by Andrew Mellman » Thu Dec 01, 2016 10:11 am
Been hitting chain bbq places lately (gave City BBQ a B+ for Q, bucked the crowd and gave Martin's an "A" for food, "D" for seating, "B" for ordering), had to be downtown for the theater (saw Alan Cumming at Brown Theater), and decided to try Guy Fieri's Smokehouse.
Not a bad choice! Not worth a special trip, but if you're there it's an acceptable option!
We had:
- Pig wings . . . $12.95 . . . rib tips (a half dozen huge pieces) smoked, flash fried, sauced, and covered with pork rind crumbs for crunch . . . tender (not quite "fall off the bone", but tender) with a slight outer crunch due to the rind and fry . . . I'd get this again! It was a good portion for one for dinner, and came with two sauces and a small portion of raw veges . . . I also ordered the roasted corn, which surprised me by being off the cob . . . tender, tasty, obviously roasted, but kernels in a smallish ramekin.
- Brisket platter . . . $17.95 . . . good sized portion, maybe a tad overpriced but not by much and not objectionably so . . . perfect slices, no crumbs, FAT FREE! . . . now, the lack of fat unfortunately - while healthier - meant that the meat was a tad dry (had to add the side sauce), but it was still flavorful and tender . . . came with slaw, which we couldn't eat (very slight amount of vinegar based sauce, again dry) . . . had sprouts instead of smashed potatoes, and they were tender, tasty, and delicious . . . might get this again also, but would know to be sure to have extra sauce just in case and would try to sub out the slaw.
I had the brisket at all three places, and rate them Martin's first (might be a tad fatty for some, but overall taste was best), and Guy's and City different styles (City thinner slices, less "steaky") but equivalent in rating. The ribs/pig wings were very different, and I liked both.
Presentation of some items was very unusual. A person at the table on one side of us had a soup/stew with smoked meat in it, which next time I will definitely order as it was chocked full of stuff and looked spectacular. A table on the other side of us had nachos, which were fried into a long cylinder, placed on the plate vertically, and then filled with meat, cheese, sour cream, et al - the people eating it scarfed it down to the last crumb!
I think I like Gordon Biersch best of the chains on 4th, but would put Guys a strong second if I were there. It's not worth a separate trip, but a good option if one were downtown.
BTW, they have a good happy hour. My Evan Williams Single Barrel was $5, plus $2 for having it on the rocks. At most other similar places, that would have been closer to $8-9.
Andrew Mellman