Backyard Barbeque #2 on Guess Rd. is open (Durham)

[bbqme]

I went there yesterday for dinner. I really wanted to like this place but I have some misgivings. First, the restaurant-- I think it used to be a pizza joint and then a steakhouse for a little while-- is dismal. There are no visable windows, low ceiling, and bad lighting (dark in some places and flurescent lighing in other places). Seeing what Saigon Grill did with the previous fish market space, this is sad in comparison. I got the chopped pork and barbequed ribs. The ribs were too tender, which makes me think they were first boiled. Properly cooked ribs don't fall of the bone. While I liked the sauce, the ribs were too heavily sauced. The ribs didn't taste particularly smoked. I suspect that the ribs are boiled and then baked in the oven in the sauce rather than smoked.

Now the good comments. I liked the chopped pork. It was peppery and vinegary with good smoke-- not Allen & Son good, but good. The best items may be thei sides/veggies. I got the greens and sweet potatoes. The green were mushier than I like but had a good vinegary twang. The sweet potatoes had good amount of spices and sweetness-- although the syrup was a bit congealed.

I am definitely going back to try some of their other offerings-- the beef ribs looked good, as did their mac & cheese, peas, and beans.

[Naco]

There are good ribs to be had in North Carolina, but they can be hard to find. B's has excellent ribs, but you have to be there extraordinarily early to get some. Despite living in eastern NC most of my life, I've only had them a handful of times.

[RRG]

wait a minute bbqme...properly cooked NC ribs should not fall of the bone...you should have to tug alittle on them, but not be overly tough......thats straight from a bbq judges rule book.....that being said I have to agree with the review of Back Yard BBQ, I have yet to be blown away by them. The beef ribs are usually what I go for there.

[carolinadawg]

Your post is confusing. How are you differing from bbqme about the ribs? His comments on the ribs are the same as yours, yet you say "wait a minute". Also, what exactly are "NC ribs"? NC isn't known for its ribs...its known for its pulled/chopped pork. Very few traditional NC 'q joints even serve ribs.

[RRG]

I stand corrected...sorry...had a brain fart! Sure NC is known for its ribs....most traditional Q joints around here offer or at least have ribs one day a week...the issue is that tradional Q is whole hog, but most joints have gone the shoulder/butt only route.

[carolinadawg]

Thats partially true. Traditional eastern style is whole hog. Traditional western style is shoulders only. Ribs may be available at some places occasionally, but even down east, they are not what NC is known for, as opposed to Memphis for example.

[bbqme]

I gotta agree with dawg. Offering it and being known for it are two different things. For example, as much as I like Allen & Son's chopped pork their ribs are terrible.

If you want good ribs go to Smokey's Shack in Morrisville. But they aren't what one would consider NC style, they're more like what you might find in Kansas City or St. Louis.

[RRG]

Smokey's isn't bad...but in my opinion the Durham Q Shack is the best...when they are some what fresh.

[mikeh]

Have you tried the original location in RTP? Your experience at the second location sounds similar to my findings of their #1 location in terms of the sides. I think the sweet potatoes are overly spiced and syruped. As for the other veggies - I found at the other location that the greens tasted like the black-eyed peas which tasted like the green beans, etc. as if they used the same base stock or something. The underlying stock flavor overwhelmed the taste of the actual veggies. Did the greens taste this way to you? If not, then that's a promising development.

As it stands, you can't find many places in Durham that actually use fresh veggies and real cheese for their mac&cheese like Backyard BBQ does (Q-Shack is the only one that comes to mind). So veggie plates from Backyard may be in store...

[bbqme]

As I have only tried teh green so far, I can't say yet whether all the veggies have a similar taste. From oberservation, one of the problems at the #2 location may be that they make their sides at lunch time and then it sits in heating trays all the way through dinner. Since it's new, there many not be enough turnover of the food to keep things fresh.

If you're going to try this place, my advice is to go at lunch when things are likey to be fresher, and stick with the chopped pork and veggies and sides. If one of the other meats looks good, ask for a sample. He is very generous with giving samples.