Dining critic candidate No. 40

BIRD DOG BBQ

When my friend, a skilled but amateur BBQist from Texas, came to visit recently I knew there was only one place to go for dinner; Birddog BBQ. I felt obliged to show my visiting friend that great BBQ can indeed exist outside of the BBQ obsessed Lone Star state. And exist it did. At least it did before we devoured it all.

Located at 5984 Stetson Hills Boulevard, Birddog BBQ has many different items, but they mostly fall into two categories; meat and sides. Of the meat, they serve pork ribs, beef brisket, turkey breast, chicken halves, hot links, polish sausage, pulled pork, prime rib and chicken tenders. Aside from the chicken tenders (which are frozen and fried), all of the meats are expertly prepared and smoked on site by one of the two owners, Neal Ellis and Brad Cleveland, or a trusted employee trained in the sacred arts of BBQ. Birddog BBQ uses oak and not the typical hickory or mesquite. The result is a succulent, uniquely flavored meat tender enough to eat with your fingers and delicious enough to eat without either one of Birddog BBQ’s two delicious BBQ sauces.

Of course, just because you can eat it without sauce does not mean you have to. Birddog BBQ’s mild sauce is flavorful without being overbearing, just sweet enough to enhance the smoky flavor of the meat but far from saccharine. Their hot sauce, my personal favorite, is spicy enough to make you notice without being painful.

For sides, Birddog BBQ offers fried okra, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, coleslaw, potato salad, French fries and baked beans. Be warned though, not all sides are created equal. Prepared early and left to sit in a warmer tray, Birddog’s steak fries can be soggy and stale. Also, the corn on the cob is boiled, not roasted, which makes it taste a little bland, not to mention visually unappealing when compared to the rich colors and textures of other items. Instead of fries or corn, get the beans prepared with Birddog’s own sauces and hearty chunks of beef brisket. And with those beans, grab an order of coleslaw or potato salad. These are real BBQ sides and Birddog’s are delicious.

All of these items can be ordered individually, by the pound for catering or, the best deal, as part of a plate. For $9.75 you get two sides and one meat of your choice. For the hungry, add $1 and get one more meat. And for the ultimate BBQ lover (or just someone wanting leftovers) add $2 and get two more meats. With each plate a nice piece of Texas toast is complimentary. Additionally, Birddog offers sandwiches and what they have dubbed the ‘shotgun spud’ – a baked potato piled high with brisket, pulled pork or turkey.

A note for the New Year’s dieters – use the sauce sparingly on one of these spuds and you have a delicious way to get a high protein BBQ fix without all the fat.

The dining area of Birddog BBQ is simple and clean in a fashion that matches their cafeteria style serving bar. However, I recommend that you get Birddog to go. Unlike so many other restaurants offering to-go orders that get cold by the time you get home and then can not be reheated without significant damage to taste and texture, Birddog is juicy and tender enough to taste almost as delicious heated up in your oven at home as it is served fresh. By doing this, you can put your elastic waistband pants on (the ones you’d never wear outside the house) and dig right in without having to worry about wiping your face and fingers in between each bite – what a waste of valuable BBQ eating time that would be!