Dinosaur BBQ

The beans were nothing to sneeze at either. They had a wonderful smokey flavour.

We decided to take advantage of fathers day weekend (and the accompanying men’s-clothing sales) with a trip to our nearest outlet mall near Syracuse, NY. And for the most part we were both very successful. Rockr got particularly lucky, finding a couple of pairs of trousers at Calvin Klein that fit AMAZINGLY well. Score!

But for all the success in shopping, it was dinner that offered the biggest find of the weekend. We had heard of New York chain Dinosaur BBQ before – we’ve even walked by it a few times in the past – but for whatever reason, we’ve just never gone in. we regret that decision now. The food is amazing – all homecooked southern comfort food. But their specialty is ribs, and they did not disappoint. add to that a delicious brisket and yummy (if a bit chunky) pulled pork, and it’s easy to understand why the restaurant was still packed to the rafters when we arrived for dinner at 10pm on a Saturday. According to the waitress, that’s pretty standard.

Even the sides were to die for. It wouldn’t be hard to make a meal from the cornbread alone. And the mac’n’cheese was a perfect side dish.

The fried green tomatoes were a hit at our table.

Evidently they’re also renowned for their fried green tomatoes, so of course we tried them as an appetizer. Perfectly coated in a crispy batter, and the ranchy/zesty dipping sauce was ideal accompaniment.

Plus they feature primarily local microbrews on their beer menu. It’s a great local restaurant and one we’ll undoubtedly be back to on our next visit.

Of course, this week brings the start of the rib festival on sparks street in Ottawa (starts on Wednesday june 22) – so after the coming five days of rib-eatin’, it will probably be a while before we’re ready to head back to dinosaur.

Oh, who are we kidding? Ribs are great anytime.