3-13-2009 TaTu BBQ

I am very pleased with myself that I chose to go to Kingston instead of Poulsbo. I would have never had the privilege of meeting Mr Patrick Momany and gotten to chow down on his interpretation of Texas Style BBQ. The other location, which I found on the Internet and was led to believe that it was the main site, was closed for good and the Kingston joint is the only one around these days. If I had chosen Poulsbo, I would have ended up taking my riding buddies, Wookie and Andy (he needs a nick name), to some other BBQ establishment. Upon arriving in Kingston, Wookie and I searched around for NE Maine. After making a right turn Clyde we traveled the entire 2 city blocks of its length in vain. Aghhhhhhhh! Didn't see it anywhere! On the flip side Wookie's nose pointed us in the right direction. Sure enough, just after he pointed out the joint the sweet and savory smell of a pit smacked me in the face. The shack was located behind another business that had the NE Maine address. As we were pulling into the parking area this cowboy looking dude comes out of the tiny building and greets us. This guy looks like he could costar in western movies right along side of Sam Elliot and Tom Selleck. I found out later that he was from this area and that he had learned the art of BBQ just a few years ago. He had even taken a course on the subject. We got to listen to his story of how he was involved with the Wounded Warrior project and that he had even flown to Germany to serve up our men and woman service members some good ol' USA BBQ. What a treat it was to meet this gentleman. Wookie presented him with a PGR coin and we 3 expressed our thanks for what he does. Again , it has been my incredible opportunity to meet another kindred soul. Patrick, it was an honor to shake your hand. Now, lets talk about some BBQ.

Taste: After being handed samples of ribs, rubbed nuts (yes, they are pistachios; get your minds out of the gutter) and some incredible smoked corned beef I couldn't make up my mind. Staring at the menu didn't help. Well, pulled pork was at the top so that is what I ordered. Wookie and Andy ordered the same. We also shared an order of riblets. Tree hugger tea for my cohorts and I had a diet "whatever is on top of the cooler". Our sandwiches were served up on big hamburger buns with a side of slaw that was intended to go into the sandwich. OK by me. The pork was incredibly tender and the smoke assaulted my senses with its aromatic flavor. We all pretty much shut up except to eat and to offer our praises. I chose not to dress mine up with any sauce, but there were plenty to choose from with Carolina vinegar and mustard at the front of the pack. I tried dipping one of the riblets into a Habanero sauce which made me glad I just had a drop on it. I tried another with the Mustard sauce. Homemade and very delicious. 9 very well deserved stars.

Value: The bill came out to 41 bucks for sandwiches all around, a big order of riblets to share, drinks and a jar of his self labeled rub. Not bad, not bad at all. The pleasant experience of meeting Patrick and hearing his story certainly even added an additional worth. 9 stars.

Staff: Well I can't say that your waitress was very cute. Kinda hairy in the face and should have been starring in western flicks. Wait a sec.......that was no waitress.........that was Patrick. See what happens when I'm bedeviled by BBQ. All kidding aside, the one man operation that is TaTu BBQ was not understaffed as this one man seemed to be everywhere all at the same time. 9 stars.

Ambiance: No complaints at all here. The pit in use was ever so smokey good. The joint had a "side of the road" (which it was) easy in and out atmosphere to it that ranks it high amongst others and puts the pretenders to shame. The white board with the simple menu , the table of sauces and the lone smoker in operation (there were others) were the only trimmings necessary to this no frills operation. The single table offered was a wee bit to far away for my taste and not really needed as a day in the saddle left me with the desire to stand anyway. 9 stars.

Friends: This is an excellent place for a destination ride. Being right next to the ferry terminal in Kingston, I could see a motorcycle run having a quick chow break here as we all waited for the next boat ride. I will recommend you to my buddies and I bet that my riding partners of today will probably do the same. 9 stars.

Overall (this is a no brainer) I award TaTu Texas style BBQ 9 solid stars out of 10. I will be using your rub tomorrow to smoke up some pork ribs as my daughter will be in town for a visit. I hope my next visit isn't too far down the road, but you never know where the BBQhunter will strike next. Folks, if you want to meet a genuine good guy, and you are in the Kingston area, you probably couldn't do better than to stop by this place and give it a try.

Check him out at:

http://www.tatubbq.com/index.htm

Later...

2-28-2009 Ranch House BBQ

I'm pretty sure that I ended my last entry stating that I was going to spread the BBQhunter around a little before heading back to the Ranch House. Well, today's visit was not preplanned, it just happened. Mind you, I'm not complaining. I can't think of a better place to catch a impromptu dinner. It all started with a PGR mission to Grays Harbor county and the services of a fallen hero, SSgt Davis. The day was cold and some drizzle fell on us now and then. I decided to play hooky from work (yes, believe it or not, being the BBQhunter doesn't pay the electric bill) and it was suggested by my favorite Wookie that we stop by the Ranch House on the way home. Most excellent! The two of us quickly became 4 (with the addition of Daylight and Biker Vet) and off we went flying down the highway at warp 10. Egads! Upon arrival we found that the parking lot was packed up, except for strangely right in front of the BBQ trailers, and that there was a 20 minute wait to be seated unless we wished to sit in the bar. So off we went to the bar, which I have to say was cozy (code word for tiny), but had just emptied. Perhaps it was the sight of 4 leather encrusted bikers that gave us the run of the place. While we were sitting and yakking it up, we were joined by 2 more PGR members and 2 active duty Air Force members who had also attended the services today. Now there were 8 of us in the bar and we could barely turn around to say howdy as it was wall to wall people (did I say the bar was cozy?). I will try to encompass our group of 8 while scoring this visit, but will most likely remain focused on my individual experience this day.

Taste: I had the BBQ chicken sandwich, garlic fries, potato salad and a cold beer to wash it down. I believe there was only one other order of the chicken sandwich. The rest of the "gang" had brisket or pork. I know from previous visits that the brisket is great. I should have ordered the brisket today, but I felt like chicken. Sigh! My loss as the chicken, while very tasty, was as dry as Styrofoam packing peanuts. The over abundance of sauce was its only saving grace. I don't usually like a lot of BBQ sauce on my plate, but today it was entirely the correct thing to do. The potato salad was good, but not the cat's meow, and the garlic fries were as usual very delicious. The Sam Adam's Boston Lager was icy cold. The rest of the group seemed to enjoy their meals as the conversation died down to the minimum after the food was served. I'll score you a 7 today. That is the low end of splitting the difference between my meal and what I perceived from the others.

Value: Lets see......18 and 1/2 bucks for dinner and a beer. $4.25 of that was for the Sam Adams. Egads. 1 beer! For a couple more bucks, I could have bought a 6 pack from the store. Not the best bargain on the planet folks. I also had a iced tea and can only hope that the two drinks were combined to come up with the total. I'll score you an 8, because I'm giving you the benefit of the the doubt.

Staff: Absolutely no complaints here. Our huge order came out of the kitchen with a minimum of wait time and our bartender/waitress was a delight, especially watching her at the mixology trade. I have never seen a lemon drop made before today and believe me its a sight to behold. 9 stars

Ambiance: You got it going on here. WOW! The smell was incredible. I'm sure the pit must have been in full operation all day or maybe it was the mountains of BBQ being served up and consumed all around me. I was in BBQ heaven! Your bar, while "cozy" had a great selection of brews and mine was ice cold. The place was packed to the gills and during our stay it even got busier, if that is possible. When we finally cleared out of the bar it was standing room only in the waiting area. The second we left our seats they were filled again. Its nice to see that so many people share my opinion of this joint. 9 very well deserved stars.

Friends: As I have said before, I will recommend this place to all, far and wide. Maybe not the chicken though. Well, perhaps some day I'll try it again (the chicken that is). There is no perhaps concerning the Ranch House BBQ. This place still is 1 of my favorites in the local area. I will return and drag along a couple more buddies. 9 stars.

Overall I award the Ranch House BBQ a score of 8 stars for this visit. Not bad at all. My only real complaint was the chicken and I suppose I shouldn't gripe too loudly. I certainly gobbled it down like I hadn't eaten all day (which is the truth, except for a cookie or two). Everyone else in the group sang your praises loudly. But, this is my blog and its my opinion that counts here. I'm looking forward to my next visit and perhaps this time I'll actually spread the BBQhunter around beforehand.

Later...