Old Southern BBQ, the second barbecue brainchild of Famous Dave’s founder Dave Anderson, hit all the notes of a hole-in-the wall joint, but with a little extra polish and modern flavors. My wife and I both got plates, brisket and smoked chicken for me (written Chick’n for some annoying reason). I opted for dill potato salad on the side; she got tangy slaw and we split some mac and cheese. Almost everything was fantastic. The brisket was tender and juicy, the chicken was smoky and complex. The pulled pork was the star protein, smoky and juicy with some intensely salty and amazing bark in the mix so you knew it came from a real smoker. Dill brought brightness and freshness to the potato salad, and the slaw was a fantastic compliment to the smoky spice of the sauces and meat. The cornbread "muffin tops" were delightful additions, being of course the best part of the muffin. The only "meh" was, surprisingly, the mac and cheese. With so many explosive flavors, carbs and cheese were bland by comparison.
The upshot: The food, along with quality COVID-era pickup service and packaging, will certainly bring us back, but it’ll be pulled pork for everyone next time. —N.U.
A stalwart in the world of franchised barbecue restaurants at 79 years old, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has a menu of mainstays along with, let’s say, some options for diners to take a few risks. We experienced both ends of the Dickey’s menu spectrum after a hankering for barbecue had us exploring the offerings online. While open for dine-in service, we opted to order online for takeout from a suburban Minneapolis location that took plenty of effort from our GPS to find. I chose the beef brisket plate with Texas toast and sweet barbecue sauce, a choice that was immensely satisfying thanks to hefty chunks of meat and a flavor that only comes from Dickey’s commitment to slow smoking its meats on-site. I had to fend off my husband’s fork, however, because his gamble on the Wild Western sandwich didn’t pay off. The combination of pulled pork and jalapeno cheddar kielbasa with onions, cheddar and hot sauce wasn’t a winner, any flavor quickly overpowered by heat. The sides of mac and cheese, baked potato casserole and jalapeno beans (another silly husband selection) were disappointingly small but otherwise satisfactory.
The upshot: Stick to the basics at Dickey’s, where the company’s extensive experience in smoked meats shines. —L.M.
It’s fun to grill up the tasty strips of Prime Kalbi Short Rib, Harami Skirt Steak, Umakara Ribeye and more at the Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. It’s also hot, because the grill sits in the center of the small table, pumping out heat just inches from our faces. But we flip and turn and sample an ample array of dishes in the "Chef’s Favorite" for two people that boasts 3,650 calories and costs $80. Both of those facts seem high, with the calorie count likely boosted by a huge pot of garlicky sticky rice that’s sooooooo delicious. The plump and flavorful shrimps are another standout. Only the broccoli, chopped into little bits and steamed in foil, and its scarily bright orange cheese sauce seem like missteps in this fresh food mecca; sliced veggies to finish on the grill would have fit the ticket. In the end, the shortcomings when customers cook their own food are clear: everything tastes basically the same because, well, everything is seasoned and prepared the same.
The upshot: Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ offers a fun night out with loads of tasty food, but especially at this price point I would prefer a chef’s flair. —B.E.
