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

Asheville NC: Luella's BBQ

Luella's is a nouvelle BBQ outfit on the north side of Asheville. It is nestled among the trees in a lovely neighborhood. The restaurant has lots of windows for inside seating and plenty of outside seating. Service was courteous and amazingly fast. This is a combination plate with pork and brisket. Both were very moist and tender. For the pork, I tried both the mild and hot vinegar sauces. To my surprise, I preferred the milder one because it didn't assert itself too much. I enjoyed the spicy tomato sauce for my brisket. The hushpuppies were very good. The fried okra was fresh out of the fryer and excellent. The slaw was of the vinegary variety, which I usually enjoy, but this version is heavy on the white stuff and didn't have quite enough variety in tastes for me.
Post a Comment
Read more

Hapeville: Pit Boss BBQ

I just had a very satisfying meal at Pit Boss BBQ in Hapeville. I missed it on my first drive down the street---its location in the back of a liquor store is pretty low key. However, I considered that location to be auspicious for the quality of my meal, and I turned out to be right. The smoke billowing out of the chimney greeted me as I pulled into my parking space. The restaurant offers pork ribs and pulled pork, chicken, brisket, wings, and burgers. This is a popular place, so expect to wait a few minutes in line and then a few more minutes for your plate to arrive. In the mean time, you can entertain yourself with the Theater of BBQ that the store presents. The counter is a frontpiece to the main stage of BBQ as revealed by the kitchen window. The front of the kitchen centers around the grill with its burgers. The doors of the smoker fill the back of the kitchen. When they open, they reveal a full company of smoking meats. I was so entranced by the huge stack of ribs tha...
1 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