Barbecue tour - tag/photo fest

Two of my favorite activities: riding and eating pig products.

Wanted to start a tag game of sorts limited to barbecue restaurants. I gave it some more thought and came to the conclusion that a picture thread with reviews of the place would probably be more in order. This is more than just a picture thread as your input as to whether it's a worthy destination on the merits of the food, service, ride there or whatever is important.

The gist:
1) Ride to a barbecue place
2) eat
3) get pics including your bike
4) review the place

Figured this belonged in the Southeast regional forum instead of the Pics forum for a couple reasons:
-Barbecue outside of NC is really just a poor imitation of the real thing (not going to get into the eastern vs. western thing - they both kick ass)
-VA barbecue - while what can be found is adequate, it's really just wannabe que.
-SC barbecue - mustard, really???
-GA barbecue - to SC barbecue what VA is to the real thing. Why would you want to imitate an imitation.

VA, SC and GA barbecue joints are acceptable, but I'll expect you to show the required amount of ridicule in the review.

With that said, this doesn't have anything to do with Texas or Memphis or any other regional barbecue. Strictly pig cooked over a fire of some sort.

For your inspiration:

Just picked a place on the map that I'd never been to before and found this place within the amount of time that I could make it to for lunch

Doug Saul's Barbecue and Seafood in Nashville, NC


View from the front showing the side of the building:


View of the patio attached to the carry out side of the building. Late October and the ceiling fans are running:


Today's specials:


Business hours:


And the food:


Got a Barbecue dinner which comes with THREE sides. Got green beans, slaw and fries. With a water, the meal was $5.95. Barbecue is cooked on site, but over gas instead of wood - seems to be the way most places are doing it these days. The barbecue was good - I'll give it a 4/5. The only condiments on the table for it were vinegar and spiced vinegar - no Texas Pete or whatever. Good choice in retrospect. I prefer it pretty spicy, but loading it up with Texas Pete tends to hide the flavor to an extent. Slaw was basic, slightly sweet utility slaw. Nothing notable. Fries were frozen crinkle fries. Green beans were a definite 5/5. Cooked forever with a hint of seasoning. Hushpuppies were fairly generic donut shaped, but fresh and tasty.

The place is fairly small inside with maybe a dozen tables. It was about half filled with locals. Order at the counter, they bring it to your table and then you go back to the counter to pay when done. They clean your table and there's a tip jar by the register.

The ride from Raleigh was a great, cool Saturday morning ride. Two lane the whole way through Wake Forest, Bunn and Spring Hope. Mostly straight, but scenic and relaxed with opportunities to explore.

Worthwhile start to finish and I'll hit the place again in the future.

813 Western Ave
Nashville, NC 27856

Urban spoon reviews:
http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/230/110...-Mount/Doug-Sauls-Bar-B-Que-Seafood-Nashville

Sounds like an idea near and dear to a lot of us...riding and eating go together rather well.

Did you miss out on the Smoke Chasing Grand Tour?
I had a ton of fun playing it this year.

Completely missed it, but I think I can still complete at least some of it before the deadline. Looks very cool. I'm in.
Thanks!

Second best reason for riding-FOOD

cool idea I am interested and will start on friday with a local favorite!

Cool. I figure I'm good for about 1/week. :dg

So it isn't really a RTE tag game Per se(like the one in Northwestern VA) but more of a BBQ joint revue?

Yep. You don't need to go where I did. Just go somewhere, take pics, eat and post a review. Everybody's a winner.

Allen & Son Barbecue
5650 US Highway 15 501 N
Pittsboro, NC 27312
919-542-2294

I've been in this area - central NC - for a couple of dozen years. Allen and Son always comes up when discussing barbecue, yet somehow, I've never been there before today. The main location is between Chapel Hill and Hillsborough, but I saw this one riding back from grabbing a tag this morning. This is the Pittsboro location (not sure if there are more than just the two or not). There is no dining room, just an outside counter to order from.



The parking area is somewhat limited during prime eating hours - I got there around 12:30 on a Saturday. Didn't think to get a picture of the menu sign as it was pretty busy. I ordered a Barbecue Tray - which is the smaller portion served. Comes with slaw and hush puppies for $7.00.



Not sure that picture does it justice, but it's a good size portion of barbecue.

There are some wooden picnic tables in the grass on one side of the building and a concrete patio on the other side with more tables. Virtually everyone other than myself seemed to be picking up food to go or orders that were called in. The 30-40 minutes I was there, I didn't notice anyone else sitting, although I took the wooded section and it was reasonably chilly - or more so than it has been.



The food:
Barbecue was great. No sauce on the table or at the window from what I saw. Good, moist and pre-sauced. Mildly spicy with a very good flavor. The slaw looked to be generic utility slaw, but was obviously made in house and seasoned/black peppered perfectly. Have to say the slaw was as good as any I've run across at a barbecue place. Hush puppies were equally great. Fresh, hot, crispy and just a hint sweet.
Price maybe a little higher than others, but very tasty.

Again, worth the trip and I'll be back.

Urban spoon review.
http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/25/1194393/restaurant/Allen-Son-Pittsboro

This could very well become one of my new favorite thread.

Both those are good choices. Might have to ride to one this weekend to contribute.
In the meantime,
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6ubTQfr_tyY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Think I'm just going to find them all, put them on a map on a wall and throw a dart to find the next one.

nice thread Bruce! You Da Man and I will be contributing..after I get over the election results....

So, see you in four years???

Check your PMs. Just found your next bike.

Damn is chatter allowed in YOUR thread?? Cool. As for the election results...yup about 4 years from January and I will probably be over it....

Nice bike, nice price too. Almost do able!

Chatter is encouraged. Actually, it's required. And better hurry too. I'm reading that the EPA is passing along info to the top that's going to trigger an Executive Order outlawing pork products cooked over an open wood or charcoal fire.



























Made that up, but it was at least somewhat believable, wasn't it???

Actually, I think its already been banned in Guilford and Forsyth. No new places can open up that cook over wood. I dunno if its true, whether its banned by the health dept, city or county...nothing really to confirm it. Buddy in the restaurant business told me.

Sux, who is so f'in stupid to ban such a thing in bbq country? As a connoisseur of fine swine, I find such regulation thoroughly reprehensible.