The GPS of the 'Racing Honda' is set to 'Bo's Barbecue and Catering' in Lafayette California today. We have heard nothing but praise and accolades of this barbeque dining establishment. This restaurant uses pedigree meats from Niman Ranch and Fulton Valley Farms. We teamed up with our friends Butch & Karla. They are certified judges and barbeque competitors. We have high expectations today.
Ms. Goofy pulls the emergency brake and we four wheel slide into the parking lot. We exit the Racing Honda and the first thing we see is Bo. He is loading up a handcart with oak wood. He greets us with a smile and a hearty welcome. He is dressed in shorts and sandals. We immediately bond and begin to swap stories. Bo has a colorful story telling way of talking. He made us feel like an old friend. He tells us that he uses oak wood to start his smoking process and finishes with apple wood. The brisket will smoke for 24 hours. He is very proud of his brisket. He uses an analogy that we are in a plane and Tri-Tip is the seats in the back next to the toilet and brisket is in first class section.(baby) Bo has whetted our appetite for brisket.
Inside Bo's restaurant is a very cozy and warm environment. There is a corner that is flanked by large oversize leather couches. The walls are peppered with pictures and art. It is the noon hour and only us and several other diners are present Brisket, Ribs and Sausage would be sampled today. Our plates arrive and they are huge and look very delicious.Each plate comes with sides of a nice green salad, potato salad and a piece of french bread. The sauce is on the side in a ramekin. It is sweet vinegar based with tabasco pepper flavor. It is sweet, tangy and fresh. The heat is very slight. I have been avoiding and saving the meat critique because we so wanted to love our meal.
Here we go. The brisket was stringy and a little chewy. It had the texture and taste of pot roast. The pork ribs were huge with the rib tips attached. These ribs were some of the greasiest ribs ever. My hands were covered with pork grease and a pool of fat remained on the plate. The flavor and seasoning was just not there. The sausage had flavor but was so dry it was like eating sawdust. Oh my, did we just come on an off day?
I would like to leave you today with an old quote from our good friend Reverend Biggles. "You can go to a barbeque restaurant and have the best meal of your life and return three hours later and have the worst meal ever". We hope that is the case.
Bo's Barbecue & Catering
3422 Mt Diablo Blvd,
Lafayette, CA 94549
(925) 283-7133
17 comments:
I was surprised when you said you'd heard nothing but praise- I've heard absolutely nothing but the opposite, and it turns out your experience bears that out.
Oh, and mandatory green salad is just wrong.
Aaron, They do have a large selection of beers.
Green salad did seem a little strange for a BBQ joint. You know this was a first getting french bread too. It was Lafayette.
Oh, sad! And he seemed like such a nice guy, too. I hope yours was just an off day.
Mr Brown I so want to disagree with you but only because I am in a in a disagreeable mood. Your review is a carbon copy of my experience. It was sad, I am sad I have to go to work now. Maybe I can find someone to disagree with their. GWH
Zoomie,We hope so.
For those of you who do not know the 'greatwhite hunter' is,he was the inspiration for the "The Most Interesting Man in the World". We used to work together in the Salt Mines. I actually witnessed him parallel park a train.
greatwhite hunter, Really?
Bummer! I got all worked up the photos look so good.
And I thought the mandatory green salad was just a California thing. Oh well, it least Bo can wear shorts. Greetings from the Polar Vortex...
I like Bo's BBQ. I always get the ribs and have never found them to be greasy. The friends that I go with often get the brisket and have said it is excellent. The sides are very good too--including the green salad.
Greg, It did look yummy.
Three Dogs BBQ, I went for a bike ride in shorts and a t-shirt today. We are in a drought though. It is a law in Marin county to serve green salads.
PresidentofCookies, Maybe we hit a bad day. We did discover Susie Cakes down the street.
I just woke up from a pleasant sleep on a bed of mandatory greens.
Cookiecrumb makes me laugh. You make me drool.
Cookiecrumb, I know those greens were organic, micro, local,gluten free, all natural,free range and happy.
And vegan, raw, paleo, sustainable, and humanely raised and slaughtered.
Obviously GMO-ridden, tho'.
Aaron, of course! It means God Means Omnomnom.
Where can we find Bo's Barbecue now. Is he in San Francisco or Marin?
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