Zena, Goddess of Fire, loves smoke. But you knew that.
The aromas as you walk in the door are amazing - spice, garlic, burnt wood, and meat. Both visits I've made this month I was greeted at the door and promptly seated. The service staff was always very patient taking our orders (as we all tend to talk too much and not look at the menus), plus it can be hard to decide. Should I order something small, or pig out on a platter???
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| Bright open bar area |
There are salads, yes, but even the strongest superhero would be hard pressed to skip the pulled pork in favor of lettuce. The first time through I tried the Warehouse Wings ($10), asking for them "extra crispy" with mild sauce (thanks, Prof. Fussy), and a simple side salad with ranch dressing (heck, it's BBQ territory - ranch, of course! - $5). All the dressings are made in-house, which really shows. The wings were very spicy, could have been crisper, but were big and juicy and delicious. I loved the house BBQ sauce - complex, not "Franks", sticky but not sweet. But the best part was the absolutely delicious, decadent, thick rich blue cheese dip - normally I don't get into this stuff except to taste it. This time, I think I licked the cup clean. Oh, yes, and I ate all my veggies.
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| Small side salad ($5/ a bit pricey) - fresh! |
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| Hot wings are "hot". Mild are spicy enough, even for me |
Big Sis got into a Southern Hash entree ($14) - pulled pork AND brisket, sweet peppers, onion and mashed topped with two sunny-side up eggs. She put a few extra dollops of the house BBQ sauce on at the table and proceeded to eat the whole thing. I was impressed. She has great potential, this sibling: I had to take half of mine home for later.
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| House BBQ and a mustard sauce table side |
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| Southern Hash - a big plate, gluten free... |
Girls night out, two birthdays to celebrate! The second visit I did the Pulled Pork Platter ($16), choosing as my two sides coleslaw and fries (which I asked for unseasoned). I got through half (agin') of that pile of delicious, tender, smokey pig. Delicious sauce - a subtle kick, just a bit sweet but not over the top. The slaw was nice, a bit underseasoned, but fresh, and the fries were good (the seasoned ones that Wonder Woman ordered were very good also, but definitely salty). Oh, and a big hunk o' cornbread comes with every entree - tender, sweet, not crumbly at all - most of which I ate the next day. The platters are generous meals for the price.
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| That's a pile of pig! The collard greens, bottom right, were very meaty... |
TBB asked for a plain burger - no bacon, no cheese, no bun ($10). They were happy to oblige and she got herself a perfectly cooked patty with a nice char. Her collards were offered gratis (she didn't realize she was getting fries and the waitress kindly, and quickly, offered an alternative). These were VERY meaty - beef brisket flavored veg. Cookie thought she could eat a big bowl of it and make that a meal. M&M also loved the Southern Hash, and WW enjoyed her New Porker ($10), a brioche roll piled high with pulled pork and slaw (the slaw made this bite great!).
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| Just a burger is NOT on the menu but available for the asking |
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| New Porker - pulled pork with slaw on a brioche bun |
The only downer was the Pulled Chicken ($15) - white meat chunks, not shredded, with bits of gristle in almost every bite, and the veg of the day side green beans were almost room temp. Stretch's sweet potato fries, however, were amazing - thick, yet crispy on the outside and perfectly tender throughout, lightly salted - nice.
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| The chicken wasn't a big hit but those sweet potato fries were amazing |
They've got a nice beer menu - lots on tap ($7 or $8/pint). I love the Chatham Hop Crop IPA, the De Brabandere white tasted of exotica and not too sour, and the New Belgium Pumpkick Ale was great - definitely not too pumpkinny. They offer a small variety of wines by the glass, including Josh Carr "Josh" Cabernet - a thoughtful selection for sure.
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| Faux warehouse is noisy |
It's noisy with that faux warehouse design and decor, but at least there wasn't also loud music to contend with - just plenty of happy voices and conversation all around. Kid friendly, good quality grub, great service, affordable, NOT A CHAIN, nearby, with large booths as well as tables and a large bar area. Best BBQ I've had in the Capital Region to date. This place is SMOKIN!!!
Zena, Goddess of Fire
Smokin' hot tip: No reservations accepted but if you call ahead they will put you on the call list and you get to jump to the front of the line. xxx
5 comments:
You had much better experiences there than my husband and I did...it's on our no need to return list....but maybe we just ordered wrong and were there on an off night...glad you had an awesome birthday dinner...
BBQ is not my thing as a rule, but it certainly has its appeal to many. What went wrong for you guys???
Great post. The sweet potato fries look delicious! :)
Here is my review from Yelp
I promised my hubs I would post about our experience at Warehouse Grill & BBQ on Wolf Rd. I really wish I could like this place....our experience at the restaurant on 7/29 was less than stellar. The runners delivered our dinner entrees before my husband's appetizer, which we then decided we didn't want it. Our server was fabulous, very understanding, apologetic...really spot on. The tap list is great and I enjoyed my beer, my husband thought the iced tea was leftover from a day ago...now onto our entrees..first the positives. My husband's ribs were fantastic...but the potato salad was bland..just eggy and the coleslaw was crisp, but not a ton of flavor. The brisket platter was chunks of gray meat with no sign of smoke ring, or bark, some chunks were just of fat...I know they make a hash and I wonder if I got that instead of slices of brisket. The collards were crunchy...usually they are very soft....and my asian green beans...were just ok....let's end on some high notes....The CORNBREAD!!! OMG it was Amazing, as was again our server. She did not charge for my dinner nor the missing appetizer. We made sure she got tipped based on HER service and not on what we had. I can't say we won't go back....but I think there is some work that needs to be done..
Thanks for this. I remember reading this before I went the first time. I'll try the brisket the next time - let you know what I think!!! (:
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