Honky Tonk BBQ

9 Reviews on “Honky Tonk BBQ”

• Twotonken

  No bacon candy! My craft cocktail was disappointing – white negroni. And my wife complained that her cocktail was too strong. Beer choices are ok. Brisket was not lean. However, the KC ribs were the best and the Mac n cheese was good. Avoid the beans. Great atmosphere and good enough food unless they run out.

  August 23, 2016, 3:36 am

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• Just Jamie

  Sadly, this Southern boy was somewhat disappointed in the barbecue, but the side dishes and craft cocktails certainly kept us all entertained.We were immediately seated in the upper dining hall, complete with mismatched tables, a potpourri of chairs and flea market quality art work that highlighted the homey atmosphere. The smell of smoke permeated the room, which signaled high hopes for the cue – but first, a sampling of craft cocktails.I ordered up the Honky Old Fashioned, featuring a massive pour of Makers, some orange slices, a cinnamon-spiced cherry, bitters and a splash of club soda ($8). The wife had the Bacon Candy & Brew, a plank-like portion of brown sugar-encrusted bacon teetering over a pint of frosty Old Style beer ($6). The super-simple Lonely Presbyterian ($6) stole the show with Old Crow whisky, spicy ginger ale and bitters.The menu is pretty simple: an selection of sandwiches featuring pulled Championship pork ($9), beef brisket ($9.50) and smoked chicken ($8), or platters of the same proteins, ranging from $14 -$33, adding a hot link and a side dish or two. There was a token, albeit very tasty, portobello mushroom sandwich ($8) topped with collard greens – add tangy goat cheese for an additional two bucks. Their appetizers included fried green tomatoes (At 5:30pm we were told, Sorry, we just ran out), cake-like corn bread muffins ($5) and, being Pilsen, a cheese and shitake mushroom filled empanada ($8). Following the meats and veg, a smattering of desserts included banana pudding and peach cobbler from $6-$7.–Full disclosure as my profile states, Im a transplanted Southern boy, raised 40+ years on pork barbecue, Carolina collards and Mommas nanna pudding. So, like a true North Carolina pig pickin, this might get a bit sloppy.–Upon arrival, my beef brisket Delux Platter ($16) sent off as many mixed signals as the restaurants dcor despite no visible smoke ring on the large mound of meat, the two top pieces were perfectly succulent and tender, glistening with just a touch of grease, and sprinkled with a dash of paprika-tinted rub. Unfortunately, the meat tucked below the trophy peak of goodness was gray and lifeless, impossible to tug apart and void of any discernible flavor, good or bad. What happened? How can you go from hero-to-zero on one plate? The brisket on the sandwich our friend ordered looked much nicer, and was, enviously, more juicy and equally portioned.Unfortunately, not even the barbecue sauces could revive my monotone beef; an obvious homage to the great state of South Carolina, the mustard-based sauce was tangy with a hint of honey, white vinegar and a queer note of raw garlic. The two ketchup-based sauces, while bottled differently and described by the waitress as one hot, one not, tasted almost identical. The best I could tell, the larger squeeze bottle was a tad sweeter, maybe from a dollop of molasses (?) – the other bottle featured more vinegar and maybe a pinch of red pepper. The side dishes were also a conundrum both bowls of macaroni and cheese ($3.5 for a four ounce portion) were ice cold on the top, yet steaming hot on the bottom. I not sure what linear shift in the space-time continuum causes such a temperature inversion, but it made for a lively discussion at our table. As for taste, the bchamel cheese sauce was flour-y and bland theyd probably do better to simply offer up the nuclear-orange kids favorite, boxed Kraft Mac & Cheese. While the candied yams appeared to be from a can, the fresh cabbage coleslaw ($6.50 for the large portion) had a definite tang and crispness very nicely done.The side dish of collard greens, however, brought the meal to a complete halt. The greens pot liquor had a distinct taste of tobacco or bong water- as one person described at our table. And before you call shenanigans, kindly note that a famous roadside barbecue joint down in Andersonville, S.C. swore that a lone leaf of flue-cured tobacco in a pot of greens makes up for harvesting the head of collards before the first frost. Im not saying Honky Tonks collards are lovingly seasoned with tobacco, but it made for an intriguing, if not unique, taste experience. My only suggestion would be to cut or tear the collards up a little more before service one diner pulled out a leaf the size of a paper plate at a nearby table.While the meat on the pulled pork sandwich featured a noticeable smoke ring, the wood flavors and seasonings were very subtle. Adding a little coleslaw really punched up the flavors, making the offering reminiscent of Eastern North Carolinas classic whole hog barbecue. The veggie sandwich, a massive tower of perfectly cooked portobello mushrooms and greens, was one of the tables favorites, but the dense, day-old bread roll was impenetrable and simply left in the basket.Other than having to flag down our waitress for a second round of drinks, the service was unremarkable. Even with a full house, our food was delivered in less than 20 minutes, our waters were kept topped off and the dirty utensils and half-eaten plates of barbecue were cleared without comment. While Ill probably not get the wife to return, Id like to come back and give this joint another try just to make sure it simply wasnt an off night for the pit master.

  February 6, 2016, 6:21 pm

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• Gillian Young-Miller

  Honky Tonk is awe worthy and im very picky it is totally 5 stars !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  September 17, 2013, 2:19 am

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• Shaneen Stankowski

  Meats were cooked to perfection, but NO flavor. We will never go back. Very dissatisfied. Bbq sauce tasted like tomatoe paste. Did not care to pay good money and get to sauce the ribs with mediocre/poor quality sauce.

  June 5, 2013, 4:58 pm

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• JCW

  But the Atmosphere is Great. The barbecue in this establishment isn’t great, but the atmosphere is great, service is good and barbecue isn’t bad. The bacon candy is worth a try.

  September 25, 2012, 12:08 am

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• RRunning

  I’m not a slaw guy, and almost missed it, but at the end of my meal, I took a chance and was amazed. Also, don’t miss the chili. Chunks of smoked brisket and lots of ground beef. The heat is just right. Overall, very solid BBQ.

  January 27, 2012, 12:39 am

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• Very Angry

  No Customer Service Skills!!!. Don’t waste your time The food is OK, but the service is horrible. The waitresses are rude, they will get and attitude and yell if you give them a 10 or 20% tip. Don’t bother asking for the Manager, she is even worse. When we complained about the waitress to the manager she told us that we were wrong not her and if we don’t want to tip 10 or 20% not to come back to the restaurant.

  August 12, 2011, 4:45 pm

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