Monk: Owner Bobby Bradley, Jr. of Cozy Corner in Memphis is carrying on the traditions of his family’s barbecue legacy to this day, including the BBQ bologna sandwich.
Description: Cozy Corner is one of Memphis’s most popular barbecue restaurants, opening in 1977. Owner Bobby Bradley, Jr. is carrying on his family’s traditions by making the restaurant’s popular ribs, bologna sandwiches, and barbecue spaghetti.
Name: Firehawk Brewpub
Date: 8/5/23
Address: 309 N Main St, Mt Holly, NC 28120
Order: Orders of pork, brisket, and ribs with slaw, collards, beans, collards, pickled deviled eggs (link to menu)
Pricing: $$
Monk: Earlier this year, Firehawk Brewpub exploded on to the local Charlotte barbecue scene with a lot of promise. Located in an old fire station near downtown Mount Holly just west of Charlotte, they announced themselves promising wood fired barbecue. After a late spring opening, it would not be but for a few months before I was able to make it out there for a meal after a morning at the US National Whitewater Center; the restaurant is a short 5-6 minute drive from the entrance to the center in downtown Mount Holly.
My first impressions of the location were great. In addition to true ‘cue barbecue, They’ve built out the restaurant to include both a front patio and a back deck but on this early August day it was much too hot for that. The property is a scenic setting off Dutchman’s Creek, an offshoot of the Catawba River. And did I mention Firehawk also brews their own beer?
There is no combo plate, so we ordered individual portions of pork, brisket, and ribs, each coming with sides of a mustard/mayo slaw and cornbread.
The 10 oz pork portion was coarsely shredded but was flavorful and smokey. As with a lot of places these days, they offer a variety of house-made sauces to try with the pork.
Similarly, the quarter-inch slices of brisket came out well-smoked but they could have perhaps used a little more trimming. Good flavor though.
Now, ribs are a place where Firehawk does something a bit different. They smoke a rack of baby-back ribs and then slice them individually, finishing them on an open flame grill to get more surface area of char. While individual ribs can have varying amounts of char, the flavor really did shine through. Apparently, they are the best seller since they opened, and I can see why.
In terms of appetizers, our group really liked the pickled deviled eggs. Along with the slaw and cornbread, we ordered beans and collards, both being above average. Next time I go back, I’m sure if I ordered any of their other sides I would be similarly impressed.
I’m already looking for my next excuse to head back out to Firehawk Brewpub. They are a worthy addition to the Charlotte barbecue scene, and for me is squarely in the top 3 best barbecue restaurants in the area. I can’t wait to bring more potential converts with me.
Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 4 hogs
Pork – 4 hogs
Brisket – 4 hogs
Ribs – 4 hogs
Sides – 4.5 hogs
Overall – 4 hogs
Monk: Elliott Moss’ post-Buxton Hall Barbecue plans have been announced. While he had been busy with opening his latest concepts – the breakfast and lunch comfort food spot Regina’s in West Asheville as well as the sandwich shop Little Louie’s – for the past 13 months, he has seemingly left both less than six weeks after they opened.
With his newfound free time, it seems as if Moss wants to continue his barbecue journey. Enter, Moss & Moore.
According to Moss & Moore’s first Instagram post, the first chance to experience their barbecue will be on the Sunday of Labor Day Weekend with their friends The Hound.
Moss & Moore will also be hitting the road throughout the southeast this fall as well:
Moss is also exploring his family history on the Moss & Moore Instagram page through a set of reels, which is well worth checking out. Glad to see Elliott Moss back in the barbecue game.
The Tar Heel Traveler’s latest is with Raleigh man Carter Claiborne, who is on a mission to eat barbecue in all 100 NC counties
Firehawk Brewpub with a primer on the unique way they do ribs
Sam Jones BBQ’s next BBQ & Bourbon dinner will be September 12th in Raleigh
The story from Daniel Vaughn’s jaunt through South Carolina and Georgia a few weeks back
Congrats to Courtney’s BBQ, which opened their doors 24 years ago this week
Little Miss BBQ will not be expanding after all
Eater checks in on the rapidly developing Houston barbecue scene
Philly Bite Magazine with a brief primer on Virginia-style barbecue
Congrats to Columbus B. Hill, the first Coloradan inducted into the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame
Name: Dreamland Barbecue
Date: 7/22/23
Address: 1427 14th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35205
Order: Rib sandwich (link to menu)
Pricing: $$
Monk: The only other real opportunity I previously had to try Dreamland Barbecue was on a drive when I passed through the state via I-20 on my way from Charlotte to Austin in 2009. Even though I was somewhat aware of Dreamland, on the longest day of driving (a 12-hour leg from Atlanta to Fort Worth) I prioritized driving time over scenic stops. It wasn’t until 14 years later that I was back in the state and had a chance to finally try their supposedly legendary ribs.
After a fantastic burger and some beers at Back Forty Beer Company, I knew I had a short window before meeting up with Monk cousins later in the afternoon. Luckily, we were staying very close to the Southside location of Dreamland.
After the aforementioned burger and beers, I definitely didn’t want a full rack and even a half rack would have been too much. Lo and behold, the rib sandwich. A rib sandwich is not a sandwich at all – its all about portion control as John Tanner so helpfully points out in this post – and for me it was the perfect size at roughly four ribs.
My sandwich came with a smaller fifth and sixth bone and was served on their own with a side of soft white bread with a cup of sauce. Dreamland’s ribs are smoked hot and fast over direct heat and being that I got there mid-afternoon I possibly (likely?) got some ribs that were cooked in an hour or less. Assuming that’s the case, I could tell by their lack of tenderness. If I ever decide to make it back to a different location, I will try to get there right as they open to have a better shot at getting “pleasantly chewy ribs with salty, crunchy edges” as Daniel Vaughn describes it in his article from 2015.
I will say, the sauce was an entirely new one for me but I enjoyed the tanginess of it. Perhaps it is cousin to the tangy, orange-y sauce I found at Randy’s Bar-B-Q in Savannah but I am only speculating. I do wish I had grabbed a bottle to try at home with my own ribs though.
I also took home a pint of banana pudding and proceeded to eat the whole thing in one sitting a few days later back at home in Charlotte. Well worth it.
I also did try their Magic City Dog, which is a smoked hot dog, from their stall at the Birmingham Barons minor league baseball game the night before and it was a darn good ballpark dog. Would absolutely order again.
I’ll have to admit, Dreamland Barbecue was a bit of a letdown for me, even in my limited tasting of just the ribs. But I don’t think its just me. Speedy was similarly disappointed a few years back in a visit that pre-dated the blog. My cousin who grew up in Alabama and has lived in the Birmingham area for a couple of decades said he doesn’t eat there anymore because of how far it has fallen in his eyes. Sadly, I think at this point I might only try Dreamland Barbecue again if I find myself at their original location in Tuscaloosa and only right at opening.
Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 3.5 hogs
Ribs – 3 hogs
Overall – 3 hogs