Without a doubt, Bakersfield in recent years is going through a barbecue renaissance. Whereas we were once a town with few options, we have gained Salty's, Brooklyn's, Angry Barnyard, PorkChop and Bubba's BBQ, Firestone Grill and Prime Time BBQ downtown (a low profile, personal favorite). Now, like Salty's, PorkChop has opened a second location on Coffee across from Trader Joe's and our cup runneth over.
It's located in a Sully's convenience store, and we love the way that place emphasizes local producers like Smith's Bakery, Dewar's and Sequoia Sandwich On The Go. Everything from the beer cave to the fountain soda machines that allow you to create amazing beverages is first-rate, and this is a perfect location for another barbecue place. You order at the counter, there's functional booths and tables inside and then more outside in a well-shaded patio with overhead fans. Most customers to me seemed to be getting the food to go, it being a Friday night.
We ordered too much but, given the quality of what they offer, I wonder if that is even possible. We started with a four-meat sampler platter ($33.25) that came with two side orders; we selected tater tots and chili beans. We also asked for a side of macaroni and cheese ($4.50), smoked chicken wings ($15.95) and a tri-tip "sammich" ($19.70).
The food was so good it was a conversation killer. Most of the time we were quietly savoring what they gave us, occasionally remarking on the appeal or beauty of whatever was in our mouth at that particular moment. It's been at least a year since we visited the downtown location located just east of Bakersfield High, but if anything, this place is even more impressive now.
The daily specials when we visited included fried green tomatoes and smoked turkey, as well as a raspberry chipotle barbecue sauce. My companion had never tried fried green tomatoes and was won over by the green slices that had a crisp cornmeal batter on the outside and a creamy dipping sauce that she thought had sun-dried tomatoes in it.
As for the other sides, the tater tots were perfectly crispy, the macaroni and cheese didn't have the addictive appeal of the spicy version that Salty's offers, which is a family favorite, but it did the job. And the chili beans are thick with bits of various barbecued meats adding so much flavor without a smidge of greasiness.
You're probably looking at the price of that sandwich and thinking all sorts of bad things, but let me tell you it's huge, a 10-inch grilled French roll that I would swear had 12 ounces of sliced tri-tip on it, with the noticeable pink ring that tell you this is authentic low and slow barbecued meat.
Realistically you might have to have the appetite of a high school offensive lineman after a long practice in August to finish this thing. Two can share, and the quality makes it worth the cost.
Before we get to the other meats we sampled, let's talk about the smoked chicken wings. To alter Ben Franklin's famous old phrase about beer, smoked chicken wings are proof that God wants us to be happy. The version here, full meaty wings with the smoke just drifting off them on the plate, are things of beauty, especially if you can get that great white Alabama barbecue sauce (one of the four sauce choices) that works so well on these particular creations.
The wings were crispy, even with the sauce, and this version is the best we've had in town. No wonder I was mentally recalling Ben's comments about brewskis.
The four meats in our platter — smoked turkey, pulled pork, beef brisket and pit-style beef — finished in a four-way tie for first place on the platter. The turkey was breast meat, sliced thinly and as evidently smoky as the wings. The brisket is amazing, black on the ends, so tender and so full of flavor, and you could say the same about the pulled pork and the pit beef.
The two of us would go back and forth with our forks trying to discern which of the quartet was either superior or lacking in something and we just shook our heads. They also offer ribs, chicken and hot links, which we didn't sample on this visit.
You order at the counter when you walk in, and I for one appreciated all the educational info on the blackboard menu boards behind the counter. They don't take call-in orders because they sometimes sell out (as most good barbecue places do) and they don't want to disappoint anyone standing in line. They cook 1,200 to 1,500 pounds of meat each day, to smoker capacity, which leaves the chicken pink, and it doesn't mean it's not done.
The business is family-owned and veteran-owned and offers discounts to vets and first responders with ID. They wear red every Friday to Remember Everyone Deployed. The kids menu is also a senior menu. There is no alcohol served. The crew hustles and calls your name when the order has been assembled.
PorkChop and Bubba's BBQ can be recommended for a fine dining experience.
Pete Tittl's Dining Out column appears in The Californian on Sundays. Email him at pftittl@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter: @pftittl.
