I can’t imagine opening a restaurant during a pandemic, but Liberty Station did. And so far, the timing hasn’t seemed to negatively affect the BBQ restaurant on Rimrock Road, as the parking lot is always packed when I drive by.
The main reason is that Liberty Station nearly aces the BBQ section of its menu. The Carolina pork shoulder ($14-$24) melts in your mouth, and I liked the semi-sweet sauce that’s drizzled on top. The Texas brisket ($15-$25) was tender and smoky, though I thought the flavor was a bit muted.
Meanwhile, the St. Louis spare ribs ($22-$32), with its Kansas City-style glaze, didn’t have that issue. They’re very satisfying, but I got a rack that was skimpy on the meat, so I’m not sure if that was an isolated incident or not. You can order all of these items together for $42.
I love fried chicken, and Liberty Station’s Red Bird fried chicken ($19) is stellar. It’s well-breaded (but not overly so), and the breading is crispy and deliciously seasoned. I liked that you get a breast and a thigh, and both were meaty and moist.
On the other hand, the Idaho rainbow trout ($21) was a bit dry, like it was overcooked by a few minutes. Still, I enjoyed its strong, trout flavor, and I would order this again. The plate comes with a large side of green beans with shaved almonds.
Appetizers include green chili pork stew ($15) and Liberty nachos ($14). I tried the brussels sprouts ($8), which were topped with bacon. They were okay. I think little effort was put into making the brussels sprouts more palatable (e.g. no seasoning, some underdone) since a generous helping of hot bacon bits was poured on top.
For sandwiches, I highly recommend the shrimp po-boy ($16). It’s got a buttery bun, sliced tomatoes, some coleslaw and remoulade sauce that has a slight kick, but the huge deep-fried rock shrimp still shine. I had no bite without any shrimp in it, and I wouldn’t change anything about this fantastic sandwich.
Liberty Station is open every day for lunch and dinner.
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See more photos in our Liberty Station Flickr album.
Tags: BBQ, south side
