Columbus GA: Clearview BBQ

A trip to Columbus seemed like an ideal time to try some local BBQ. Clearview BBQ is in an unassuming neighborhood not particularly near the highway. But it must have a large base of loyal customers based on the crowds I saw. Luckily, I arrived at the start of the lunch rush, before the line wrapped itself around the far side of the lunchroom.

As I got out of the car, I went through the laundry list of items I could order for lunch. After watching the proceedings for a minute, it became clear that the chipped BBQ sandwich was the item to order. Person after person stepped up to receive their bag or tray. And as I waited in line to order, I observed the well-orchestrated process used to fulfill that demand. Two ladies collaborated on the sandwiches. One slathered the buns with mustard sauce and lined them up on a sandwich grill, 9 at a time. The other lady first dipped the pork into a pot of sauce, then ladled it onto the waiting buns. They wrap and pack the batch, hand them out, and then return to do it all again.

Here is the result; this is a large-sized sandwich. Even without the sauce, the meat is tender and juicy. It has just enough sauce to add character but not so much as to disguise the meat or destroy the bun. It went down quickly and I picked up the stray pieces of meat from my tray as dessert.

The BBQ is excellent and it is also cheap. Their regular-sized chipped sandwich was listed for 99 cents, as I recall. It's cash only but you don't need much cash to walk away satisfied.

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