Yes, that is indeed a Giant Lemon! A few months ago, Bert and I were in the area. Check out my original post on this famous landmark and other tidbits on Lemon Grove here...
Well, I originally wanted to go here months ago since I had a coupon from those value entertainment books. I was excited that this place was on the "list". Can you believe there were about 15+ places on the list all over San Diego but it was narrowed down to just four. The geographic locations were also a plus, at least for me, since I live down South.
Anyhoo, Barnes BBQ is located on the Northeast corner of Broadway and Lemon Grove. If you stand outside the strip mall, you can see the Giant Lemon. C and I were enamored of the neon pig clutching the fork!
Like Bonnie Jean's, there's a lot of African American artwork and information on the walls. There were several posters about Black History Month that I liked seeing...
Ha, I like the silhouette of the fork wielding pig!
One slab of ribs this time and two pounds of brisket please...
Their menu board. They have a .99 menu that I want to try out next time...
Wheat bread came in sandwich bags and was passed down the table...
The ribs. Oh, the ribs....The meat was so soft and falling off the bone. The only negative was that it was a bit fatty.
And...the brisket! I loved how thin the slices were! This would taste so good piled up in a sandwich or on top of rice!
The biggest difference I noticed about Barnes and Coops is the amount of sauce they use on their meats. At Coop's, the meat wasn't sauced at all and you had the options of putting on two different types of bbq sauces (one was spicier than the other). Here, it is literally drowning in sauce. Not that it's a bad thing. If you like sauce, then great, but I would have preferred it to be on the side. So next time, I will ask for that. Another big difference is that the sauce here is waaaaay sweeter than at Coops. Again, a regional difference. Coop's is West Texas style and Barnes is Arkansa style (although I read somewhere else that it was Tennessee). I actually liked the sweet sauce but too much of it was a bit cloying for me.
The sides were beans and macaroni salad. The beans were a little smokier because they had bacon in it. A total plus. The sauce also sweet. One thing I did NOT like was the macaroni salad. One tiny taste turned me off. I am not a fan of tangy/sour vinegar based sauces so that explains my aversion. It just tasted off to me but it was probably supposed to taste that way.
The service was great. The gal kept coming around checking on us. The place is pretty big here. It's on the main drag in Lemon Grove with a bunch of other eateries and shops to check out for a future visit. It's pretty casual in here. I mean, come on, styrofoam plates. What do you expect? Linen napkins and tablecloths and fancy china? No, this was down home type of place. Chill vibe.
Who else at at Barnes?
Well, the Food Ho did! Check out her post here! She didn't like their mac salad either...
[update on 7/21- As mentioned in my Coop's entry, Kirbie's post on all four places is now up!]
[update on 7/23 - C's all inclusive post on Stops 2-4 now up!] along with Mary's all in one post and Leanne's as well!
Article:
"Barnes is the Real Deal for Arkansas Style BBQ and Soul Food (Lemon Grove Patch)
Official Site of Barnes BBQ
Next on the agenda was a change up in plans. Instead of the original third location (Huffman's), we switched it to The Barbecue Pit in National City...
Heading south now!
6 comments:
I'm definitely getting the sauce on the side here too. The meats were very tender. I'm curious of their 99cent menu too!
The ribs look so good...for me, I love fat!
I'd go back to try the 99 cent menu but I would definitely, without a doubt, get that sauce on the side. I felt like I was going to go into a sugar coma!
Me too on the sauce. I wasn't as fond of the ribs as the other places only because I like ribs with meat that still have a slight pull to it. Barnes ribs reminds me of Phil's ribs in that the meat is a bit too softy. And man that sauce had me wheeling. I would love to try their 99 cent menu one day.
hi c - ugh, phil's.
.99 menu could go both ways - it could be fantastic or be "you get what you pay for" shitty but i'm willing to give it a go!
oops, forgot to respond to the 1st 3 -
dennis - that sauce was drowning the meat!
okihwn - fatty ribs galore at this place!
mary - haha, sugar coma!
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