Disclaimer: In these United States few culinary terms fuel such regional zealotry as barbecue — also known as BBQ, Bar-B-Q, barbeque or simply 'cue, depending where you hail from. It's different everywhere. Bourbon, however, is from Kentucky...
Chef Cortlandt Inge's little piece of Alabama in Fremont (actually in the nebulous "Fre-lard" region), The Bourbon & Barbeque Grill [0], is an intriguing work in progress. The barbecue may be second-billed, but it's clearly the top draw. The signature sauce is thick, rich and tangy and comes liberally slathered on your choice of chicken, beef or pork in sandwiches, dinners or combo platters. Bourbons in hand, our party sampled the pulled pork and beef brisket dinners, the baby back ribs, cornbread and a side of Alabama smoked sausage.
First off, forget the brisket. I will and if what we sampled is standard, so should the Grill. All things pig, however, rated high. The pulled pork was lean and soaked up the sauce on top of a heaping bed of red beans and rice. Not a bad deal for a hearty meal under 10 bucks. The Coca-Cola marinated baby back ribs (ancient Southern secret) were meaty and tender and thickly glazed.
But the true standouts were the smoked sausage and the cornbread loaf. The latter could have been dessert; it was just that sweet, buttery and light. The sausage comes from a family in central Alabama which "raises pigs nine months out of the year and makes sausage the other three," according to our server. Bless them and their doomed swine. Every succulent bite inspired groans of ecstasy around the table.
The décor is evolving, as is the menu. But as one of my buddies commented, there is a casual honesty to the joint, and that's a good place to start. I'd recommend that the B & B's crew lavish some serious attention on the bar, particularly the section displaying the establishment's namesake spirit: Considering its top billing, the bourbon's casual placement on the bar seems kind of an afterthought. Also, the booze is served at Fremont pours and prices — too little and too large, respectively. But that's just one man's opinion, and it's some fine hooch all the same.
The Bourbon and Barbecue Grill serves until 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The bar is open until 1:30 am. Our service was stellar, and the vibe in this remodeled old house is as homey as the food. The adjacent garden patio has some serious potential for warm-weather evenings. With a few minor tweaks, the Bourbon & Barbeque Grill could make you proud to be a whisky-drinking carnivore.
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