BO'S BARBECUE & CATERING

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