly the most important person in the restaurant. From the waitress giving me a big handshake to the Owner/creator of the restaurant talking it up with me and the local owner giving me a travel bag of 2 ribs for the road gratis (that means free). These people are the definition of hospitality. Another 9 stars.

Ambiance: Big Lou's radiated BBQ from the very start. The pit was located street side where everyone could see and smell it. The building screamed "Hey dummy, look at me". It looked, felt and most importantly smelled like a BBQ joint. The menu was just what a BBQ place should be. Simple and to the point. Nothing fancy, just good old fashioned Texas Style BBQ. 9 stars! Another job well done!

Friends: I would recommend this place to my friends and even suggest it to strangers in passing if I knew they were headed to or through Camas WA. If fortune favors me and I'm in that area again I will definitely make this a stop. Don't wait for me to bring it up, just go! You won't be sorry. 9 stars

Overall: I'm sure you can guess what I will give Big Lou's Texas BBQ. But in case you just fell off the turnip truck I'll post it anyway. 9 Stars. This is one place I would consider awarding 10 stars to. I know....the sun almost stopped shining for a second. If I had 1/2 stars, then they would be 9 1/2. Folks, do yourself a culinary favor. Make the trip to Camas and try some really good BBQ and remember to say that the BBQhunter sent you. Their information is as follows:

Big Lou's Texas BBQ
1924 NE 3rd Avenue
Camas, Washington
98607

MON to THU 1100 to 2030
FRI & SAT 1100 to 2100

Phone 360-834-4114
Fax 360-833-1992

www.bigloustexasbbq.com

Later.....

8-29-2008 Ranch House BBQ

Today Wookie, Her Majesty and I ran the Capital Forest on the scoots with the idea that afterwords the BBQhunter would get to play. Not much choices on the Garmin, so it didn't take much to convince us to head to the Ranch House. We were quickly seated and served our beverages. I gotta say that our waitress was a bundle of fun and could dish it out as well as take it. Wookie and I could not get the upper hand, no matter how hard we tried. The lunch specials on the board out front had all our mouths watering for some good BBQ.

Taste: The general consensus at the table was to order the pulled pork sandwich with garlic fries, cole slaw for Her Majesty and I, and potato salad for Wookie. Ha Ha, our waitress even quoted the specials backwards and upside down (the last was her idea). Iced tea for me, diet Pepsi for the hairy one and water for Her Majesty. Our order arrived quickly and I was in awe by the size of the lunch. A heaping portion of pork on a sesame bun, a giant mound of fries and a scoop of salad made the plates disappear. There was enough garlic on the table to make all the vampires for a hundred square miles stay away.....FOR A MONTH OR TWO! Everyone thought the fries were wonderful and that includes your BBQhunter. I haven't ever considered fries as a side for BBQ, but I consider myself hereby schooled. The sandwich was sized just right and the pork was very flavorful. The cole slaw was great and even had kudos from Her Majesty. Wookie said that the potato salad was pretty darn close to Her Majesty's which means to me that it was homemade and delicious. The drinks were cold and plentiful. I don't know how I had room, but when our waitress mentioned "Award Winning" and "Chocolate Cheesecake" in the same sentence I was sold to stuff more into my belly. Chocolate was certainly the theme to the slice placed before me.......and coconut too. Wookie and Her Majesty shared apple pie with ice cream. The experience was worth a 9.

Value: Again, as before, top notch. It was sized just right for the money. Another 9.

Staff: Our waitress was a gem. Very funny and wouldn't take no lip from us guys, no matter how hard we tried. Its obvious that she has dealt with "old farts" before. Another 9.

Ambience: Still a BBQ joint in a bar. The air conditioner still didn't work, but the day was cooler that my previous visit. Just when are you getting your old place back up and running anyway? This time I'll award a 6.

Friends: Well 2 close friends thought that it was great. I agree with them. I see another visit in our, or at least mine, future(s). 9 stars. I'm glad that home wasn't any farther than 20 miles, I was truly stuffed to the proverbial brim.

Overall, it was a great visit. The meter out front was fed for an hour and the meterman had to tell us to feed it or leave. He was very nice about it. The time in the Ranch House flew by. Good food and good friends I guess does that. Today you guys deserve a 9. Excellent job!

7-15-2008 Ranch House BBQ

I've heard quite a bit about this BBQ place from friends and coworkers. I've even seen them referred to a time or 2 on the food channel. So it was with great expectation that I visited the Ranch House. My Garmin has them listed on Kennedy Creek Road. Fortunately I looked them up on the Internet before leaving my house and had discovered that their old location was destroyed by a mudslide and that they had relocated to downtown Olympia into a vacant restaurant at the Governor Hotel. They are just downhill from the Capitol complex and across the street from the park. Very easy to find and from first impressions, not a bad location at all. I showed up around 10:45 and waited until 11:00 for the place to open. A very helpful waitress "sold" me some change so I could feed the parking meter. I was able to park right in front of the building that both the hotel and restaurant are located in. The hotel lobby, right outside the entrance to the restaurant, was covered in newspaper articles about the Ranch House.

Taste: I ordered the BBQ plate lunch special. It came with 1/4 chicken, riblets, 2 sides (slaw and beans) and a corn bread muffin. I also had a Fish Tale Organic IPA at the suggestion of the bar's waitstaff. The chicken was moist and tender with little indication it ever was close to a grill or smoker. The riblet was 3 pork bones surrounded with tasty meat that just fell off the bones. Not much meat though. The beans were spicy and sweet, just perfect. The slaw was wonderful. The dressing was honey based with a touch of vinegar, herbs and spices. The corn bread muffin was cold and dry, but went down ok once I mixed some of it into the beans. The IPA was a great touch that countered the sweetness of the pork, beans and slaw. 7 stars.

Value: 9 stars. Top notch. For less than 15 bucks I enjoyed a nicely sized lunch that fit in perfectly with a day of riding.

Staff: 9 stars. Very friendly and helpful (see change comment above). The staff at the bar had no problem with me bellying on up and ordering lunch right there. The bar was well stocked with a nice selection of beer on tap. The IPA was a perfect touch with BBQ. I was even engaged in small talk by the staff as to where I was riding to.

Ambiance: I'm really sorry I didn't get to visit this place at the old location. I realize that you gotta deal with whatever fate throws your way (I'm referring to the destruction of the original building). The ground floor of a hotel just isn't the "right" place for a top notch, award winning BBQ joint. The feel of the Ranch House wasn't firing on all cylinders. To me, it was more of a upscale bar with a menu centered around BBQ. You have my kudos for "making do" until you can rebuild, but that won't be enough to get you more than 5 stars. The air conditioner being broke didn't help your score either I'm afraid and the air flow through the place was downright pitiful.

Friends: 8 stars. I would and will recommend your place for a nice meal. Its close enough to my home (Shelton) that I could get filled up with BBQ and still have a short ride home.

Overall I award the Ranch House 8 stars. The food was good, the staff was great and I hope that your rebuild of the old location is completed soon. Good job!

Later...

7-24-2008 Famous Dave's BarBeCue

I have been to Famous Dave's (in Tacoma) exactly 2 times. The first time was in January or February of this year and the meal was very good. If I was rating them on that visit they would have scored an 8 out of 10 stars easily. But alas, this blog did not exist at that time so my rating is solely based upon my second visit.

Taste: 5 stars. I had the sampler platter. The brisket was tender but lacked any real smoker characteristics. The ribs were pretty good. The chicken was very dry and again, like the brisket, lacked any indication that it had ever touched a grill. The sides of bread, beans and slaw were really good. The corn bread muffin was piping hot and melted into the BBQ beans. The iced tea was cold, but took forever to arrive and refills were nonexistent.

Value: I thought that a big ol' plate of BBQ for under $20 was a pretty darn good bargain. The portions were small, but it was only the sampler platter, so I really cannot complain there. I had a bunch of BBQ for my money. 8 stars.

Staff: Wow! Well, its not a good wow. My friend and I were seated right away, but it took many minutes (at least 15) to flag down a waitress and get our drinks ordered. Also, it took just a little too long to get them. After a wait of 20 more minutes we received our food and the staff just disappeared. Folks that were seated before us were still waiting to make their order after we had received ours. 4 stars.

Ambiance: Famous Dave's is a pretty cool place to be in. They have massive log walls and old timey hunting/trapping decorations to look at. I also enjoyed reading the tee shirts of the staff that happened to scurry by at 50 paces. They are not a Ma & Pa place, but they try to not be a"chain" either. 8 stars.

Friends: Is this someplace I would rave about. Probably not. Would I take my friends to dinner there. Again, probably not. If we just happened by and the "mood" was right, then I would propose eating a meal there. 6 stars.

Overall, based upon this visit I would rate Famous Daves a solid 6, perhaps just leaning into a 7 if the wind is blowing right. I know that someday I will revisit this BBQ chain and perhaps then I will have a better experience.

8-20-2008 Smoking Mo's Kitchen

Well what do you know? Right here in the middle of the BBQ desert (Shelton, WA) I find a place like Mo's. According to Mo (at least I'm pretty sure it was Mo), they have been in operation since last November. I have ridden and/or driven past Mo's a zillion times. I've even been to Philly Bob's, which is just a short stones throw away. I must need new glasses or something. Anyway, lets get down to the nitty gritty.

Taste: For sure an 8. I had the pulled pork sandwich and it was delicious. I have never tried a Carolina style BBQ before and they were offering my choice of sauces, so I went with the Carolina Mustard Sauce. Very good is one way to describe it. The side of slaw was great too. Crunchy and vinegary. The helping of pork was huge and I should have asked for a second bun to have another sandwich. The only big flaw I found in the meal was the tea. In my book, tea is not meant to be served so darn sweet. It was like drinking pure sugar.

Value: Very good. Like I said before, I want to feel like I got my moneys worth. 9 stars. The portions were a little more than what I expected for $10 (including drink).

Staff: I enjoyed listening to Mo talk to another person about how her business was doing. I got the impression that they were doing a bang up catering service. I was politely greeted and the food was whisked out to me without hardly a wait. Of course I have to mention that I was the only customer at the time. It was too late for lunch and too early for dinner. 8 stars.

Ambiance: I liked the "feel" of the place. It was small and cozy. I can imagine that 99.9% of their business is take out as there are only 2 lonely stools inside and 2 picnic tables outside. It would have been perfect if I could smell the pit. 8 stars.

Friends: Is this a place I would bring my friends to or at least recommend it? You betcha! 8 stars. I even went as far as to snag a menu and post it at work. Hey, it was in brochure form and meant to be taken from the premises.

So I give Smoking Mo's Kitchen a solid 8 out of 10 stars. Great job and keep up the good work.

My rating criteria and what it means.

I've put some thought into a rating system since I came up with idea of becoming the BBQhunter. I'm sure that there are better systems and systems that are simplier, but here is what I propose to do. Basically the rating will be 1 through 10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest. I'm not final on what areas I will rate, but at a minimum I'm thinking around 5 should do the trick, at least for now. So here is what I propose (for the time being):

Taste: Does it meet the standards of what my opinions of a good BBQ are? Can I tell if it has been within 10 feet of a smoker/grill? Are the sides homemade or prepackaged (I can usually tell the difference)? Did I get the beverage I wanted or did I have to settle for something else?

Value: Am I getting a good bargain? I realize that good BBQ takes a lot of time and effort to make and you have to charge accordingly, but at the same time am I paying $15 or $20 for a meal that should only be worth $10?

Staff: I really like a place that has friendly wait staff. I know everyone has off days, but customers should always be treated like your business relies on them to keep afloat. If I get a smile when I arrive and a thank you at some time during my visit, then my day is generally made. I work hard for my money (ok, I like to think I work hard) and I like to think that me being in your establishment spending those hard earned bucks means something to you.

Ambiance: Hey, I'm all for peanut shells on the floor when I visit my favorite watering hole. I think a good BBQ joint should look and smell like a there is a pit somewhere in the immediate vicinity. I greatly favor the Ma & Pa style place over the big sterile restaurant environment. Eating BBQ can be messy and I don't want to feel like I'm breaking the rules if I get something in my facial hair or use a bunch of napkins. At the same time I don't want to be fighting off swarms of bugs to enjoy my food. Plates, utensils and glasses should be spotless before I get my meal/drink served.

Last, but not least...

Friends: Bottom line, is this a place I would bring my friends to? How likely am I to rave about your place to all that can stand to listen to me?

____________________________________________________________________

Now lets talk about the stars and what they mean. This is from the bottom of the scale and up:

1 to 3 stars: Well, I'll keep this short and sweet. You suck, your food is terrible and I had better BBQ from a vending machine.

4 to 6 stars: Right down the middle. You are not terrible nor do you shine. 4 stars and I would have to have a really good reason to ever return. 5 or 6 stars, well maybe our bad days coincided with each other. I'll give you another chance to prove me wrong.

7 to 9 stars: Let's start with 7 stars. Your place is not too bad. Maybe I thought the portions were a little too small for what I was charged. Perhaps the beer selection was poor or my tea was not cold. Maybe I should have had pizza instead of BBQ. This is some place that I would bring my friends to get their opinions. 8 stars and you are in the big leagues now. I really thought that you were firing on all cylinders. Perhaps you were out of a menu item I had my heart set on. I would whole heartily recommend your food and BBQ experience to my friends. 9 stars is pretty darn close to perfection. Your restaurant meets and maybe exceeds all of my expectations of what I think a BBQ should be. I can't shut up about you and all my friends continue to think I've lost it (which usually is what they think most of the time anyway). I would be in your place at least once a month (or more if it wasn't too far out of the way).

10 stars: Fat chance. There is only one 10 star BBQ and I make it (remember this is my opinion, and that is what counts here). If for some miraculous reason I award 10 stars to your BBQ I would be admitting that my BBQ is not the king of the hill. Plus, the sun would stop shining, the earth would cease to rotate, dogs would meow and cats would bark.

So, there it is in a nutshell (if nuts were the size of greyhound buses). Lets get to work.

Later...

Pacific Northwest BBQhunter

Welcome to my written journal of hunting down great BBQ. "Just who does he think he is?" you may find yourself asking. Well, I'm a retired USAF veteran, currently working for the State of Washington, who is looking for a BBQ that I can rate a 10. My passion is to ride the back roads and sometimes not so back roads of the PNW on my Goldwing enjoying life and the road ahead. Everyday I get to breath the air and straddle DiDi (my 2008 GL1800) and partake in this adventure is a testament that the big guy in the sky is looking out for me. My many roads traveled could only have been accomplished with God riding by my side, whether I knew he was there or not.

So why BBQ and why the Pacific Northwest? I'll answer that in reverse order. I am a native of Washington State. I was born here and by the grace of god I'll die here. 4 years in the Coast Guard and 20 years in the Air Force never left me wanting to call anywhere else home. Some places come close, most places fall short of the beauty that makes up this part of the country. I've always had a way about the kitchen and I love to work magic on the grill. Much of my experiences of a "world" traveler has shown me that no matter what culture I'm exposed to, there is always some sort of grilled and/or smoked food available. I've had authentic Korean BBQ in the back alleys of Seoul, pork sticks outside the main gate of Clark Air Base (Philippines) and roast mutton from street vendors in the Middle East. I have enjoyed Texas and Oklahoma style BBQ in each of those states. I consider myself pretty savvy when it comes to grilling and smoking. Over the years I believe that the only 10 BBQ comes from my smoker/grill off the back deck of my own home. So that is the ruler of measurement I will use on this trek. As this journal develops I will most likely revisit many of the BBQ joints over and over again, adjusting scores as I see fit. I'll take recommendations for your favorite spot.

I've tried to come up with my own definition of what BBQ is and what makes the criteria for inclusion or exclusion in the months and years ahead. I have to admit that I am very opened minded as it pertains to BBQ. Slow simmering a roast in BBQ sauce is BBQ to me. A rack of ribs cooked low and slow in the smoker is also defined as BBQ (by me). Burning hamburger patties in a 10 trillion degree charcoal grill is yet another version of BBQ by my own standards. BBQ is wet and dry (dry rub that is), hot or cold (as in Chinese BBQ pork) etc. So therein lies a dilemma. By my own standards Burger King, being flamed broiled, is BBQ. Whoa!!! Back up the chuck wagon there partner. Burger King is BBQ? Well....no it isn't. Burger King and its like minded chain restaurants have their place in my life, but they are not what I want this blog to be about. As a minimum a BBQ restaurant should serve pork (as in pulled), chicken (smoked or grilled), ribs (duh), brisket and maybe a sausage or two. Sides should included slaw, salad (potato or macaroni) and of course BBQ beans. A good BBQ joint should be stuffed with customers, offer ice cold tea (not sweet please, I'm not from the south) and have a beer selection. Good BBQ is some place I would take my friends to and make it the final destination after a days worth of riding. Good BBQ makes me full, yet wanting more.

BBQ in some form or the other is mankind's oldest cooking style. I would guess it dates back to...well....hmm...the discovery of fire, when grilled mammoth was the blue plate special. My other passion, home brew, was discovered by ancient man when the right series of events led to wild yeasties invading honey or berry juice and made a nectar (yuck, have you tried naturally fermented beer?) and it was further discovered that when fed to your enemies it made them happy and not dead (well, some of the time anyway). But that is a different topic all together. The only reason I brought it up is that I enjoy a good beer with BBQ and will rate a restaurant partially because of its suds selection.

As a starting point I'm going to use my Garmin GPS as a general guide to BBQ. I've discovered that its internal database includes BBQ restaurants (and many other millions of POIs) and their distance plus driving directions from my home. Plus no matter where I am at, if I'm hungry for some grilled smokey goodness all I have to do is whip it out of my trunk and off I go. As a disclaimer I realize that BBQ restaurants drop off the face of the earth and new ones appear right around the corner all the time. So, like I said, its just a general guide and not all inclusive. Who knows, maybe the Garmin corporation thinks that Joe's Italian Sub Shop is BBQ. I have discovered a couple of errors in just relying on it to navigate from point A to B.

Well, thank you for reading this far. I hope that my words and opinion will make you laugh, cry, think or just plain wonder who this nutcase thinks he is. Send me a quick email if you have a favorite BBQ joint that I should make it to. No guarantees I'll ever actually make it there, but who knows. If I decide to rate your place I'll leave a card stating that you have been hunted down by the BBQhunter. If you like what I've said let me know. If you don't like what I've written, also let me know. Just don't be an ass about it. I'm always up to revisiting a place to give it a second (or third/forth) chance to make things right by me. AND.....I'll never revisit a place I've given a low rating to in the hopes of free food for higher ratings. You won't know I was there unless I decide to leave a card. I may even send a friend instead. My opinion is just that....ITS MY OPINION.

Later...