Staten's BBQ in Prospect. 3.5 rating?

I went there tonight around 8:30. The signage is good off US 42 but the place is hard to find once you pull in. It seems that the main entrance is down a little hill, but I went in the front door not really knowing if the place was open or not. To make a long story short, an extremely friendly young lady took my order. I requested the half chicken and half rack of ribs dinners with 4 sides included. My sides were green beans, tater salad, banana pudding and chocolate Oreo pudding.

Once home, I found the ribs packed in 2 foil packs. One was dried out and not good at all, the other was fabulous, very meaty, well smoked and quite succulent. The half chicken was small but well smoked and juicy to boot. The sides were all very good except for the canned green beans. I asked for 2 sauces, the extra hot and the Texas heat, neither were needed, but very tasty. I would definitely return, but I will mention that one 4 bone rib package was just plain old not good. Other than that, I give Staten's a 3.0 to 3.5. Has anyone else been there lately?

I think they have some of the best sauces in town - don't know who makes them for Staten's, but they are pretty wonderful. I haven't been there for several months, but I agree about a 3 out of four rating (especially since I now live in Shelby County and KenTex is just up the road - my new standard-bearer!).

[Robin Garr]

I think they have some of the best sauces in town - don't know who makes them for Staten's, but they are pretty wonderful. I haven't been there for several months, but I agree about a 3 out of four rating (especially since I now live in Shelby County and KenTex is just up the road - my new standard-bearer!).

When they first moved out the road from the original location, I thought they had really lost it. The food was just plain poor during a couple of visits there. Sounds like they might have found their way back to an even keel, although for the record, as discussed on the old forum, Vince Staten has moved to Knoxville and is no longer involved.

I must chime in here as I've stop there on three different occasions in the last month and a half and found they really have slid since there move or change of owners or both, maybe 2 - 2.5, in my opinion.

On my latest visit this pasted Sunday evening I took away a full rack dinner ($18.40) and a half chicken dinner ($7.50). I ordered the usual suspects to go along side, slaw, potato salad and a couple of baked beans.

I found the rack of ribs wrapped in plastic wrap (obviously fresh from the micro) then wrapped in foil and dried out to the extent that the first (4) bones were inedible. The remaining survivors were 'OK' with a kind of dry tougher outer layer to it and lacking any evidence of a rub but a very light smokey flavor. Disappointing considering the price.

My wife's chicken order was in the same plastic and foil wrapping and given the same microwave treatment that turns the skin into a moist chewy blanket. The underlining meat was cooked properly and tasty.

The baked beans and slaw held no surprises. My order of potato salad had a nice tangy cheesy type taste...maybe a little cream cheese or something along that line was added to it.

On my previous visits I went for the pulled the pork sandwich both times. Now I'm trying to be positive here, I swear, but it was uneventful. The sauces dress it up just fine but the meat is kinda like steamed pork. I like to see some evidence of the shoulder being smoked to a point of having a nice smokey flavor, but not overbearing, and the brown crusty bits (known as Mr. Brown in the BBQ circle) dispersed throughout the sandwich.

The store is a nice place with cold beer signs, NASCAR stuff on one wall, about (6) TV screens of various sizes, a little stage for the live music they have once a week. It just looks like a nice neighborhood type place to enjoy a beer and a sandwich and watch a game or a race.

Everything is in place to be a top notch BBQ shack, good BBQ is not hard to do it just takes a little extra attention and effort to get it right. I'll go back if not for anything else than just shear convenience.

Whew....there I did it, my first '"review". Have at it gang.

I want to believe Staten's has improved but everytime I hear that news I find it is still a mere shadow of its former glory. It has some excellent sauce options, great potato salad and fairly friendly people and........well that's it. The brisket has a strange metallic flavor to it, the pulled pork is just ok and the ribs are the way you found the first set , Doogy. You got very lucky that the second set was alright. But I live in a divided household: my wife and son really like Staten's and eat there often when I am at work for my 24 hour shift. They are happy with the food and I am happy that I miss it. For BBQ I think that Jucy's, Ken-Tex and Big R's have things just right for my taste.

[Robin Garr]

Whew....there I did it, my first '"review". Have at it gang.

You did great, David! It didn't hurt at all, did it?

Thanks for making the effort to post ... and to show other lookers-on that we really welcome thoughts and opinions here. Now that you've broken the ice, don't be a stranger!

I visited Staten's a few weeks ago for the first time since they had moved. My ribs were just about as good as in the past, but still not quite as good as Jucy's. Since Jucy's is much closer, that's just where I go.

It did seem that the ribs had been microwaved but in my case not harmed too much.

They are not what they used to be...i would not have them in even the top 6 places around here for BBQ...Plus it takes more than sauces to make a good BBQ......

They are not what they used to be...i would not have them in even the top 6 places around here for BBQ...Plus it takes more than sauces to make a good BBQ......

My favorite Texas-style BBQ place, Kreuz's in Lockhart Texas, doesn't even serve sauce, "because they have nothing to hide."

My favorite real BBQ place (that would be Eastern NC BBQ for you Philistines), B's BBQ in Greenville, NC (a restaurant without a phone!) uses a great vinegar-based sauce sans tomato.

I visited Staten's a few weeks ago for the first time since they had moved. My ribs were just about as good as in the past, but still not quite as good as Jucy's. Since Jucy's is much closer, that's just where I go.

It did seem that the ribs had been microwaved but in my case not harmed too much.

I do agree that Jucy's is better than Staten's and my fave is Bootleg, but Staten's was mostly good last night. I can't say anything about their consistency because I haven't gone there but once since they moved to the new place. I reckon I have to traipse on over there another time soon.

Jucys is so far above them there is no comparision....