Fire and Water

”Blazin' Bobs is OPEN!!” said my friend excitedly, popping his head into my office.

“Cool...” I murmured, half-listening and half-focused on my computer screen, not really knowing what crazy thing he was talking about.

“When we going?” he asked.

“Going where now?”

“That new BBQ place in town!”

I still had no idea what he was talking about, but at that point didn't need to. If there was a new BBQ place, I was there. And so, on Friday, we headed out to lunch at a place that turned out to be called Badbob's BBQ.

I had never heard of the franchise, nor does the snarling pig on the opening page of their website capture the environment we walked into. Brick walls, a high ceiling, and elegant lighting all suggested a Manhattan environment, which was kind of cool to discover on Long Island. But would the upscale decor mean anything if the food wasn't up to par?

In the dining area, water ran down either side of a large sheet of glass, disappearing into a rock garden at the base on either side. Reading through the array of choices on the menu, my friend already knew he'd be back again with his wife for dinner later on. While we made our decisions, the waiter brought a plate of freshly fried potato chips as appetizers. There are two other BBQ places in the town where I work, and only one other place served potato chips, while the other had nachos. Badbob's chips were thinner slices of potato, and crispier than the local competition's. So far, things were looking good.

After some deliberation, I went with a BBQ chicken sandwich. As an afterthought, when I heard my friend order an iced tea, I told the waiter I'd like a lemonade with my order. When the drinks were brought, mine seemed a little clear. It didn't quite taste like water, but it didn't have much of a lemon flavor either. We noted that the table was a Constructicon green shade, so it was hard to tell. I opted to stick with my original glass of water, which at least had the lack of taste water is supposed to have.

The sandwich and fries proved much better, especially when I added some of the hot sauces from the table. I'm not a fan of Coleslaw, which they put in the sandwich rather than on the side, but it wasn't a bad combination of flavors. Hot enough hot sauce can kill almost anything. Perhaps that's the secret to get me to eat some of the vegetables I've managed to steer clear of for a little over 30 years. Perhaps not.

In the end, it was a decent lunch. I don't think it's the best BBQ place in the area, and the lack of a full roll of paper towels on each table that a Famous Daves might have should have been a clue. I'd give the decor a 10, the food a 7 or an 8, and the beverage a 1. There's still pulled pork, beef brisket, and even basic burgers among the many menu items left to try, so I'll probably be back at least once. They could definitely benefit from a much stronger hot sauce, the kind that even burns finger tips. But I guess it just wasn't that kind of BBQ place, at least not that particular location. The snarling pig leads me to expect better...