Skip to main content

Alpharetta: 'Cue Barbecue

Category: Upscale BBQ
Verdict: Family-friendly and safe


I'm not sure why I started thinking about 'cue but I've wanted to try it for several weeks now.  I finally made it to the Alpharetta site.  It's part of the upscale BBQ movement: rustic decorations but waitress service, live music, and a more upscale menu.


As an example of their menu's appeal to the broad spectrum, they actually have salads.  The salad is a rarity in traditional BBQ; most denizens of such places insist that their greens be thoroughly cooked in pork fat.  I decided to try their garden salad with some brisket on top.  I started with the brisket.  It was tasty and tender, but although it had a prominent smoke ring (you can see it in the photo) I didn't get any smoke flavor.  Of course, the bark, that outer layer of the meat, had been removed, making the meat look more like a deli presentation.  As you can see, the table comes with versions of three of the basic BBQ sauces: vinegar, tomato, and mustard.  My favorite was the mustard, but all of them were relatively mild.

The salad itself had no shortage of protein, with plenty of cheese and chopped egg.  My vinaigrette dressing was great---tangy but not overwhelming.  I also got to try some sides.  The pickled vegetables were excellent; they had acidy brightness without the mouth-puckering.  The Brunswick stew was very savory.

Overall, I thought the food here was good but safe.  Pretty much anyone can be comfortable here; even a vegetarian can find something to eat.   The food was all well-prepared and tasty.  But I wouldn't call it exciting.  The lack of smoke taste in the meat is an example of that---good meat but with nothing that anyone might find off-putting, like that pesky smoke taste...

'Cue Barbecue on Urbanspoon
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Eating Around Georgia Tech: Ecco

Our Texas Instruments colleague Cathy Wicks was gracious enough to host several of us at Ecco tonight. This is one of those restaurants that has been on my list for a long time. Even though it is within easy walking distance of Georgia Tech, I hadn't made it there until tonight. The menu is a combination of Italian, Spanish, and French that make use of some local Georgia ingredients. The combination of those three countries is sometimes a little forced, although the georgia ingredients (fruit, cheese) were all great and perfectly appropriate. We started out with a meat and cheese board. This actually reverses the French tradition, where cheese usually follows the main course. Everything was excellent. The Georgia cheese was a big hit, as was the French cow/goat cheese. I thought the sauscisson was very subtle and very good. The waitress said that the roast pork pasta was their signature dish, so I had to try it. It had traditional broad pasta (fresh, of course) ...
Post a Comment
Read more

DCA: Cava Mezze Grill

Cava is a DC area chain with light Mediterranean food. Saibal encouraged me to try lunch at their airport location and I was very happy with the experience. I ordered falafel on SuperSalad with assorted other toppings. The falafel was tasty. The SuperSalad was light, flavorful, and very easy to eat. Overall, a healthy and enjoyable lunch, something you can't always say about airport eating.
Post a Comment
Read more

Pressure Cooker Candied Ginger

I made candied ginger a few years ago. It's not something I would do every day but I had a lot of fun doing it. I recently acquired a pressure cooker and it inspired an interesting idea to me: why not make candied ginger in the pressure cooker? It should be very soft and flavorful. Here is the result. I peeled two large ginger roots, cut them into small cubes, and put them in the pressure cooker with heavily sugared water. The traditional method first boils the ginger in plain water to soften it and then again in sugar water to candy it. The resulting candy was very tender but still with the characteristic ginger texture. It was also sweet without being overpowering. The traditional method leaves a lot of sugar crystallized around the ginger. The pressure cooker gives a much more subtle result. The ginger stays moist even after it cools but you can dry it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. That inspired me to dip it in chocolate. While I was in the b...
2 comments
Read more