Madison now has a Bermuda Triangle of BBQ restaurants all about a mile from each other: Famous Dave’s, The Haze and the new Brickhouse BBQ next to Riley’s Liquor. I have to give props to Brickhouse for its huge sign on the side of its building; traffic coming down Gorham cannot miss the gigantic, neon red letters.
Brickhouse BBQ’s location, however, is its blessing and curse, as there isn’t much parking nearby. Besides meter parking, most visitors would have to use the ramp on Frances a block-and-a-half away, and in a town like Madison, this is generally unacceptable.
I sampled the Brickhouse ribs, sausage and pulled pork. The ribs and the pork were flavored well but both were not quite tender enough. The sausage was kielbasa-esque in taste and thus suited my taste buds. On a future visit, I’d like to try the brisket and the catfish.
I was extremely disappointed by the so-called creamy cole slaw, which was anything but and had a bad taste to it. I also would have preferred traditional cornbread vs. the bread-green pepper mix they serve.
As all BBQ joints have, Brickhouse BBQ had three barbeque sauces to try–regular, vinegar and mustard. I liked the regular and mustard, but I was surprised it didn’t have a spicy sauce.
Brickhouse BBQ also has many bourbons and whiskeys on its drink menu. In fact, it creates its own called NoCo (short for Northern Comfort, a take on Southern Comfort). You could definitely taste the blend of fruits and spices–it’s so good that you should order it neat. Even non-whiskey drinkers will like it.
About this building: Brickhouse BBQ is located in a three-story building (each floor has its own bar), with the top level leading to an outdoor area (not finished yet). The interior is slightly more upscale than your typical BBQ restaurant. I am looking forward to returning in the summer and enjoying a NoCo while watching rush-hour below.
