Boston Butz
Review:
http://www.cincinnati.com/freetime/dining/reviews/042304_bostonbutz_25.html Website:
http://bostonbutz.samsbiz.com/page/1f4he/Home.html Menu:
http://bostonbutz.samsbiz.com/page/1f4hi/Menus.html quote:Originally posted by Bonk
You know, I would've sworn on a stack of recipe books that the sign at the Ross exit said Pit to Plate. Maybe I'm getting delusional in my old age, but it wasn't there.
I'd never seen or heard of the Boston Butz place, but we went there (since we weren't going to get back on the highway northbound then turn around just to prove my right or wrong).
Anyway, we liked the place. Fried pickle appetizers were a little saltier than I'm used to, but they were quite good. I had a pork tenderloin sandwich that was enormous and only cost $5.75. Gf had the smokehouse burger and said it rocked. Two patties with cheese and pulled pork. About the same price as mine.
Only two people in there at 5:30 on a Friday though. It is Lent though, and barbeque is not a Lent-friendly food. We'd go back.
I just got over there myself last Friday evening, and this is now my favorite pulled pork in all of Cincinnati, edging out even Pit to Plate
The outside is classic roadfood. Gravel parking lot on a country lane, looking more like a farmer's roadside shack than a restaurant at first glance. A large pig statue also graces the side of the restaurant facing the main street, visible just on your right as you go into the entrance on the side. The inside is similarly spartan, but for a variety of porcine-themed decorations and a large collection of wall mounted hot sauces. There isn't a lot of inside seating - maybe 10 tables - but an outside covered patio doubles that or more if the weather is good.
After I had ordered, I walked around and checked out several framed newspapers reviews. Seems they got their start in a small roadside stand (not unlike Jim Dandy in Sharonville?) in Mariemont. Since there was no mention of the location I remembered in Woodlawn, I asked the manager in charge about it, and he told me that they had no connection to this long-closed eatery - that the Woodlawn restaraunt was called "Boston Butts" as opposed to "Boston Butz". He said he had heard this question more times than he had expected...sorry I was wrogn about this connection earlier in this thread. Anyway, the framed reviews also explained that the "Boston Butz" name was due to the fact that the family that opened the place - the father, mother, and two sons with the last name of "Butz" - also preferred the boston butt cut for all their pulled pork.
By the time I had read both reviews and had a brief chat with the manager, my 1/2 pound pulled pork plate with home fries, macaroni and cheese and a johnnycake had arrived at my table. Yeah, too many carbs, no veggies. Sue me :-) The pulled pork was spectacular, very moist and succulent. It disappeared off my plate much too quickly. The one minus - the pork comes topped with sauce by default, and as we all know, good pulled pork requires no sauce. I pulled out some of the unsauced pieces at the bottom of the pile, and I can confirm this pork passed the unsauced test with flying colors. On the other hand, the sauce (I chose the medium hot) was also very, very good.
The macaroni and cheese was not good at all, with a faint unpleasant taste. I left it be after one bite. I should have gone with a veggie :-) The home fries on the other hand were excellent, golden brown skinless disks of heaven, requiring only a bit of salt to complete them. Tho I've never seen these as an offered option at any other que joint, I highly recommend these. I asked for and got them to add onions
The Johnny cake was also a suprise. I had always assumed these were a Rhode Island thing, but here I was in a Ohio que joint specializing in "memphis style" que with johnny cakes and texas toast as the available bread choices. I thought it was very good, tho admittedly having never had one before I had no basis for comparison to others, but remain a bit puzzled at the combination of regional specialties represented here.
They also do pizza. Right across the street, mind you, from a local pizza joint called Ross Pizzeria. Including a bbq pork pizza, naturally. I did not try this.
I definitely have to get back here to try the ribs and some of the other non-carb sides. I think those of you who expect a que joint to be very specialized and have certain things (sweet tea, banana pudding) ON the menu and other unrelated items (pizza, hamburgers, catfish) NOT ON the menu might be a little disappointed - til you taste the que. Just remember - ask for your sauce on the side.