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Bobby Q's Barbeque & Grill
42 Main St.
Westport
Between Elm Street and Church Lane
203-454-7800

By LORRAINE GENGO

Fairfield County Weekly

Published: 4/8/05

Having grown up eating my Italian grandmother's (and aunts') cooking every Sunday with a passel of uncles, cousins and not-actually-related relatives who could argue for hours about what ingredients belong in an authentic "gravy," I can testify to having a food zealot or two in my family tree. So, when I say that one of the most rabidly religious foodie castes is the Southern ribber when it comes to their bible of barbecue--it takes one to know one.

Living in the Northeast, I have no props in the ribs department. And, Southerners hate nothing worse than when mealy-mouth food critics such as myself try to sound knowledgeable about their beloved barbecue. So, like the good lapsed Catholic that I am, I sought enlightment from Internet rib reverends before writing this review of Bobby Q's, Wesport's very own "Barbeque Heaven," as the menu so fervently states, and stumbled upon the gospel "According to Smoky."

"C. Clark Smoky' Hale, notable baster,' author, publisher, [and] television star in both the barbecue and the real' world," is a Mississippian rib mentor with a metaphysical grasp of what goes into turning out ribs that are almost guaranteed to produce a religious awakening. He cleared one thing up for me right away: "St. Louis-style" ribs refers not to the sauce or the cooking method, but to the cut of meat. "Classic barbecued ribs are the spareribs--the lower section of rib cage remaining after the pork chop has been removed. If the chine bone and the brisket bones are removed from the bottom of the rib rack, then the rib section is called St. Louis style."

According to Smoky, these are the cardinal sins of rib cookery:

THOU SHALT NOT broil or roast your ribs unless you want to eat meat that is "crunchy rather than tenderly succulent."

THOU SHALT NOT use meat tenderizers.

And, for "those completely lost in the wilderness..."

THOU SHALT NOT "commit the taste-robbing travesty of parboiling ribs in a vain attempt to make them tender."

To experience a ribs Rapture, one must follow the "tried and true techniques of barbecuing--cooking them low and slow in the gentle, beneficient heat of wood coals" (perferably oak or hickory).

The pitmasters at Bobby Q's could be acolytes of old Smoky, since they follow the Word to a "Q." That these folks are passionate about barbecue is immediately apparent from the menu's preamble, which recites the "low and slow" mantra verbatim. And, they make diners a promise that would make old Smoky proud, given his sermons on the proper seasoning of ribs: "You will never find our Barbeque served drowning' in BBQ sauce," professes the proprietor. "The meat & you deserve better."

Occupying what used to be Onion Alley, Bobby Q's rustic wood paneling, vaguely western decor and the delightful St. Louis Blues Festival posters framed on the walls, put you in the mood for a rib-feast. On weekends, Bobby Q's features live bands, a welcome addition to the county's limited live music venues. Once summer rolls around and the rooftop bar and dining area open, this place will be a magnet for carnivores and music lovers alike.

Cousin Nick's spicy wings ($8.95) had me wondering what they have to do to make chickens so plump and juicy (which on second thought, I probably don't want to know). These and the grilled shrimp appetizer, seasoned with chimichurri sauce ($10.95), were wonderfully seasoned and delicious.

But I reserve my hallelujahs for the St. Louis pork ribs (half slab, $13/ full slab, $18.95) and the baby back ribs ($15.99, half/ $22.95, full), which were just as Smoky said they should be--tenderly succulent, with meat that pulls from the bone with minimal effort, but hasn't lost its texture from overcooking.

I prefered the St. Louis-style ribs (served with devilishly good, crispy fries and coleslaw), which, true to their word, did not come slathered in barbecue sauce. During the cooking process, the meat is rubbed, mopped and basted with the chef's secret seasonings, which provide flavor without masking the taste of the meat. Therefore, another tenet of barbecue dogma is that the barbecue sauce should be served on the table with the ribs for those who like to deluge their ribs.

Bobby Q's provides squeeze bottles at every table containing their sauces--sweet honey molasses, house original, sassy and chipotle fire--thereby allowing you to titillate your taste buds to your heart's content (for which you may have to do penance later). My only gripe (and BBQ gurus back me up on this) is that the sauces shouldn't be served cold, for what fun is it to dip a hot, juicy rib into a cold pool of chipotle fire?

Hours: Lunch Daily, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Dinner Mon.-Thu., 4:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 4:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Sun., 4:30 p.m.-8 p.m.

Extras:

Bestsellers BBQ Ribs Cuisine Barbecue, Family/Kids Extras Live bands on the weekends Meals Served Lunch, Dinner Outdoor Seating Roof-top bar & patio Parking Available on street and in municipal lots. Payment Method Price Range Inexpensive Reservations Only for parties of 5 or more. Services Spirits Full Bar Website http://bobbyqsrestaurant.com Wheelchair Access Entrance and restrooms are accessible.