Review: Uncle Pete's Hickory RIbs, Revere
Folks -
A few of us recently ate lunch at Uncle Pete's Hickory Ribs, 72 Squire Road, Revere, MA.
The visit started on a very positive note. When we got there we were greeted by a smoker sitting in the parking lot working away at producing the evening's BBQ. The decor is early country kitsch with a touch of Eastie, but the booths are comfortable and the place has a lived in feel, so you will quickly feel right at home.
I am a big fan of ribs and, as we all know, Boston is a bit of a desert when it comes to all things BBQ. I am happy to report that the ribs are good: smoky and meaty as they should be. Everyone agreed that the best dishes are the pulled pork, Memphis style pork and beef ribs. The dry rub they use is good, but not overwhelmingly spicy or hot. The smoky flavor is quite pronounced. The sauce that comes on the side is fine, if a bit sweet, but the meat is IMHO better bare. Be forewarned that even though the beef ribs are huge, there is not that much meat on them. I had two and I didn't feel overstuffed. They are also a bit fatty for those who worry about such things.
The sides are OK. We particularly recommend the cornbread and Asian slaw (which is basically coleslaw with Asian dressing instead of mayonnaise. Skip the sweet potato biscuit which is a nice idea, but in execution tastes like overly sweet sawdust. The onion rings are tasty but nothing special.
Prices are quite reasonable, you can have a huge meal with leftovers for under $20.
Overall, Is it up to the best southern establishments? No, but Uncle Pete's is a solid BBQ place that I would recommend to folks who like their meat smoky and their food cheap.
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greygarious
Nov 18, 2008 04:13 PM
They've gotten a double dose of free publicity lately - tonight's episode of 'Chronicle" was a behind-the-scenes look at how the WCVB newscast is put together, and included a past Friday evening news segment in which Mary Saladna, looking for a story, interviewed patrons about the economy. She mentioned that the place was not busy and pointed out the big outdoor sign for a loss-leader offering $1 hot dogs.
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9 of us, plus 2 chowpups, got together on that rainy Saturday afternoon & were conveniently seated together, employing a booth & table. PF, I think you meant burnt ends vs. pulled pork. We also enjoyed mango salsa and French fries. I really liked the slaw w/crushed peanuts and felt like a Flintstone nawing on my beef rib. My favorite were the pork loin ribs that had been recommended over the babybacks. I added hot sauce to everything, as I found the bbq sauce too sweet as well. Some of us hit Super 88 in Malden after to replentish much needed supplies, thanks to POS.
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For ribs, lately Lester's in Burlington has been doing it for me. Smoke flavor and pink all the way through, juicy, good texture, nice combo of sweet and salty bark.
My one experience at Pete's wasn't quite as good as yours, but I thought the pork ribs were the best of all the meats. Pulled pork was too sweet and asian influenced with soy flavor for my tastes.
