Our RV Adventures

Jan and I headed out about 1:15pm to see a movie and finish up our trifecta of famous Memphis BBQ places. Along the way we made a PO stop to drop off some letters right before we got to the theater, the same one where we saw Jurassic World the other day.

We were looking forward to seeing the Minions because we really liked both Despicable Me moves, and the Minions were part of some of the funniest bits. But although we both really liked this movie, it did not live up to the Despicable ones.

It’s like the Minions are great supporting actors, but can’t carry a film by themselves.

Recommended, but not Well Recommended.

But the popcorn was really good and fresh.

Leaving the movie, we made the 20 minute drive further into town to have dinner at The Bar-B-Q Shop, one of Food Network’s Top Five BBQ Restaurants in the US. Each one of the five specializes in a different type of BBQ. In The Bar-B-Q Shop’s case, it’s for the ribs.

So following that, I had the Ribs and Pork, with Beans and Cole Slaw,

while Jan went with the Ribs and Grilled Chicken Breast, also with the Beans and Cole Slaw.

We both got our ribs 1/2 and 1/2, that is, half wet with sauce, and half dry with rub sprinkled on.

So what do we think?

In the last couple of weeks, we’ve eaten at three high-rated BBQ places in the Memphis area.

Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous

Jim and Nick’s BBQ

and of course, today’s

The Bar-B-Q Shop.

And in all three, at least one of us had the same things.

Ribs

Pulled Pork

Beans

Cole Slaw

So I’m going to rate each category.

First up, the ribs.

I’ll have to disagree with Food Network here.

The best ribs were at Rendezvous. The crust on them is delicious, and they just burst with flavor when you bite into them. These don’t need any sauce.

Second was Jim and Nick’s. These large, meaty spare ribs were moist and favorable, with a really good, tangy sauce.

Third was The Bar-B-Q Shop. These baby back ribs were very meaty, but the meat and the sauce and/or the rub, didn’t have a lot of flavor to me. Just bland, with a so-so sauce. We asked for some of their fabled ‘HOT” sauce, and again I was disappointed. Although it was hot, to me it had a chemical or plastic taste. Jan liked it though.

Next up, pulled pork.

Jim and Nick’s is the winner here. Very flavorful meat, firm, not mushy, with a good mix of lean and outside char. And of course, there’s their great sauce.

In second place is Rendezvous. Good flavor, but a little too finely chopped for my taste.

Coming up in last place again is The Bar-B-Q Shop. The chop was OK, but again like the ribs, not a lot of flavor,. I actually sprinkled some salt and pepper on it which helped a little.

Now for the Beans.

Once again, Rendezvous is in first place here. As said last Saturday after our visit, these are probably the best baked beans I’ve every eaten. The subtle taste of burnt caramel in the sauce puts these over the top.

Jim and Nick’s again slides into second place here with beans that are really done well, just a perfect balance of sauce, tanginess, and beans.

And again coming in third is The Bar-B-Q Shop. Again,, no real standout taste, . . . just beans.

And last up, Cole Slaw.

The winner here is Jim and Nick’s, but just by a nose. Very good, tangy flavor with a coarse cut that you can really bite into.

Coming in second here is The Bar-B-Q Shop. If the cole slaw had had the same coarse chop as Jim and Nick’s, it would have been a tie.

This time Rendezvous comes in third. Although very tasty, it was so finely chopped as to be almost mushy, like baby food.

There you have it. My take on Memphis BBQ, at least from the places we ate at. On the whole I was very disappointed with The Bar-B-Q Shop. I remember them being much better than this when we ate here 5 years ago. So I don’t know if they were having a bad night, or I was. Or as happens sometimes after a place gets a little fame, the quality starts to suffer.

I think Jan disagrees with me on some of these, so I’ll post her ratings tomorrow.

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Thought for the Day:

“Peace is that brief glorious moment in history, when everybody stands around reloading.”

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When we first got here last Sunday, I was happy to see 3 bars of 3G on my Verizon air card. But, unfortunately, it was not to last.

A couple of days later, I was crawling along the Internet with 1 bar of 1X.  I didn’t realize there still was 1X around. But since it is, the hills of Tennessee is probably the place for it.

Do I hear banjos?

I’m not sure what Verizon is doing around here, but my signal is all over the place. Right now, a little before midnight, I have 4 bars of 3G. While 30 minutes ago, I had 1 bar of 1X again.

Make up your mind. Find a speed and stick to it.

For dinner tonight Jan whipped up one of her great Taco Salads, using ground beef she cooked earlier, and then vacuum-sealed and froze.

What she usually does is buy one of those big packs of ground beef and then take the electric skillet outside and cook it all up, That way it’s always available for a quick meal, and it doesn’t smell up the rig.

Tomorrow looks to be another movie/dinner/shopping trip

First up is the Minion’s movie at the same theater we saw Jurassic World this past Friday. Jan and I both enjoyed the two Despicable Me movies, and the Minions turned out to be the breakout stars, so now they get their own movie.

Next up is a return visit to The Bar-B-Q Shop. We first ate here in 2010 and really enjoyed it, but since then we’ve always come through Memphis on a day when it’s closed. So we’re really looking forward to eating there again tomorrow.

But even better, just a couple of months ago the Food Network did a series on the Top Five Restaurants in the US in six different categories: burgers, steak, pizza, tacos, barbecue and ice cream. And we were really surprised to see the one on the Top Five BBQ Restaurants in the US .

As it turns out, we’ve eaten at two of them, and will check out the 3rd next month.

Killen’s Barbecue
3613 E Broadway St, Pearland, TX 77581

The Bar-B-Q Shop
1782 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN 38104

Skylight Inn
4618 S Lee St, Ayden, NC 28513

Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q
1715 6th Avenue SE, Decatur, AL 35601

Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que
3002 W 47th St, Kansas City, KS 66103

Of course The Bar-B-Q Shop is on the schedule for tomorrow, and we’ve eated at Big Bob Gibson’s in Decatur, AL a number of times, and will eat there again next week when we’re visiting relatives in Athens, AL.

Killen’s in Pearland will be on our list for next month when we’re back in Houston. It’s apparently opened in the last couple of years, and it’s been a while since we’ve been over there. But we’ll certainly check it out..

And since we plan on doing the East Coast next year, maybe we’ll able to try the Skylight Inn in Ayden, NC on the way up the coast.

But Joe’s in Kansas City will have to wait until we finally do Kansas, because along with Nebraska, it’s one of the two states we haven’t done yet. But  there’s always year after next.

Then coming home tomorrow we’ll probably make another Wal-Mart stop since Jan discovered they still had stuff left after our visit last Friday.

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Thought for the Day:

A simple rule of life: if you can be blamed, you’re responsible.

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