“Tell them about Woody,” Cheryl Wasson implored when I told
her I was excited to write this review.
Mom is ecstatically proud of Pop and for every good reason!
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| photo from Woody's website |
After several successful years on the competition barbeque
circuit Woody and Cheryl opened Woody’s
Smoke Shack in 2008.
Swap the names
and date and you have a stock line on almost every bbq joint’s website. blah
blah blah What every Q’ficianado
knows – it’s one thing to cook at a weekend competition occasionally (and even
do well), but to put competition-quality on the restaurant table day in and day
out… that’s extraordinary.
Woody’s is extraordinary!
Stopping by Woody’s on a long road trip, Bride-of-My-Life
and I ordered light. The Missus ordered
a regular brisket sammich and I summoned some ribs.
Each entrée with two sides and a drink – our total rang up, by Mrs.
Woody herself, at $21.68.
The brisket was beautifully smoked, nice smoke ring, and pulled apart with a gentle pull. The meat was a rich combination of beefy taste and smoky delight. As a KCBS certified judge, the brisket gets my top score.
The brisket was beautifully smoked, nice smoke ring, and pulled apart with a gentle pull. The meat was a rich combination of beefy taste and smoky delight. As a KCBS certified judge, the brisket gets my top score.
And the ribs… two words – MEAT CANDY! This short slab (4 bones) of baby racks were
the most fascinating ribs I’ve had all year (and it’s mid-October). Woody serves only baby backs – even in
competition – and he has perfected a rub / glaze method that puts a Honey-Glazed
Ham-type finish on perfectly smoked porksicles.
I savored them slowly and never thought about so much as a hint of
sauce. Sensational!
My professional assessment (based on my
scoring standards):
Brisket...
Taste: 9 Tenderness: 9 Appearance: 9 = Overall: 9
Ribs...
Taste: 9 Tenderness: 9 Appearance: 9 = Overall: 9
Woody’s small kitchen staff handcrafts all their own sides
and desserts including the complimentary pan of cornbread waiting for guests at
the front door. Woody’s makes its home
in a quaint little brick building in the shadows of Drake University. And if any of you Midwesterners have ever
enjoyed Mrs. Clark’s salad dressing, you’ll be pleased to know Ma Clark got her
start in the same building Woody’s now calls home. What a food legacy!
If you find yourself traveling to or through Des Moines, you
have to make your way to Woody’s Smoke Shack for some of the best Q to be found
anywhere.
Ma & Pa Wasson, you’ve earned your rare FIVE PIGGIES!
website: http://www.woodyssmokeshack.com
