Do you know anyone who
doesn't like barbecue? I mean real barbecue - - - ribs, brisket,
pulled pork, pit smoked and roasted slow? Meat so tender and juicy
and flavorful you wonder why you don't just eat barbecue every day?
If you watched the Food
TV Network early in June, you saw a lot of shows about barbecue - -
seemed there was a barbecue contest every weekend somewhere. A few
of those had more than 5,000 people show up to watch the competition
and share some ribs and chilled adult beverages, and I developed a
real hankering for some of that myself. Where does one go on Cape
Cod, though, for really good barbecue?
Fortunately for me, it's
just in the next town over, on Main Street (Route 28), West Dennis,
MA. The place is called Oinky & Moo's, and Stan is quite
definitely “the man” when it comes to everything that is good
about barbecue. He promotes his very modest place as having “The
BEST BAR-B-Q you can get from a building that hasn't been condemned,”
and, darnit if he isn't right.
The moment I got out of
my car, the wonderful aromas hit me. When I stepped inside and found
the origin of those smells, I couldn't help but smile. The room you
enter is small, a glass case immediately in front of you. Side
dishes are in the cooled space behind that glass, including three
potato salad, macaroni salad, black-eyed peas, cole slaw, pickled
beets and baked beans. Along the two open walls was a low counter,
about two feet deep, with stools beneath that will remind you of your
elementary school days. The counter had napkins, bowls of peanuts
still in the shell, and squirt bottles labeled “bourbon,” “sweet
and smokey,” “mustard,” and “vinegar,” and when I finally
read the menu board on the wall, I realized these were the sauce
flavors offered. In the far corner, there was a pretty high stack of
newspapers, and I'll return to them in a moment.
If there is a better
sandwich than pulled pork with slaw, I don't know it. There it was,
the first item on the menu board, and I almost stopped right there.
The pork was tender, flavorful and juicy, and Stan recommended the
bourbon sauce for this one. The sandwich is $7.25, but for an
additional $2.75, you can get two sides with it. The black-eyed peas
and the baked beans finished off this plate for me. Stan came out of
the back room with a plate filled enough for three, and on his way by
that stack of newspapers he grabbed a few pages. He spread them out
in front of me on the counter and put that huge plate down.
The second choice that
night was the beef brisket, and Stan recommended the sweet and smokey
sauce for this one. I can honestly tell you it was the very best
brisket I have had anywhere. For those brisket aficionados among
you, Stan offers the best part of the brisket - - what his menu calls
the “burnt endz” of the brisket for a few coins more. Potato
salad and cole slaw rounded out this heaping plate of food, again
placed on the newspaper. The cooler didn't have any Pabst, but a
root beer and a Dr. Pepper washed down as much of this food as we
could handle. Stan kindly wrapped the leftovers, and they took care
of lunch the next day - - - well, actually, breakfast.
My second experience
with Oinky & Moo's was a week later. My daughters were coming
for dinner, so I called ahead for the Barbecue Package for 4-5. It
came with a full rack of pork ribs, a pint of beef brisket, 5 rolls
and three sides (macaroni salad, black-eyed peas and cole slaw were
my choices). If there is such a term as fally-aparty, it goes some
of the way in describing the ribs. I went with the sweet and smokey
sauce for the ribs, and I was in heaven. The beef brisket was as it
had been on the first visit, and the sides just fit in perfectly.
For $50+ for this package, both in quality and quantity, this
is a real bargain. There was enough food left over after my ladies
and I stuffed our faces for me to enjoy it for another two meals and
one snack.
Barbecue is messy, and
it's, well, finger food doesn't go far enough, so let me say it's
hand food. Cape Codders understand that concept - - we don't use
utensils eating steamers and lobsters, and barbecue is just a
southerner's version of our clam bake. If you're looking for the
best southern barbecue around, Oinky & Moo's is the place.
Stan has two pits behind
the building, and they're going all the time. Oinky & Moo's is
open Mon-Thu from 11:30 until 9:00, on Friday and Saturday until
11:00, and on Sundays until 8:00. The menu does say, though, too,
that he stays open “til the food runs out.” His place ain't much
to look at, and very informal doesn't come close to describing it.
But it is warm, friendly and casual, and the smells get
you as soon as you open your car door.
Cape Dining Out does consider
Oinky & Moo's family friendly, both in atmosphere and in price,
and as our regular readers know, this lessens the standards by which
we rate restaurants (the restaurant rating policy is linked to from
the right sidebar menu).
Notwithstanding those easier standards,
Cape Dining Out is very impressed with this barbecue joint, and
recommends it to you highly. The only way this place could be
better would be if The Allman Brothers Blues Band or John Hiatt and the
Goners were playing there while you were eating away. The
barbecue is bold and sassy, as is
Stan, and based upon my first couple of experiences there I think I
can say you won't be disappointed. Cape Dining Out gives this
barbecue it's highest rating and suggests you get there soon.
If you go . . . . .
Oinky & Moo's
394 Main Street (Route 28)
Across from The Christmas Tree Shop
West Dennis, MA
508.394.4227
Very, Very Casual
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