First visit to Blackstrap BBQ, now open in Winthrop
Several East Coast Grill and All Star Sandwich alums opened a barbecue joint in Winthrop that opened on Tuesday. I visited Wednesday and could smell the smoke a few doors away. Service is over the counter, behind which a Southern Pride smoker is in full view. I ordered a good percentage of the menu and liked mostly everything, but the standouts were the full cut pork spare ribs and the smoked sausage, which were both juicy and slightly smoky. Chicken, brisket and burnt ends were also promising, just a little oversauced. Pork was unsauced and the only disappointing item foodwise. Servicewise, there were a few disappointments, but I hope those kinks should be worked out.
Full item-by-item details with a dozen photos here: http://www.pigtrip.net/preview-Blackstrap.htm
Restaurant website here: http://www.blackstrapbbq.com
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My boyfriend and I went to Blackstrap last night. Overall, I was pleased. As a North Carolina native, I'm always on the lookout for a good plate of food that can cure some homesickness.
The service was friendly and eager to please, but not in an overbearing way. More importantly, the food was good. The onion rings are fried in a buttermilk batter and were crunchy and delicious. There's an interesting beery mustard sauce served with them.
I got Carolina style pork. The flavor was good, but the pork was served chopped, not pulled. The owner asked my opinion on it after finding out I'm from NC, and I said I was expecting it to be served pulled. He said he was blending Georgia style with NC sauce, but seemed to appreciate the feedback.
The green beans were actually bright green and crunchy, not salty and cooked to death like most barbecue places serve them. (This could be a plus or minus, depending on what you're used to!) The baked beans were clearly made from scratch with dried beans. Cornbread is also beyond the usual slab of Jiffy -- moist and not overly sweet.
Best of all for me was the macaroni and cheese. I usually have to pepper the bejesus out of my mac and cheese, but not with this. It was well-seasoned with a delicious crunchy, cheesy top. A hint of onion added a nice touch.
Overall, this is a great addition to the area and I'm looking forward to going back.
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