Owensboro, KY BBQ report (incomplete)

Hey y'all!

Well, dip me in shit and call me a member of the east coast liberal power elite, I just got back from Owensboro, Kentucky! Yeeee-ha!

Ahem - - actually, this is quite the charming, surprisingly well-mannered, good-looking, and, dare I say, damn near cosmpolitan (well, parts of it, anyway) little city. I ventured down there this weekend to play two gigs at the lovely new Blues club, Zazu, and, of course, managed to sample some of what makes Owensboro famous (at least to members of this board) - BBQ!!

I feel weird even posting this report, for reasons I'll explain in a minute, but a trip to one of the BBQ meccas of the country is still a trip to one of the BBQ meccas of the country, and so I'll do my duty and report what I'm able to, even if it is (as the subject line indicates) less than thorough.

Only having one afternoon to go out to eat (in between playing the shows and sleeping) and given the fact that I was kind of tied down to the rest of the band and had to make concessions to everyone's schedule and tastes, I was happy to try even one of Owensboro's BBQ houses. Unfortunately, I was ONLY able to try one, and so had to make a crucial, somewhat fast decision based on many factors. The factors, incidentally, are areas of debate and question which apply to eating in any unfamiliar town and in any type of cuisine. For those who know, Moonlite BBQ is considered THE place to go in Owensboro - they have the snazzy website, the huge and spotless building with the cute neon sign, the reputation which has gotten them featured on several TV shows and in several magazines, and the celebrity factor (anyone of note - from Bill Clinton to Willie Nelson - who has stopped in Owensboro for any reason has dined at the Moonlite.) And, indeed, when we arrived at Zazu for our Friday night show (which, incidentally, was marked by free drinks and food from the very gracious owner, Don, and his wife Cheryl. The food? Don's BBQ ribs and fries. The ribs were OK (too much sauce, too sweet, but edible) but the fries were magical. Crinkly cut beauts, they were, and I'm not really a french fry fan to begin with) at least 4 people told us we simply had to go to Moonlite to eat the following day. I was pretty jazzed about Moonlite anyway, and hearing people recommend it without being prompted made me even more eager. When we got back to the hotel, though, we got a different story. What I'm about to say might win (lose?) me some enemies, but, fuck it.

The people who told us we "simply HAVE to try Moonlite" were what one would call white. Yes, their pigmentation was pale, but I'm referring to attitude. White bread. Yuppified. Geeky, polo shirt wearing, overbite-while-dancing, Hootie and the Blowfish listening WHITE PEOPLE. You all know what I'm saying? Our own Gary Wiviott, for example, is (if we must make ethnic distinctions based on melanin) a white man, but he's not white. I like to think of myself as the same (and, indeed, most people on this board as well). Lenny Bruce's classic "Goyisch versus Jewish" bit is more apt, probably. Like, Jews who live in Montana are Jewish, but also Goyisch. Anyway, the people who recommended Moonlite were Goyisch. When we returned to our rooms at the hotel, we talked to the night manager. He is African American, and he's definitely not Goyisch. (Condi Rice and Bryant Gumbel, by comparison, are goyisch. Or white. Whatever.) I casually mentioned we were going to go for BBQ the next afternoon, and he said, "Oh, man, you gotta go to George's." I asked him about Moonlite, and he replied that Moonlite was OK, but, somehow, too... "White bread?" I suggested, as he grasped for the right words. He laughed and said, "yeah, man. That's some white BBQ there. Go to George's, believe me. That's the real deal."

So now, I'm in a pickle (to use a very goyisch expression). With only one chance to sample Owensboro BBQ, I have to decide: eat at the Moonlite, the place that practically put Owensboro on the map and might be the only reason why some people venture there in the first place; OR, take a chance on an unknown, an obviously locals-only joint that might be great or might be one man's (possibly wrong) opinion??? Do I go to Paris and not see the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower but instead, hang out in the Banlieues and train station? Indeed. Well, maybe not the most apt comparison, but, to a BBQ lover, one of comparable magnitude!! (Are you listening, Gary Wiviott, are you listening???!! You feel my pain, brother????!!) Dammit, Spock!

Hmm, indeed. I check out the Moonlite website one more time (www.moonlite.com). They've obviously got it all: the history, the comfortable seating for huge crowds, the BBQ buffet with every type of meat (featuring the Owensboro specialty, of course: mutton), dessert and vegetable on it, and the cachet that goes with such an operation. I ask myself what I value more - the general consensus of the masses (which may, indeed, be correct) or the opinion of one working man. The obvious and popular place that packs em in, or the humble establishment that is probably pretty quiet most times of the day. David or Goliath? Well, there's a reason I signed up to LTHforum and continue to write, read, and meet people associated with it. Damn it.

George's BBQ
1362 E. 4th St
(270) 926-9276 (read on.....)

We walked in at about 1:30 pm (5 of us in the band) and occupied one of the maybe 12 tables in George's. An older couple at the front, who were finishing up their lunches, were the only other customers. George's front dining room is sparse and humble, but very clean, very quiet, and has ashtrays on all the tables (bless Kentucky.) Right away, the gorgeous smell of slightly charred wood smoke permeated my nostrils. We sit down, and Lulu the waitress (it was her third day and she warned us that she was "still new at this") takes our drink orders and hands out the menus. I decide to be more hands on in my decision making process and head to the back. "Where's the pit man?" I cry out, and, from behind the back door comes Jimmy, a small, taut, wiry man with black smudges on his face and hands and a broad smile. (Jimmy is white, but not Goyisch. That's my estimation, anyway.) Immediately, I can tell that this is a man serious about his work. He's awfully casual and "aw-shucks" about the entire procedure of the BBQ at George's, but his intense, detailed knowledge about the wood (Hickory for flavor and depth, Sassafrass for a little sweetness) temperature, time, and specific cuts of pork, beef, chicken, and, of course, mutton betray a man who loves and cares about BBQ and, more importantly, the people who eat the end product of his labors. Sensing that this is Jimmy's down time between lunch and what is sure to be a busy Saturday night dinner crowd, I try to be as quick and polite as humanly possible as I ask him to guide me through his particular BBQ procedure. Well, he senses that I'm truly interested in what he does (he's right, of course) and puts me at ease by graciously proffering me samples of each of the meats he has recently coaxed from raw cuts into slow smoked goodness. First of course, was his mutton, in both of the traditional Owensboro manners - rough sliced (chopped up hunks, slightly larger than bite size) and hacked or hashed (mutton paste! Yum!). The first taste of mutton BBQ is good, but soon, the gaminess emerges. Jimmy offers me some "dip" for the mutton meat (Owensboro BBQ features no sauce in the traditional sense, but just a very thin, basic vinegar and pepper "dip" in the Carolina tradition. Even this is used sparingly - Owensboroans are meat people.) which perks it up a little but still can't cancel out the very nature of mutton, which is the gamy flavor. Some must love it, but I can't handle it. I don't want to offend Jimmy, and so pretend like I'm savoring it instead of waiting to spit it out. Jimmy, as befits his nature, senses that the mutton doesn't agree with me and confesses, "Shit, man, get rid of that if you don't like it. Me, personally? I can't stand goddamn mutton. Tastes like manure and dirt." I laugh out loud at this and gleefully spit the mutton out in the trash. Jimmy approves of my gesture, and gets me on the good foot with a cup of Burgoo, the local mutton stew. The Burgoo has mutton in it, but also vegetables and a rich, soupy, peppery tomato broth which is absolutely delicious. The mutton merely acts as a texture element in the burgoo, a chewy, savory counterpoint to the potatoes, peas, and broth. Burgoo is some good stuff. This cleanses the palate and preps me for Jimmy's favorite (and mine), the chopped BBQ pork butt. The meat is fork tender but still formed and together, slightly charred on the outside, and smoky, sweet, meaty, buttery, toothsome, chewy, all that good shit. Pork perfection. "Well, I know what I'm ordering! Done!! Thank you!" Jimmy laughs and approves of my decision and wishes me a good appetite and a good lunch as he goes to chop more wood and adjust temperatures and prep the meat for the rest of the day. I get back to the table to find that the other 4 guys have all ordered ribs. I was hoping that at least someone would try the brisket, but, oh well... Soon out comes the food - 4 plates of ribs which are, well, good. Not awesome, not devastating, but certainly a good piece of rib. Not well done enough, maybe - good flavor, noticeable smoke ring, but missing the oomph of a little charring. Of course, these Chicago-trained, Leon's loving bandmates of mine bemoan the lack of a thick, sweet sauce to coat their ribs and kind of give me the queer eye (presumably for choosing George's instead of Moonlite, but I wasn't about to start a debate in that place.) Meanwhile, I'm in chopped pork heaven, the very nice beans, coleslaw, and potato salad providing a good backdrop for the main course. Out comes white bread, pickle chips, and onion, and before I know it I'm making an improv, Carolina style BBQ pork sandwich, slaw and all. While I'm humming away with my chopped pork, the guys are nibbling on their bones, somewhat disappointed. I chide them for all ordering the same thing and tell them that if another fork tries to make its way into my plate of chopped pork, someone is going to lose a fucking finger.
My 3 white bread pork sandwiches, plain pork, and pork with vinegar dip applied being put away, I order some coffee and pecan pie to top off my meal. This was good pecan pie, made in someone's home, with an unfortunately sugary scoop of artificial vanilla ice cream applied on top (which I didn't ask for... oh well). So.. what to say? George's is some good BBQ. The ribs are good (7 out of 10??) the pork is awesome, and the burgoo is good too. The brisket looked great, like the beef equivalent of my chopped pork plate. The sides - beans, slaw, potato salad - were all homemade and good, not spectacular (but, really, should they be?). Service was friendly as could be, and atmosphere was basic but quiet and clean (two things harder to find and two things I'm valuing more the older I get). Now, we could have gone to Moonlite and gorged away at the buffet, or gotten what is probably a huge plate dinner, with our choice of a dozen side dishes and just as many desserts. We probably would have had to wait a while, during which time we'd probably have to endure the PA system calling out names and numbers for tables, and then the din of a lot of kids and families during our meal. We would have also had to get up and come back to our table a few times to try the buffet, too. Not a big deal, but, as one woman who is also somewhat anti-Moonlite pointed out (not til I met her as I was leaving Owensboro, natch), "I want to have people bring the food to me when I go out to eat, darn it!" Amen, sister. So, the Moonlite remains a mystery, at least until April 22-23rd, when I return to play Zazu. For all I know, it's great BBQ. It might blow George's off the map, even given the dedication and knowhow of a pit man like Jimmy. Do I regret going to George's? Hell no. Even if the food stunk - and, certainly, it didn't - I would prefer the reality of George's to an imagined Moonlite. Luckily, the BBQ pork at George's was some of the best, if not THE best, I've ever had. The rest of the food was solid, satisfying fare. No complaints, no raves. But the peace and quiet, the super friendly people, and the fact that George's just operates on a different level than the Moonlite made it worthwhile for me. Next month when I return, I'm gonna suck it up and go to Moonlite. Like I said, I might be dead wrong about this place - it might rule. But for now, I'm content in my decision to go to George's, the LTH of Owensboro (hmm.. Gary's chili oil as the "dip" for my chopped pork??? Why, yes!) (Side note - the aforementioned woman who likes to be served rather than serve herself when dining out said to me as I left her cigarette shop this afternoon, "Y'all gonna go get barbecue now? Well, the Moonlite is all right, but the BEST place in town is Old Hickory. Now THAT's some good BBQ!!" Dammit, lady.) Look for chapter two late April. Good 'cue to you,

Rebbe

Moonlite Barbq Inn
2840 W Parrish Avenue
(270) 684-8143

Old Hickory Pit Bar-B-Q
338 Washington Av
(270) 926-9000

also of interest as we drove into town.....

Shady Rest Barbecue Inn
3955 E 4th St
(270) 926-8234

I too faced a similar dilemma last summer when driving from Louisville to Murray, KY. I took an out of the way route for the express order of going to Moonlite. Used to go every year in high school with our soccer team and we would devour the buffet after our afternoon game against Owensboro Apollo. This time, however, the friend I was meeting for lunch in Owensboro insisted that we go to Old Hickory. In fact, most of my friends from Owensboro prefer Old Hickory. Somewhat reluctantly I did end up at Old Hickory but was not disappointed with the mutton. Real tangy with white bread, pickles and sliced onions, it was not the meal you'd want to eat before a hot date. I was not impressed with the pork my wife ordered, kind of mushy and already drowned in BBQ sauce.
Owensboro is justifiably famous for its mutton, but as you mentioned, it ain't for everybody, locals included. I definitely prefer pork barbecue from further west, in the Jackson Purchase region of Kentucky where mutton is rare. I haven't been to Moonlite in ten years so I can't vouch for its quality these days. I would have to recomend it to anyone who had just one meal opportunity in town. A great sampling of meats and vegetables and just a general circus that you've got to see just once. You'll either love it or decide that George's is the place. Incidentally, the guy who took me to Old Hickory works at Moonlite.

Nice report. Did you happen to take any pictures?

Scott

Thanks, rabbi, for the hilarious report. We were just thinking about planning a spring time road trip down to Owensboro. I went through something very similar the first time I went to Owensboro. Although we were there solely to eat BBQ, we had our own issues with Moonlite BBQ. Despite the hype (or maybe because of the hype), we just couldn't get ourselves to eat there for reasons that are difficult to understand.

I don't actually think I walked through the front door until my 2nd or 3rd trip, and even then I couldn't get myself to sit down or rather, get in line for the buffet. We asked if we could tour the back of the house in order to check out their smoking operations. They were more than happy to accommodate us, even during their busy hours. The pitmaster(?) took time to show us all the details of his operation which was BIG and SHINY. Squeaky clean. It was impressive, but somewhat disconcerting. All employees wore crisp paper hats and pristine white aprons, neither of which had a spot of soot or Q. I even peered over the shoulders of people eagerly waiting for their turn at the buffet table to get a glimpse of the BBQ. It was uninspiring (to look at). Eventually, we ended up getting take out sandwiches (brisket and pork), neither of which were memorable. I have no problem eating at big touristy BBQ operations as long as they back it up with good BBQ, I'm not sure this is the case here though. I have made a promise to myself to get back there next time I go and sit down for a full meal.

The bigger reason why I think I have never gotten into Moonlite is because I'm too busy eating all of my meals at the Shady Rest. You definitely have to try this place out next time you are in town. The pork ribs are great! The style is unique. They use a vinegar based dip (as you mentioned) to season their ribs before as well as during the smoking process. And then they use that same dip recipe for their sauce (which I love). The spare ribs come out looking gnarly and black on the outside and you think they are going to be dry, but they are almost always perfect.

I've been to both George's and Old Hickory, both of which I thought we good examples of BBQ. I'd give the edge to Old Hickory, if for no other reason than I thoroughly enjoyed their ribs after indulging in 2 other full BBQ lunches just before. While George's is more of what I'd call a joint Old Hickory is more of a restaurant with a full menu, bar and table service.

For non-BBQ meals in Owensboro I love Ole South. It's a southern buffet featuring fried chicken, smothered pork chops, catfish, burgoo, and yes, more BBQ. The BBQ is better elsewhere, so I'd stick to the other items. What makes this place stand out though is their superior service. True southern hospitality. On our first visit, we were clearly out of the loop. We got there right as the lunch hour was beginning, and all of the locals were eating (or at least procuring) their desserts first. We didn't really notice it until after we had finished eating our meal, and found just a few bowls Jell-O left on the dessert table. We wanted to turn back time so we could try the berry cobbler. They said if we didn't mind waiting for 45 minutes, they could whip up another one for us. There isn't a whole lot to do in Owensboro besides eat, so we hung out in the parking lot and 45 minutes later we had a suntan and cobbler. Cobbler that was worth waiting 45 minutes for.

Thanks for the kind comments, everyone. While I exaggerated a bit for the purposes of a good anecdote, the dilemma (as evidenced by the recommendations and preferences which continue to roll in) still presents itself as I've described it. Luckily, as I said, I've got another chance to go back to Owensboro quite soon to see what's up with the other three places for BBQ. Unfortunately, I have no pictures from my trip, but I'll be sure to get some next time and figure out how to scan them into the text of this board. It'll be a good excuse to finally figure out how that's done. In the meantime, a little internet research turned up this article from the Village Voice:

http://www.villagevoice.com/nyclife/042 ... 59,16.html

Anyone else with their Owensboro fave BBQ joint, please chime in!

Rebbe

Wait a minute, Rebbe: that was really you? I was certain it was the lost chapter from Ulysses. It was arcane, abstruse, and suffused with multi-layered references to Greek mythology, Catholic theology, early twentieth century physics, and the Merovingian Kings. Heck, I swear I got a glimpse of Blazes Boylan there somewhere...or at least his tan shoes.

My admiration for you could fill a room. I'm turning off the Elmore James now (Mean Mistreatin' Mama plays as I write), and going directly to Rice Miller (on vinyl).

Owensboro bound,
Blind Lemon Matarazzo

Once upon a time and a very good time it was there was a hungryrabbi coming down along the road and this hungryrabbi that was coming down along the road met a nicens little boy named baby Choey....

GWiv told him that story; GWiv looked at him through a cup of coffee; he had a hairy face.

He was baby Choey. The Hungryrabbi came down the road where Frank Masi lived; he sold Lemon Tirelle.


Looks like we're going to put the "trip" back in road trip. Of course, we're taking the Demon Band Vehicle (DBV), but we can caravan, perhaps, even stopping at the Casino Aztar in Evansville to try some of the amazing luck we're no doubt going to have. Someone come up with a BBQ schedule for Saturday and Sunday!!! I'll do it myself, I swear!!

Choey: a gentleman, and, dare I say, just a MAN of the highest order. YOUR admiration for ME? Pish-tosh. The reverse, sir, is the true measure of grandiosity. Better leave that Brioni at home if we're going for BBQ. Unless Brioni makes overalls, of course. Teee-haw!

Reb

Well, once more into the breach and dip me in treacle...a Portrait hermeneut. I should have recognized the Mr. Casey in you: a real mensch who dared to shout "No God for Ireland" over Christmas dinner (though Dante Riordan is always pretty hot in an Old Sod sort of way in my fevered imagination).

Don't worry about the Brioni, as they do fine in warm water with a cup of Tide and a splash of ammonia. If you have them make you coveralls, though, I recommend a Super 180 wool: the Ferrari of fabrics.

Henceforth, I'm Little Willie Tuckoo (humming the strains of the lyrically flawless and austerely beautiful "You Better Leave My Kitten Alone").

I discovered this site on accident but wanted to register to reply as being born and raised in Owensboro I can offer a little information on the subject.

First of all I will start with Moonlite as it is the one that put Owensboro on the map. I eat here at least once a month with a job related organization. In my opinion its not the best BBQ available in town, but it is pretty good. The buffet sets it apart from most other places around. I would recommend Moonlite to anyone as it is a great place to get a sample of all the types of meat available, they also have a large selection of veggies and such as well as a good dessert selection.

My personal favorite is Old Hickory, which is a much smaller restaurant than Moonlite. Most of their customers order take out as opposed to dinning in as they have very limited seating. Nothing beats picking up a couple pounds of chopped mutton on the way home from work.

I can't really comment on George's, Shady Rest or Ole South, as I haven't been to any of these in a long time. Just can't seem to go anywhere but Old Hickory, except for the after work event mentioned previously.

My favorite BBQ food is mutton, which I know many of you non-locals will never be able to develope a tast for. Before you write of mutton completely, I would suggest that you try some chopped mutton from Old Hickory with just a little bit of sauce, add pickle, sliced onion, and serve on Rye bread. That seems to be the prefered way to serve it for most people around here that I know. You may also want to enjoy it with some Kentucky Bourbon, I'd recommend Makers Mark.

Anyone that is really serious about Owensboro BBQ should come to town the second week of May for the annual BBQ festival. It is basically competition between about a dozen cooking teams (most representing local churches), where each team cooks several several hunderd thousands of pounds of chicken, mutton, pork, etc, as well as prepares hundreds of gallons of burgoo.

In addition most of the Catholic churches in the area have parrish picnics which feature BBQ similar to the festival except on a smaller scale. From May to September there is a parrish picnic in the area to attend almost every weekend.

BTW, I attempted to do a search but didn't find any results for Patti's Place in Grand Rivers, KY.

It's located about 30 miles to the east of Paducah just of I-24. This restaurant is a little touristy, and I'm probably not the culinary conossouer that some of you are, but in my opinion the food is pretty darn good. The restaurant is worth going to simply for the decor, but the southern style food is delicious as well. They are best known for their 2" thick pork chops, but my favorite is the fried chicken breast topped with grilled ham and mushrooms with a jalepeno cheese sauce. Also you must save room for desset as they have some of the best pies that I have every eaten. Almost forgot the homemade bread which is served warm out of the oven and baked in a terra cota flower pot.

Make sure you get back to the Shady Rest before they are no longer.

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=6971

PIGMON and I are definitely planning on going down around the 4th of July for one of the annual Church BBQ picnics. We feel the same way about the Shady Rest as you do about Old Hickory. We like Ole Hickory, but we just can't get ourselves not to immediately go to The Shady.

Welcome to LTHforum! Thanks for posting this insider info.

trixie-pea

trixie-pea, I finally found that NPR report on Owensboro--it mentions the church fests that rjw1239 speaks of.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=4144645


Geo

Owensboro Mutton Off

Sadly, Shady Rest has closed, but atleast two very good places remain. Which is better, Old Hickory (no website) or Moonlite (Roadfood review) (Their web site) ?*

We drove to Owensboro for lunch yesterday to answer this life altering question...

Old Hickory
338 Washington Ave
Owensboro, KY 42301
(270) 926-9000



Old Hickory's Mutton Ribs Platter came with 3 loin chops and 2-3 breast bone ribs. Great smoky flavor. Loin chops were a little dry and not much meat on the breast ribs. Still wonder what part of the lamb Kansas City mutton ribs (at Gates) come from... they are still the best in my book.



But the chopped -- oh the chopped -- magical. Lamby, smoky meat, bathed in tomatoes and vinegar. With some kind of spice which gives it great depth, but I cannot identify it. Wow.

The shoulder (no pic, sorry) was cut off the bone and big pieces of bone and fat were removed before weighing our pound to go. Also excellent smoky flavor. Didn't need the sauce (but was really exceptional with it.) We also got a pound of chopped to go.

Moonlite
2840 W Parrish
1-800-322-8989



At Moonlite, we also got a pound of chopped mutton, a pound of shoulder, and their dip sauce.

The shoulder from Moonlite was moist and tender, and chopped off a steaming hunk of meat fresh out of the pit. But had much less smoke, and tasted more like a really nicely roasted lamb shoulder. The chopped was also less smoky and flavorful. Don't get me wrong. Both were fine. But we had a group of 6 do the side by side and only one preferred the shoulder and chopped from Moonlite. Even the sauce from Old Hickory won -- and really elevated the shoulder from Moonlite to a whole nother level.

So, if you want the smoke profile, Old Hickory had more hickory -- hands down (and very dirty).

Also, as astute readers might have noticed in some subtle hints above (aka the website and 1-800 number) Moonlite felt distinctively less Mom-and-Pop as well...

* There is also a third routinely mentioned, George's, but the three way comparison will have to wait for our next lunch trip to Kentucky.

Just to add our impressions.... UniAddict and I took a three-day, 14-stop journey through the south on a mini-BBQ tour, and we stopped at all four major BBQ places in Owensboro on the way back to Chicago.

First stop was Moonlite:



Moonlite, as has been noted above, is famous for its buffet, but, after visiting four barbecue joints in Tennessee and Mississippi earlier in the day, the buffet was simply not going to happen. Add to that the general aversion I have towards buffets, we decided to just order off the menu. I had the chopped mutton and burgoo.



This was my first experience eating mutton barbecue, so I didn't know what to expect. What I got was very wet, shredded mutton meat, with overwhelming Worcestershire sauce flavor, a definite lamb-like gaminess, an assertive black pepper spice to it, and light smoke flavor. As a baseline for mutton barbecue, this wasn't bad, but I found the sauce the meat drenched in to be much too assertive, even for a flavorful meat like mutton.

The Worcestershire-based "dip", we discovered, is a common theme in Owensboro. It's used like a barbecue or finishing sauce, as well as a meat mop during cooking. It's a very thin sauce, similar in viscosity to, say, an Eastern North Carolina finishiing sauce. The main ingredients are vinegar, Worcestershire sauce (in about equal quantities!), a generous dose of black pepper, some lemon juice, salt, brown sugar, and assorted spices. The Worcestershire does well to cut through some of the strong flavors of mutton, but I didn't like it as much on milder meats like pork.

The burgoo was much like an Irish stew, albeit with a mix of smoked mutton and chicken. Moonlite's version was thick and hearty with corn, cabbage, potato, and tomato.

Ten-thirty next morning, we decided upon Old Hickory for a late breakfast/early lunch:



Here we started with a sliced mutton sandwich, and a chopped mutton sandwich, served with the thick-slice of onion and pickles that seem de rigeur in these parts:



These were heaven. My preference is clearly towards the sliced mutton, as I feel the texture is more pleasant than the mushy, stringy chopped mutton sandwich, and the mutton isn't as overpowered by the dip. Even so, Old Hickory's chopped mutton was excellent, a cut above Moonlite's version. The texture was similar, but the end product was smokier and the sauce/dip tasted more restrained and balanced to Moonlite's. It did not overpower the mutton like I felt Moonlite's did. By the end of the trip, I had decided Old Hickory was my overall favorite Owensboro barbecue stop. We also tried the sliced pork, another excellent product with a clean, hickory smoke flavor. More shots from Old Hickory:



(Man, those pork ribs looked fantastic, but, we still had a lot of eating to do for the day. If I find myself back in Owensboro, I will do my best to eat through Old Hickory's menu. They know what they're doing here.)

Next, we headed over to George's:



Here we decided to split a combination meat platter (beef, pork, mutton) and a cup of burgoo:



George's burgoo was my favorite of the trip, being a little soupier and minestrone-like in texture versus the thicker renditions of the other places. It also seemed to be a little lighter on the spices, letting the mutton flavor come through better.

As for the meat plate, it was competently executed but Old Hickory is a hard act to follow. I did like the pork at George's, and would say it's on par as Old Hickory, and perhaps a tad smokier, but the sliced mutton was not quite as juicy and flavorful. However, Val, the friendly and enthusiastic manager, did give us a cool tour through the back:



George's smoker is started with sassafras, and then hickory is added for flavor. George's was the smallest of the four barbecue places we visited (with maybe 8 to 10 tables).

Finally, we visited Ole South, recently under new ownership:



Chopped mutton and burgoo here for us:




The chopped mutton sandwich looked beautiful, with nice bark, and the texture wasn't as shredded as others we've had. Oddly enough, though, it didn't much have a mutton-y flavor to it. It was quite subdued in comparison to every other place we sampled, and I had to wonder whether it was actually mutton we were eating. Perhaps we just got a particularly clean-tasting batch of mutton. I didn't like it as much as others because of this, but this was UniAddict's favorite sandwich of the four.

My overall impression is, if you don't have the time to sample all the places in Owensboro, Old Hickory is clearly the place to go. After that, I'd lean George's, Old South, and then Moonlite. But they're all good, and all worth visiting.

Beautiful post, Binko. Brings me back to a warm, fuzzy place just lookin’ at your wonerdful pics.

If you are intrigued by whole Owensboro BBQ climate, one of the great things going down there are their legendary church picnics held throughout the summer. Many from these parts will tell you that the best mutton to be had anywhere comes from these historically cherished annual events.

A few years back, Mrs. & Mr. SDritz (husband Randy), trixie-pea, and I made the trip to Owensboro to attend the St. Mary Magdalene Church parish picnic. If you want to experience true southern community spirit based around the age-old linkage between the local church and its form of regional barbeque, make it a point to hit one of these events sometime.

Having arrived a bit late that afternoon, I remember our disappointment when we went to purchase the burgoo on sale there only to find out that they had completely sold it all out hours earlier. Several minutes later, a local parishioner tracked us down with a gallon of this locally prized delight, kindly willing to part with his own allotment. Overtures such as these are what make going Southward truly special experiences.
I would strongly recommend making a road trip to check out one of these church events before they cease to exist.







Pitmaster with burgoo.


*

Shady Rest
R.I.P.

Binko wrote:Just to add our impressions.... UniAddict and I took a three-day, 14-stop journey through the south on a mini-BBQ tour, and we stopped at all four major BBQ places in Owensboro on the way back to Chicago.

Very timely. We are off to KY next week. This will come in handy fer sure.

Outstanding pics as well!

Randy and I were blown away by the food we had in Owensboro, and our tour guides, Trixie Pea and Pigmon, knew where to find the best stuff.

My favorite cup of burgoo was at the St. Mary's parish picnic -- a close second would have been the serving I had at Ole South. Because Trixie Pea and Pigmon had done this trip in the past, they knew we should grab our desserts before we sat down at Ole South to eat our brunch.

I am heartbroken that the Shady Rest is gone because the two meals we had there (our first and last) were the best of the weekend. Owensboro is a place well worth visiting for barbeque and I hope to make it back down again some time soon.

Suzy

PIGMON wrote:

Dreamt I was tending the line of pits in Pigmon's picture solo, though it was snug with splayed sheep.

I was racing up and down the line trying to put out sheep fat flare-ups which were occurring at both ends simultaneously.

It was a tiring and mildly frenetic dream, but I woke up happy.

G Wiv wrote:It was a tiring and mildly frenetic dream, but I woke up happy.

How did the sheep feel the next morning?

Binko - Great report. That picture of Val in the cooler with the pigs is fantastic, really a great shot.

Nearly five years ago I visited the mutton capital of the USA but never got around to posting. A long season of church picnics, featuring a staggering amount of burgoo and barbecued mutton, lies ahead so maybe this report will be a helpful reminder for those planning summer roadtrips. But you'd better like mutton.

Dee's Diner was our first stop. Dee's used to be George's, one of the stalwarts of the Owensboro mutton scene until it closed not long before our visit.







From what I understand the menu is similar to George's and the meats are still cooked the same way—over hickory and sassafras. We decided to take advantage of the salad and burgoo bar, supplemented by chopped mutton sandwiches.





Dee's burgoo is a bit more soup-like than some other versions, and very much to my liking.



When Dee's says chopped, they really mean it. Pureed might be more accurate. I enjoyed the smoky, gamey, fatty flavors but wasn't fond of the paste-like texture. Within a few bites, I went from being pleasantly surprised by the novelty of the sandwich to actively disliking it.

Moonlight BBQ is the biggest and best-known restaurant in Owensboro, but it gets mixed reviews. The place was packed when we stopped by for the buffet. You can order takeout…



...or hang a right for the burgoo bar.



It's an impressive spread, with so many varieties of meat I lost track of what I was eating.





Not everything was great, but there were far more standouts than I would've expected from a buffet. I thought the chopped mutton was first rate. Lots of other good bites on those plates as well. The desserts, too, were excellent. I was unable to sample many of the dozen or so offerings, but enjoyed the cobblers.



I liked Moonlight far more than I expected. Sensing our interest in mutton, they kindly showed us around the kitchen, including the burgoo kettles…



...and the large wood-fired pit.





That's one of six sections of the pit. Reportedly they cook over five tons of mutton a week.

We hit Ole South for the breakfast buffet—biscuits & gravy, grits, fried bologna, stewed apples and more (but no mutton).







Nothing spectacular, but one could do far worse. I regret not making it back to try the drive through mutton window.



I also regret never getting to Old Hickory. If I were visiting again I'd probably make it a priority, together with some more church picnics.

When in Owensboro, don't miss the world's largest sassafras tree, a sight to behold.



We were in Owensboro largely to check out the thriving church picnic scene, and were able to try two. Almost every summer weekend, a couple parishes hold their annual fundraisers and the citizens turn out in droves. The 2015 schedule can be found here. Word to the wise: get there early. We were late to both picnics, but still made out pretty well.

We got to Immaculate Parish as things were winding down. Immaculate isn't even among the largest, but you can get an idea of the scale of the event from the long pits, still smoldering after cooking dozens of whole animals.



Immaculate's burgoo had the texture of a thick, fatty emulsion. Not my favorite.



Mutton was finely chopped but had a somewhat more appealing texture than Dee's and seemed better seasoned too. At this point I'd learned I'm not overly fond of the finely chopped style—too smooth.



Our last stop in Owensboro was Saint Mary of the Woods, a larger operation. The L-shaped pits seem to stretch forever.





Even though all the meat had been removed from the pits, there was still plenty of mutton action. The cooked meats (pork as well as mutton) are brought to the prep shed where four bandsaws (visible in the background) are used to break them down.



You step up to the window and order a dinner (served with beans and bread) or by the pound. Burgoo, by the bowl or gallon, draws the crowds. This happy family is heading home with sacks of mutton and gallons of burgoo.



The bowl of burgoo I tried was excellent, with a rich broth and still-identifiable chunks of vegetables.



St Mary's mutton was terrific, with strong hickory flavors that meshed nicely with the gaminess of the meat. I found the shredded texture much to my liking.





Pickles and onion are great accompaniments, important to offset the heavy gaminess. Good burgoo, good barbecued mutton. Finally, I understand what all the fuss is about.

Dee's Diner
1362 E 4th St
Owensboro KY
270-686-0022

Moonlight
2840 W Parrish Av
Owensboro KY
270-684-8143

Ole South Barbeque
3523 KY-54
Owensboro KY
270-926-6464

Immaculate Parish
2516 Christie Pl
Owensboro KY
270-683-0689

Saint Mary of the Woods
10534 Main Cross St
Whitesville KY
270-233-4196