Blue Smoke

• Cuisine(s): Barbecue
  Hours: Sun-Mon 11:30am-10pm, Tue-Thu 11:30am-11pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-1am
  Price: $$
• Payment Types: MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover
  Features: Takeout, Delivery, Private Party, Catering, Family Style
  Serving: Dinner, Late Night, Lunch
• Alcohol: Beer, Full bar, Wine
  Reservations: Accepted, Not Necessary
  Parking: No Parking

Description

While we were prepared to be disappointed on a grand scale at Blue Smoke, some of the food was quite good. Among the barbecue entrées, the ribs fare best. The St. Louis spare ribs are thickly coated with a spice rub, perfectly cooked, moist, and tasty. If you didn't expect a smoky flavor, the lack of it might not be bothersome. More delicate, the sauce-smeared baby back ribs hearken to Kansas City joints like Arthur Bryant's, with less success. The biggest bust is the Texas favorite-brisket, rendered oily and hyper-salty. On one of three occasions, it had a chemical-tasting flavor that reminded me of Liquid Smoke. The pulled pork butt fares better, though the barbecue sauce on the table is too lacking in vinegar to give it real Carolina flavor. Chicken, however, is the authentic product-the flesh alarmingly pink, the skin turned rubbery. More importantly, the bird manages to taste smoky. And I'm sure you'll be relieved to learn that the chicken is organic.