Report on the FOOD at Roadhouse, post-smoker, night 1
I visited last night to see what "shutting down the smoker" meant:. Would the menu be completely devoid of 'cue? Would it be pre-smoked offsite? Would it be barbecue meats, cooked using non-barbecue methods? Alas, it was the last choice. And alas, Jake Jacobs is no longer involved-- his last shift was Friday night.
A new menu was unveiled to usher in the third era (I call these eras "pre-Jake", "Jake," and "post-Jake"). With the smoker now dormant, that new menu vanquished the brisket and smoked turkey legs entirely. Ribs and pulled pork remain, but they are billed as "slow cooked" or "braised."
The pulled pork sandwich ($10) is described as "slow cooked, pulled and smothered in our house Dogfish Head Indian Brown BBQ sauce, topped with cole slaw and served with pickles." Our sandwich didn't include the cole slaw. The meat was extremely tender and thankfully not overchopped, but the subtle flavor should be ramped up much further. A few more bottles of Dogfish Head, reduced down, might go a long way.
Two kinds of ribs are available. Sonora Grilled Pork Ribs ($21) are a "half rack of pork ribs seasoned with traditional Sonora Adobo sauce, served with black beans and cornbread. Full Rack of Braised Pork Ribs ($20) are "slow braised in house Dogfish Head Indian Brown BBQ sauce, with cole slaw and cornbread." The braised ribs are also available as a half rack appetizer ($11). I'm not sure why the Sonora half rack costs more than the braised full rack.
I tried the braised ribs. The bone retraction was promising and the meat, just like the pork, was extremely tender. The pale surface had no crust and bore no seasonings that I could detect. They reminded me a little of the ribs I'd make in an oven 20 years ago when I first got out of college (though mine had much more flavor). That was the state of the art then, but it pales (pun intended) in comparison to the artful ribs Jake Jacobs was capable of crafting. A side of collards was the highlight of the meal: roughly chopped, cooked just enough to get the stiffness out while retaining some crunch, and liberally (for some, too liberally) seasoned. Cornbread also is in its third incarnation: it's not only sweeter throughout, but now topped with sprinkled sugar. If you consider it a free dessert, it works. Otherwise, forget it.
I think the place will succeed based on the strengths of beer program, location and overal atmosphere. The food is and has always been the weak link, but luckily for Roadhouse, many who go out to eat don't prioritize the "eat." Although I respect that they've clearly identified the ribs and pork as not being smoked, it would serve them (and us) better to remove those items entirely.
More info and food photos on www.pigtrip.net
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Eatin in Woostah
Jul 11, 2009 05:06 AM
How depressing. Has anyone had the chili? Is it still beanless with lovely large chunks of meat? The change to the cornbread has me afraid for everything else.
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Yikes, the place sounds like a train wreck from a food perspective. Disappointing that it turned our so differently than a lot of people had hoped. Oh well, we can cross it off the list of wanting to try, and add the list of steering people have plans with away from it. WHY can't we get better bbq options in the area. There are many poor to decent options. I have to assume something really good would be well supported.
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re: Gabatta
Chris VR
Jul 11, 2009 06:08 AM
Well, I'm guessing the same reason we can't get good BBQ in Boston is the same reason they had to pull the smoker... the neighbors don't want the smoke. You're going to have that same problem anywhere in Boston proper because we're so densely populated. And anyone who is thinking of giving it a go is going to remember what happened with Roadhouse and be pretty shy of giving it a try.
I had the BBQ soon after Jake started working there and it was really pretty good. I think it's a shame they had to shut the smoker down, but if I were a neighbor there, I'd probably have complained too. A little BBQ smoke is nice, but nonstop, not so much. No matter how good it is, the neighbors aren't going to support it when they have to smell it every day.
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re: Gabatta
"Train wreck" is the best way to describe it, food-wise.
That kitchen needs to be blown up and completely overhauled. I went there 2 weeks ago and wouldn't re-order ANYTHING that ANYONE at my table ate. All of if was awful.
(If you get dragged there, the collard greens side isn't bad, actually. Chunks of pork, WAY too much salt, but overall kind of tasty)
Enjoy the beer and eat beforehand.
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My wife and I went to the Roadhouse tonight for the first time. I had the bison hot dogs, and my wife had the fork and knife torta. I enjoyed my hot dogs; they were a bit spicier than your normal hot dog, and the chili was of good quality. My wife was unimpressed with her torta. The sides were OK. I thought the mac and cheese was very good, though the portion was small for $4, and the fries were cold but would have been good hot.
The beer selection was fantastic, possibly the best in Boston. They had beers that I didn't even know were distributed in MA, such as Duck-Rabbit, and others that I've never seen here. We spend a lot of time in various craft-beer-focused restaurants around town, but Roadhouse is definitely on another level.
Short version: mediocre food, fantastic beer.
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Went there tonight, and was sorely disappointed to discover they no longer serve real barbecue. Feeling openminded and thirsty, we decided to give them a chance. Was more disappointed when beer arrived in smallish wine-shaped glasses while everyone else in the place seemed to be enjoying pints. I asked about this. The waitress explained that if you order a stronger beer, they serve you less of it, for the same amount of money. (Not a direct quote but that was the gist of it.) This would be kind of funny, if it weren't so annoying. They should make this clear on menus/chalkboards, but they don't.
But the biggest disappointment was the food never arriving after a very long wait. So we left after paying for beer. Never going back and I hope a better place replaces it.
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re: nightsky
To be fair to Roadhouse, the variable sizing of the drinks is a very common practice amongst bars and restaurants that take their beer seriously. Firstly, they're just offsetting the cost of these stronger beers, as more raw materials have to go in to produce the same volume of beer. Secondly, at a place like Roadhouse they're probably taking the glassware seriously and giving you whatever type of glass is best suited to the beer. For some, that's a pint, for others a tulip or a snifter. And finally, they're kind of doing you a favor in that one really shouldn't be drinking full pints of high ABV beer, unless one wants to be rolled out of the place. Of course, I can't blame you for wanting to.
AND to be fair to you, yes they should absolutely make this clear on the menu, and I'm surprised they do not. Most places employing this practice will have something that indicates it somewhere. Very presumptuous of them to leave that off.
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re: nightsky
MaineRed
Jul 11, 2009 07:39 AM
I'm giving the RH a bit of leeway here because they just updated their menus that this might not have been printed. Sorry that you felt the server didn't give you a good answer, but the bartenders there could talk your ears off about beer.
This place has one of *the* best beer lists in Massachusetts--let's hope the food can follow suit.
You might want to read this too, as celeriac mentions about the glassware: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/101/glas...
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