Big ‘Uns BBQ Restaurant & Lounge
When I worked at WCTV during the time the station itself was located on County Rd. 12 near the FL/GA border, the only restaurant close by was J.B.’s BBQ in the unincorporated community of Beachton, GA just north of the Georgia state line on U.S. Highway 319. Eventually WCTV moved to a more central location in Tallahassee and soon after that J.B.’s shut its doors for the final time.
The building remained empty for quite a while but now it has reopened as Big ‘Uns BBQ Restaurant & Lounge. A friend of mine (Hey Robert!!!) mentioned them on Facebook. My wife & I were rambling about last Sunday and happened to drive by. We decided to try ‘em out. It’s been several years now since I’ve been in that building (back when it was J.B.’s BBQ) and it still has that familiarity I recalled even though the decor had changed quite a bit. I decided to order their half-slab St. Louis Ribs and my wife ordered a 6oz filet mignon (okay BBQ purists…I know what you’re thinkin’…it’s bad form to order steak in a BBQ joint…whatever…she hadn’t had a steak since her gastric bypass surgery back in early May and has just been able to handle tender, non-grisly beef {incidentally she’s lost 100 pounds — I had gastric bypass surgery myself 3-and-a-half years ago and have lost over 225 pounds}). With the dinner we had the choice of two sides. We both ordered thick cut french fries (extra crispy). My wife’s second side choice was the black beans while I chose the cole slaw. Our waitress, Paula, brought out the meals in good time and I immediately noted the ribs.
Hold that thought for a sec willya? In the interest of full disclosure let me give you a brief BBQ background on me. I was born in the heart of blues and BBQ country…namely Clarksdale, MS, lived in Cleveland, MS for the first 12 years of my life and visited my maternal Grandparents in Memphis a lot during those years. Needless to say I cut my teeth on some of the world’s best BBQ so although I may not be considered an expert, I know good, proper BBQ when I receive it.
Back to Big ‘Uns…
The half slab of St. Louis ribs was served without sauce on it and had a nice darkened outer coat. For the most part, it wasn’t a dried out darknesss (except for two tiny places on the thin ends of a couple of the ribs) and the half slab was presented intact (e.g. — not sliced into individual ribs). I pulled some of the meat off with my finger and noticed the meat was tender but still clinging delicately to the bone (which, in my humble yet experienced opinion is the proper way BBQ ribs are supposed to be as opposed to some places I’ve been where either the meat is so dry that it’s jerkified or it’s been overly-steamed or crock-potted where the bone slides out through a tunnel of greasy meat). The meat also was juicy yet NOT greasy and had a good smoke ring all of which indicated proper low-and-slow BBQ cooking technique. The BBQ ring showed good BBQ smoke exposure and upon tasting the meat the smokiness was confirmed. As I mentioned earlier, I cut my teeth on Memphis and Mississippi Delta BBQ where dry rub is the norm. I couldn’t really tell if these ribs were dry rubbed or not however if they were, the flavor was very subtle which ain’t necessarily a bad thing because an overpowering dry rub can overpower the meat’s natural flavors and detract from the smoke. In short, the ribs were outstanding! My wife’s filet mignon was tender, juicy and a good cut of meat well cooked and flavorful. She really enjoyed it. Her only disappointment was the black beans. It was spiced unusually, tasted “old” and was a bit dried out as if it had been left in the pot or warming tray far too long. Neither of us cared for it. My cole slaw however was excellent. Course cut cabbage with a creamy style cole slaw sauce was very nice.
Each table had plastic squeeze bottles containing the restaurant’s three signature homemade BBQ sauces: original, smokey and mustard. I liked them all but of the three I preferred the original over the remaining two (but by only a smidgen). A nice balance of spice, tanginess and sweetness. The smokey sauce was only subtly different than the original on my tongue. The mustard sauce was also good with a solid mustard flavor that complemented the spices and tanginess contained in the sauce. I preferred the original but don’t think I wouldn’t be almost as pleased with the other two as well.
As a spur-of-the-moment idea, we ordered a pound of sliced, smoked pork tenderloin to take home with us (since both of us are post gastric bypass surgery that means it will make for several meals) and before I loaded it in the car, I pinched off a piece to sample. I said the ribs were outstanding, but the sliced pork tenderloin was unbelievably good. The slices had everything any BBQ afficianado would want: nice dark outer layer, good smoke ring, tender, juicy and with a killer flavor from the smoking received during the BBQ process. I can’t wait until we go back ’cause now I gotta see how their brisket is.
In short, I wholeheartedly recommend Big ‘Uns BBQ Restaurant & Lounge located between Tallahassee, FL and Thomasville, GA on U.S. Hwy 319.
