Memphis Roadhouse, South Attleboro, Mass.

It seems unlikely that a Memphis-style barbecue restaurant in New England located on a truly ugly Route 1 commercial strip would be any good, but the Memphis Roadhouse in South Attlbeoro, Mass., really impressed us. Using a large hickory-smoke pit, the barbecue chicken and pulled pork we sampled was as good as any barbecue we've had. The steaks being served looked phenomenal! The Memphis Roadhouse has its own butcher shop, so freshness and attention to detail seems to be intact.

We also had some great cornbread and a terrific Caesar salad. Next time, we look forward to adding some collard greens and for dessert, sweet potato pie.

The atmosphere in this large restaurant is great, too, with neon and party lights, red gingham tablecloths, and blues music in the background.

People around here like Redbones in Somerville, Mass., and Blue Ribbin Barbecue in Arlington, Mass., for barbecue choices, but I think the Memphis Roadhouse is every bit as good, if not slightly better.

Memphis Roadhouse, 383 Washington St., Route 1, South Attleboro, Mass. (508) 761-5700

Eric

Sounds interesting. I might be able to force myself to give it a shot - usually, on (rare) day trips to the Boston area, I usually end up at Ghandi in Cambridge (awesome Indian food!) or the Southeast Asia Restaurant in Lowell (killer buffet, and great dinner entrees as well) - but as long as it's authentic Hickory-smoked stuff, bet it's good.

Try Firefly's BBQ in Marlboro....
Great BBQ for New England.
And if you're ever in Freeport, Maine, stop at Bucks Naked BBQ on US 1 in South Freeport.
Both are very good. Bucks makes his own sauces, and has a spicy blueberry that rocks!

A terrific Caesar slald and great BBQ just don't sound like they should be served in the same establishment.

We ventured out for BBQ with a group of friends, and came away with the following:

Overall the food wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. The only thing that distinguished itself, flavor-wise, was the french fries, which were absolutely amazing.

Great selection of beers, both draught and bottled, with something for every palate.

I never thought I'd come across a weaker margarita than the batch jobs they serve at the Border Cafe, but we have a new winner in this category. I'm a major lightweight when it comes to alcohol and one of their 20 ounces monstrosities didn't even give me a mild buzz, and trust me when I tell you that's saying a lot.

I found the portions to be somewhat skimpy for the price on both the appetizers and entrees. I also find the practice of piling food on small plates to give the illusion of quantity to be insulting, not to mention inconvenient. BBQ is messy food and requires a little room to maneuver so it doesn't end up in your lap, or even worse, your wife’s lap [:P], the small plates only add insult to injury .

Two of the folks in our party got combo platters, one a two meats the other a three, though you couldn't tell the difference when they were brought to the table. The portions on both plates were exactly the same size with the only differentiation being the number of meats. Since you pay more for the 3 than you do for the 2 I would have expected the portions to be scaled accordingly.

The service was prompt and courteous (though we're still waiting for our corn bread), the restaurant itself was clean, and the atmosphere was cheerful/fun.

Would I go back ... perhaps, but I'm not in any big rush to do so and won't feel cheated if I don't.

I would 2nd roossy90's suggestion to try Firefly's in Marlborough ... definitely worth the trip.

quote:

Originally posted by ctfrasier

A terrific Caesar slald and great BBQ just don't sound like they should be served in the same establishment.

I'm less than 1/2 an hour from this place. I've never eaten there and probably never will. I refuse to try bbq around here and won't even consider it until I'm at least in Fredericksburg VA or South thereof.

Virtually every place in the Boston metro area (and I thought in the English-speaking world) now serves something called a caesar salad. We got Cuban caesars, Thai caesars, BBQ chicken caeasars, you name it. You can't hold that against anyone, caesar salad is the chicken nugget for adults.

But I agree with WJ. I'm less than a half-hour away, but in South Attleboro I'd expect marinara sauce on the BBQ. Based on what I'm hearing here, I'd try it if I happened to be stuck in the Mall zone and starving.