Took a day off work completely for the first time in a few months. I'd heard about an "authentic American BBQ" place a 90 minute train ride up the coast... I was skeptical, but the pictures looked good enough to give it a shot.
My girlfriend was also skeptical that it would be worth the time/money (cost around $60 for the two of us together, round-trip), but she ended up being won over, too. She's never had American-style barbecue before, so I think this really blew her away. They also had great in-house barbecue sauces that she loved.
We got there about an hour before the entire restaurant was due to be rented out for a party, so it was completely empty. Everything was "Western" themed.
My girlfriend didn't know anything on the menu and I was determined to get more than my money's worth for my day off and $60 in transportation... so I ordered a sampler set for each of us.
First up... chicken and cheese on saltines?
It was ok... I mean, it was good, but definitely more "Japanese." The chicken was nice and savory and the rub they'd used on it had a nice long burn.
While I was still taking the picture for that, the onion rings and fries came, along with a side of chili. The onion rings were hand-made and fantastic -- not greasy at all, good batter consistency, and a generous, crunchy sweet onion on the inside. The fries were tossed in what tasted like the same rub as the chicken and went great with the chili. We also got a free side of cheese dip that went great with everything and helped take the edge off the burn.
Next up was a sparerib and some brisket.
I don't even know what to say to describe this -- the sparerib was easily in the top three I've ever had. Sauce on top was glazed on perfectly, the rub matched everything, and the meat was tender enough to pull straight off the bone. I've heard people talk about that before but I've never been lucky enough -- until now -- to have meat that literally just fell off the bone. It was absolutely fantastic and I loved it.
For some reason, my girlfriend got TWO spareribs on her plate, while I only had one... while I was eyeing hers, we got our next plates:
Homemade coleslaw and more meat, of course. So amazingly tender and soft. The coleslaw was fantastic -- a rarity in Japan. It also had diced nuts in it, which I love. So much Japanese coleslaw is really just shredded cabbage with mayo, so I'm normally not a fan... but I wolfed it down.
The final plate was some dirty rice and more chicken:
I've taken my girlfriend for soul food before (there's a place in Tokyo run by a couple from Mississippi and Louisana), so she's had dirty rice, but this was a bit different... a bit cleaner.
We were both getting full at this point, so we just boxed up most of it and brought it home.
I'm not going to say what I paid for this (meat is expensive in Japan), but I will say that it was very much worth it... some of the best barbecue I've had, period -- not just in Japan. Absolutely fantastic! It was a good day off.
My girlfriend was also skeptical that it would be worth the time/money (cost around $60 for the two of us together, round-trip), but she ended up being won over, too. She's never had American-style barbecue before, so I think this really blew her away. They also had great in-house barbecue sauces that she loved.
We got there about an hour before the entire restaurant was due to be rented out for a party, so it was completely empty. Everything was "Western" themed.
My girlfriend didn't know anything on the menu and I was determined to get more than my money's worth for my day off and $60 in transportation... so I ordered a sampler set for each of us.
First up... chicken and cheese on saltines?
It was ok... I mean, it was good, but definitely more "Japanese." The chicken was nice and savory and the rub they'd used on it had a nice long burn.
While I was still taking the picture for that, the onion rings and fries came, along with a side of chili. The onion rings were hand-made and fantastic -- not greasy at all, good batter consistency, and a generous, crunchy sweet onion on the inside. The fries were tossed in what tasted like the same rub as the chicken and went great with the chili. We also got a free side of cheese dip that went great with everything and helped take the edge off the burn.
Next up was a sparerib and some brisket.
I don't even know what to say to describe this -- the sparerib was easily in the top three I've ever had. Sauce on top was glazed on perfectly, the rub matched everything, and the meat was tender enough to pull straight off the bone. I've heard people talk about that before but I've never been lucky enough -- until now -- to have meat that literally just fell off the bone. It was absolutely fantastic and I loved it.
For some reason, my girlfriend got TWO spareribs on her plate, while I only had one... while I was eyeing hers, we got our next plates:
Homemade coleslaw and more meat, of course. So amazingly tender and soft. The coleslaw was fantastic -- a rarity in Japan. It also had diced nuts in it, which I love. So much Japanese coleslaw is really just shredded cabbage with mayo, so I'm normally not a fan... but I wolfed it down.
The final plate was some dirty rice and more chicken:
I've taken my girlfriend for soul food before (there's a place in Tokyo run by a couple from Mississippi and Louisana), so she's had dirty rice, but this was a bit different... a bit cleaner.
We were both getting full at this point, so we just boxed up most of it and brought it home.
I'm not going to say what I paid for this (meat is expensive in Japan), but I will say that it was very much worth it... some of the best barbecue I've had, period -- not just in Japan. Absolutely fantastic! It was a good day off.
