(At some point, be sure to read my review of K&M
BBQ. The proprietors of K&M and Papa
Bob’s go WAY back and their menus and approaches to the Q’uisine are very
similar.) Papa Bob's Bar-B-Que has a
country diner feel right down to the red & white checked tablecloths and
folksy waitresses. Very nice homespun
feel. And Judy and Bob put the Mom and
Pop in Mom&Pop.
Looking for a sampling of Papa’s Q, Mrs.
I-Didn’t-Know-I-Signed-Up-For-This and I ordered a Burnt End Dinner ($12.00)
and a Deluxe Meat Platter (two ribs, brisket, “pulled pork”) ($14.95) which
featured K&M’s same generous portions.
The burnt ends were marble-size pieces, with a nice burgundy smoke ring
and a bark as black as my rocker son’s wardrobe. All the ends were delish, but some were chewy
– I chalk that up to being cut smaller than necessary.
Like K&M the ribs were full-sized pork spare ribs,
literally falling off the bone, maybe too falling off. The porksicles were tender overall, a little
tough at the very tip end (which is why many joints trim the tips off for St
Louis style). They were perfectly
smoked, featured a nice bark and gorgeous smoke ring.
The beef brisket was identical to K&M’s – tender and
beefy tasting, but not much smoke ring or bark to be seen. Just like K&M’s, the brisket was mostly
chopped with a couple full slices of brisket folded in. The “pulled” pork was NOT pulled, it was chopped. It was tasty, but not in the same category as
good pulled pork. Judy (Mom) brought us
a complimentary slice of turkey. Oh, I
wish I’d ordered a plateful of it.
Although it was exactly the same batch as K&M’s, this bird was smoky
pink and as delicious as I’ve ever had at a BBQ joint.
Sauces were good. The
regular was pleasingly sweet and clearly homemade – lots of spices and herbs
doing the backstroke in a handsome tomato base.
There’s a spicy sauce which really didn’t kick it up much. Judy brought us a bottle of sauce labeled
“HAB” for habanero. I declined – I don’t
have to protect my man card by eating the food equivalent of toxic waste. She prevailed (she’s good like that) and I
tasted it. “Sweet start with a kick at
the finish line” - not at all toxic and definitely not a waste. If you like spicy sauce, grab the HAB. I got your back.
I’ve saved the best for last. Being so much like K&M, and the meat not
being exceptionally better (except for that Turkey!!), I’m inclined to give
Poppa Bob’s 3 piggies. (Their prices are
higher than K&M’s, but I’m told K&M is about to redo their menu… with
more digits.) We were very fortunate to
have a great conversation with Judy and then Papa Bob walked in. These folks have a commitment and a passion
to their craft that you don’t often find.
I think I’m being very fair to my readers to give Papa Bob’s the full
faith and credit of 4 Happy Little Piggies.
These good folks have put their whole lives into this diner. You can see it in their smiles and you can
taste it in their food. If the burnt
ends had been larger and if the brisket hadn’t fallen apart so much, we’d be
talking 5 Porkers. Don’t care. I’d go back in a heartbeat just to show my
appreciation for what they’re doing to enjoy some well-above average Q. Judy, Bob, well done!
site: http://papabobsbbq.com/
