powderfinger

Much as ATR did not appeal to me at all, it is depressing that the Clarendon space is likely to become a cell phone store.

On 2/22/2016 at 11:52 AM, powderfinger said:

I dined here recently on a Friday night with friends and came away impressed. The happy hour seems to be excellent, with generous hours, food specials, and $5 drafts from a good selection. We didn't mind our wait for a table given the beer special.

We ordered the nachos (sans meat) as an appetizer and they were very solid bar nachos. The four of us split a pound of brisket, a pound of pulled pork, a half rack of pork ribs, and two sausages. The brisket was excellent, approximately 1/4 point and 3/4 flat (we did not request a particular apportioning). The tenderness was to my liking, though I do agree a little more smoke flavor would have been nice, the meat itself was flavorful enough that I was very satisfied. Overall, though, it is the real deal and a welcome addition to the meager offerings in the region. The pork spare ribs, though, were probably the highlight of the meal. Wonderful smoke flavor and, crucially, not overcooked. Ribs can often be cooked into mush, but these had great texture. The sausage was delicious, though not something I would make a regular order unless I was trying to fill out a spread (as we were). The pulled pork was somewhat disappointing. It had nice texture and wasn't overcooked, but lacked flavor. The pinto bean risotto side was excellent. The coleslaw was disappointing - the cabbage was shredded far too coarsely and it was very underdressed. The sole house barbecue sauce was good, an all-arounder definitely in the ketchup-y style but not cloyingly sweet. I didn't need much sauce, which is the mark of good barbecue. Still, I would have liked an assortment of different sauce styles to pair with the meats. The pulled pork, in particular, would have been vastly improved with some vinegar-based sauce.

We will be back, frequently, and our meal for two will likely be an order of nachos, 1/2 pound brisket, 4 pork ribs, and the pinto beans.

We made a second trip recently and largely repeated the order from the first. I'm happy to report that the brisket and pork ribs were at least as good as the first time (the brisket may have been even better) and the pulled pork and coleslaw were significantly improved.

Texas Jack's is the real deal.

This is a shame - Minh's has long been one of my favorite restaurants in the neighborhood. The food was excellent, the ambiance was pretty good, and the prices were right. It was one of our go-to places to have a big, nice meal on a budget.

I dined here recently on a Friday night with friends and came away impressed. The happy hour seems to be excellent, with generous hours, food specials, and $5 drafts from a good selection. We didn't mind our wait for a table given the beer special.

We ordered the nachos (sans meat) as an appetizer and they were very solid bar nachos. The four of us split a pound of brisket, a pound of pulled pork, a half rack of pork ribs, and two sausages. The brisket was excellent, approximately 1/4 point and 3/4 flat (we did not request a particular apportioning). The tenderness was to my liking, though I do agree a little more smoke flavor would have been nice, the meat itself was flavorful enough that I was very satisfied. Overall, though, it is the real deal and a welcome addition to the meager offerings in the region. The pork spare ribs, though, were probably the highlight of the meal. Wonderful smoke flavor and, crucially, not overcooked. Ribs can often be cooked into mush, but these had great texture. The sausage was delicious, though not something I would make a regular order unless I was trying to fill out a spread (as we were). The pulled pork was somewhat disappointing. It had nice texture and wasn't overcooked, but lacked flavor. The pinto bean risotto side was excellent. The coleslaw was disappointing - the cabbage was shredded far too coarsely and it was very underdressed. The sole house barbecue sauce was good, an all-arounder definitely in the ketchup-y style but not cloyingly sweet. I didn't need much sauce, which is the mark of good barbecue. Still, I would have liked an assortment of different sauce styles to pair with the meats. The pulled pork, in particular, would have been vastly improved with some vinegar-based sauce.

We will be back, frequently, and our meal for two will likely be an order of nachos, 1/2 pound brisket, 4 pork ribs, and the pinto beans.