| Although I usually write about new restaurants, I wanted to give a shout-out to the oft-overlooked Papa Bear’s BBQ, which resides in a small strip mall on Cottage Grove Road. Madisonians tend to think of places like Smoky Jon’s when asked about barbecue joints, and that’s a shame because they’re missing a gem in Papa Bear’s.
It starts with the ribs. I ordered the full slab ($19 for the meal), which is served with the individual ribs pre-cut. The meat is extremely tender and there’s just the right amount of Papa Bear’s homemade BBQ sauce to enhance the flavor. In my opinion, that sauce is better than anything found at Smoky Jon’s, Fat Jack’s, Famous Dave’s or Brickhouse BBQ. I also loved the corned beef brisket ($7.25 for small; $10 for large). The thin-sliced corned beef (misspelled as “corn beef” on the menu) works well outside its usual home inside two slices of rye bread, though I was tempted to stuff some inside the biscuit. The flavorful pork shoulder ($6.95 for small; $9 for large) was sliced instead of shredded and again served on its own. There was just the right amount of fat on each slice, though that may be a turn-off to some people. I combined bites with the creamy cole slaw, which I also enjoyed. All meals are served with a biscuit and two sides. My only disappointment was the hot links ($5.25 in a sandwich), not because they weren’t tasty but because they weren’t really that spicy hot. Other items on the menu include smoked chicken ($8.25), oven-fried chicken ($8.25) and the Papa Bear Burger ($5). Papa Bear’s BBQ is open Monday-Saturday for lunch and dinner. While there is space inside to dine-in, I would recommend calling ahead and carrying out.
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Posts Tagged ‘BBQ’
Papa Bear’s BBQ
Sunday, May 13th, 2012
Porktropolis
Sunday, October 2nd, 2011From downtown Madison, head 20 minutes east on 151 and exit Bristol Street in Sun Prairie, where you will find a hidden gem called Porktropolis. It’s a meat-lover’s paradise, complete with brisket, chicken, salmon and of course, ribs and pulled pork.
I loved the Exploding Pig ($8.50), which is pork, ham, bacon, cheddar and chipotle mayo on dark rye. The real explosion here is the flavor, which makes puts this sandwich on my must-get-again list for future visits.
The ribs ($12.50 for a half rack) are served naked so that you can add whichever of the sauces you prefer. For the less adventurous crowd, try the Sweet Memphis Blues, which is your typical sweet (and delicious) BBQ sauce.
On the topic of sauces, choices include Door County Cherry, Chipotle Horseradish and Carolina Vinegar, amongst others. You can sample all of them right when you walk in. I thought the NOLA (similar to Buffalo) went well with TC’s Beef Brisket ($7.50), another excellent sandwich.
I’m not a huge fan of mac & cheese, but I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty the Red Pepper Mac Cheese was. In fact, that was the best of the sides. The Creamy Cole Slaw was not that creamy, and the skillet fried potatoes were just so-so. I would have preferred to see fries on the menu, just as another vessel for the sauces.
Porktropolis is open Monday-Saturday and also caters. While there are a few tables, it’s a place you should call ahead for carryout.
Different BBQ types
Monday, June 21st, 2010While I have yet to visit the new Porky Pine Pete’s, a weekend trip to Durham, N.C., allowed me to sample some Carolina BBQ. In that region, you’ll encounter chopped pork from the entire pig (called “Chopped BBQ”) with a side of vinegar-based sauce. I tried it at two different restaurants (the Pit in Raleigh and the Backyard BBQ Pit in Durham; both were featured on the Travel Channel’s “Man vs. Food”), and I had mixed feelings. I did like the meat itself, but I wouldn’t make the vineger-based sauces my first choice.
I guess it’s because I’m more accustomed to the Kansas City-style BBQ, which uses a tomato and molasses-based sauce. Think of any local restaurant at which you may order BBQ sauce with your food (chicken tenders, pulled pork sandwich, chicken McNuggets, etc.), and you’ll remember that it’s always a KC-style sauce.
Let’s not forget about Texas-style (mostly beef ribs and brisket and no sauce) and Memphis-style (50-50 between dry rub and wet rub) as alternatives.
Which style of BBQ is your favorite?
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