Tag: cucumber salad

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In the Pits: Combo

The "In The Pits" Combo with brisket, pulled pork, St Louis or baby back ribs, chicken or homemade sausage.

During the July Worcester Foodies meeting at Smokestack Urban Barbecue I opted for the “In The Pits” Combo,  choosing to get the brisket,  pulled pork and St Louis ribs along with some sides of Cucumber Salad and substituted sweet potato fries. Originally was going to with the BBQ beans but sweet potato fries were calling my name.  It was a very large platter of food with the meats and sides all coming on one plate.

The pulled pork was very light in flavor which could be due to the dry rub used – I was expecting a little more punch to it. The brisket was very tender as you could cut it without a knive and also tasty – the best part of the meal.  You could choose to have a “sweet or spicy” sauce to add on but went with “naked” to get the real bbq taste and feel. Loving sweet potato fries, I had high expectations – and they were met as the fries were yummy though a little too crunchy. The thinly sliced cucumber salad brought a balance to the meal with the slight acidity, freshness and lightness to the meal.

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“Not Your Momma’s” Fried Chicken

“Not Your Momma’s” Fried Chicken served with mac and cheese with cucumber salad substituted for collard greens.

Going southern at Smokestack Urban Barbecue meant fried chicken! A large platter of chicken arrived at the table along with two small bowls of sides—this was obviously a meal that I would be enjoying the next day as well!  The chicken was perfectly fried and still very hot with crispy skin and meat so tender that it fell off the bone with little effort.  There was plenty of white meat, which is often lacking with “half chicken” preparations.  The cucumber salad was comprised of thinly cut cucumber slices, shredded carrot and scant red pepper pieces all drenched in a vinegary dressing.  I loved this – it was a great contrast to the richness of the fried chicken and it had a great flavor.  The mac and cheese was simply ok.  It was creamy and covered with crushed Ritz crackers, but I found it bland and lacking flavor.  It was much improved with a splash or two of hot sauce but it still didn’t “wow” me.

Overall, this is a meal I would certainly order again (and again…).  If this dish is representative of the food that Smokestack has to offer, we’ve got a winner!