Saucy Q Barbecue in Mobile, AL

I first heard about this barbecue restaurant in Mobile from my cab driver one day, and decided to find it and give it a try. We had enjoyed some of the other Mobile eateries we'd found so far, and we had a hankerin' for some ribs.

My pal Evan Hanna and I took a quick ride over to 1111 Government St. to Saucy Q Barbecue, which is located in what looks like it had been an old Western Steer chain restaurant. The placement of their smoker in the front of the restaurant gave me a reassurance that this might be worth the trip.

Upon entering the foyer I got another great whiff of wood smoke and pork. After scanning the MENU I elected to get an order or rib tips and "knuckles." The tips come from the bottom end of the ribs, I don't want to venture a guess where the "knuckles" come from. Although I do not like really "wet" barbecue, (I prefer applying any extra sauce by myself), the sauce was excellent and the ribs were tender and flavorful.

I also got a pork sandwich that was more ground than pulled. It had a tasty slaw on it and came with the sauce on the side. The meat was flavorful and smoky and was laid on generously. I was impressed.

My buddy Evan got a full rack of spare ribs, about a dozen big and meaty. The were also served with the sauce on the side. The meat came off pretty clean, and could have been a little more tender, but all in all were tasty and smoky. I will have them next time.

The sides were all excellent. Between Evan and myself we had the macaroni and cheese, collard greens, french fries and cornbread muffins. All tasted scratch made, (the collards were awesome) and all were done very well.

I met the owner Elbert Wingfield, and I told him our thoughts on the food, how we really enjoyed it. He was a very friendly man, you could tell he likes people. He is a barbecue aficionado, who evidently knows his craft. Most barbecue joints disappoint me with their sauce, some use an institutional sauce, but this was sweet like I like it, smoky, and did what it's supposed to do.

We got a couple of pictures and bid him farewell. One thing is we forgot to was ring the bell, indicating a satisfied customer. OK, sorry we forgot, but we had a great lunch, nice atmosphere, and a friendly and attentive staff. When hungry in Mobile, head on over the Saucy Q's Barbecue Restaurant for a great meal, and tell them RouxBDoo sent you!.

Check out these Jack-O'-Lanterns

American sculptor Ray Villafane has some of the most incredible pumpkin sculptures I have ever seen. He has an amazing tutorial on his site to help you do the same. Now, we've all carved our share of pumpkins, but never anything on this scale. these things are tremendous works of art. If they didn't rot, they should be in a museum. What is really amazing is seeing the tutorial on his site and how simple he makes it look. Old triangle eyes and toothy grin this year most likely.

I hope you go to his site and check out his other artwork. As you all know I love Halloween and all its trappings. I will be posting more Halloween stuff on here. I will be spending Halloween in New Orleans!
I am going to House of Shock, and hopefully 13th Gate in Baton Rouge. These are two gigantic Haunted Attractions in Louisiana owned by friends and haunt associates of mine. I have never seen Dwayne's place yet, and am yet to see House of Shock's new location. It will be a great Halloween. In the mean time, enjoy these great pumpkins!

RouxBDoo Boooooooo

Cajun Food in Mobile Alabama

Since my last days in New Orleans I had been longing for some good food. On my way to my new assignment, the MS Holiday, I am passing through the commercial district of Mobile Alabama. I happen to see a restaurant called "The Boiling Pot" along the way advertising PoBoys, Crawfish, and Seafood, and thought, "Hmmm, I'll have to try that next time I am in town."

Man am I ever glad I did. I tried the Fried Crawfish Tails first and the were the BEST I'VE EVER EATEN. Very tender, very flavorful, and very lightly breaded. The were huge, some of them, there on my plate. Perfectly breaded and fried.

I next tried the gumbo. It was OK, it wasn't earth shattering, I'm not sure, but it tasted like an institutional variety. For my taste, it was a little thin, but there were quite a few shrimp in it, so I'll give them extra credit for this. Either way it wasn't bad.

I was so happy to have Cajun food of any kind, especially those fried crawfish. I was surprised they didn't have Jambalaya on the menu, I'd think it would do well. I ignored a few of these little points here and there. If nothing else go there for the Fried Crawfish Tails. So if you're in Mobile Alabama, check out "The Boiling Pot" for some tasty food. Oh, here's their MENU to check out.

RouxBDoo