Pick of The Week: Bone Lick BBQ

By Tom Maicon at September 12, 2012 | 8:47 am | Print

Sitting in the corner enjoying a brisket sandwich goofily dubbed The Austin-Acious, someone busted open the kitchen door and blurted out to the dining room so loud it echoed off every single inch of brick and concrete. In a quick ear-splitting roar, the entire dining room instantly returned fire.

“What the heck did they say?” Mel asked in shock. I still have no idea, but it was fun. And that’s what Bone Lick BBQ (1133 Huff Rd., Westside, Tel: 404.343.6574) is all about, great food & drink and fun.

Yes, barbecue has become the hot thing lately. No, I am typically not a fan of food trends. Not because I enjoy going against the grain — though, I do — but because what is mostly in fashion of late in the culinary world just doesn’t do it for me.

But barbecue — now that’s a food fad that screams to my appetite. And nobody has a better handle on the art of smoking meat than Mike LaSage owner/pit master at Bone Lick. If his name sounds familiar that’s because LaSage was chef de cuisine at P’Cheen where he launched his infamous BBQ Mondays that became so popular — well, here we are.

What distinguishes his barbecue from the others around town is the fact that it’s aggressively spiced. Everything is bold, so much that I don’t want to add sauce to any of it. And it takes a whole lot of will power for me not to add that heavily seasoned — insanely addictive — North Carolina vinegar.

Brisket wears an outer crust that bursts in your mouth, so does pork. The pork braised collards are spruced up with a layer of heat. It all ranks right up there with the the top tier barbecue joints (Fox Bros. BBQ and Community Q) in the city.

Brunswick stew is loaded with fresh ingredients and a lingering tinge of heat.

The BBQ arepa, a collaboration with WOW! Food Truck, is an interesting addition to the menu and eats like a slider. Definitely worth ordering.

Bottom line: I love this place, it’s quirky, fun and absolutely delicious.

Highly Recommended:
Collard Greens
Brunswick Stew
WOW! BBQ Arepa
Legendary Pulled Pork Sammy
The Austin-Tacious (Brisket Sammy)
Ribs

Tom Eats Bone Lick BBQ, Mike LaSage, p;cheen, The Austin-Tacious