Tony Roma's

Went down N. Hurstborne earlier this evening and saw no cars in the parking lot of Tony Roma's. There was a sign on the window, but we didn't take the time to stop and look. I'm guessing closed versus vacation, since it's a chain. Hadn't been there in a long time!

So... yeah...

Knowing many people who have worked there over the years... this is no bigger surprise to me than On The Border closing. You might get by with poor management or poor staff, but you can't get by with both. Same thing. Same result.

You might get by with poor management or poor staff, but you can't get by with both.

And in the case of Tony Roma's you can throw in skanky parboiled and finished in the oven "Chicago-style" ribs for strike three.

Ouch!

FWIW: the ribs are precooked in the oven and then thrown on a grill. no parboiling.

"Pre-cooked" ribs = Nasty

I are there once some years ago. I'd rather visit the dentist.

re Annemarie and Steve P . . . I think you're both right!

Outside of Louisville, most Tony Roma's truly smoke their ribs on a Dixie South smoker oven. The prior owner of the Louisville location par-boiled his ribs. I believe (do not know for certain) the new owner is foil wrapping the ribs and slow-cooking them in the oven, later finishing them on the grill.

In other words, they ARE cooked in the ovens, but the foil wrap gives them a steamed (almost boiled) texture!

Now I do not know for sure - I don't know the people, and when a couple of BBQ people I respect said the steamed-like mouth feel stayed on with the new owners I decided not to go as there are enough decent bbq places (even aside from my back yard smoker) that I don't have to hit them.

Tony Roma's, Damon's, etc, etc...These places calling their ribs "BBQ" is culinary equivalent to me going out in my garage and calling my John Deere lawn tractor a BMW.

Good one, Stevie!

Did it say relocating to a place in Louisville? Or just relocating? According to their website, they only have one in operations in Kentucky. And, that's in Lexington. My thought is if a place says relocating and does not say in Louisville, then people should not take the assumption they are moving to another location within the city.

Outside of Louisville, most Tony Roma's truly smoke their ribs on a Dixie South smoker oven. The prior owner of the Louisville location par-boiled his ribs. I believe (do not know for certain) the new owner is foil wrapping the ribs and slow-cooking them in the oven, later finishing them on the grill.

Go figure. I'm really surprised that Tony Roma's (or any other chain for that matter) would allow their franchisees to vary the cooking method of their signature entree.

I always thought the one thing going for these types of places was consistency from store to store. You know, like how fries from Mac's in Louisville taste the same as fries from Mac's in Timbuktu.

A place I used to work used one of these:

http://www.smokertips.com/meat-smokers/pressure-smoker-heating-element.html

And then finished them on top of an open grill.

Outside of Louisville, most Tony Roma's truly smoke their ribs on a Dixie South smoker oven. The prior owner of the Louisville location par-boiled his ribs. I believe (do not know for certain) the new owner is foil wrapping the ribs and slow-cooking them in the oven, later finishing them on the grill.

Go figure. I'm really surprised that Tony Roma's (or any other chain for that matter) would allow their franchisees to vary the cooking method of their signature entree.

I always thought the one thing going for these types of places was consistency from store to store. You know, like how fries from Mac's in Louisville taste the same as fries from Mac's in Timbuktu.

As I heard the story (real rumor territory here) when Tony Roma's Inc heard the local guy was par-boiling, they tried to pull the franchise and they were known around the country for actually smoking ribs for around 7 hrs. It went to court, and the local franchisee won, "proving" that the Louisville dining audience preferred ribs par-boiled, and if he had to smoke he's lose business(!)

Again, rumor, but that's what I heard.

I know I've been to Tony Roma's in Ft Worth TX, and there they long smoke the meats. Not the best in town, but definitely adequate.

Outside of Louisville, most Tony Roma's truly smoke their ribs on a Dixie South smoker oven. The prior owner of the Louisville location par-boiled his ribs. I believe (do not know for certain) the new owner is foil wrapping the ribs and slow-cooking them in the oven, later finishing them on the grill.

Go figure. I'm really surprised that Tony Roma's (or any other chain for that matter) would allow their franchisees to vary the cooking method of their signature entree.

I always thought the one thing going for these types of places was consistency from store to store. You know, like how fries from Mac's in Louisville taste the same as fries from Mac's in Timbuktu.

As I heard the story (real rumor territory here) when Tony Roma's Inc heard the local guy was par-boiling, they tried to pull the franchise as they were known around the country for actually smoking ribs for around 7 hrs. It went to court, and the local franchisee won, "proving" that the Louisville dining audience preferred ribs par-boiled, and if he had to smoke he's lose business(!)

Again, rumor, but that's what I heard.

I know I've been to Tony Roma's in Ft Worth TX, and there they long smoke the meats. Not the best in town, but definitely adequate.