Every Friday, Roots in Alpharetta features an article on food and dining in a series I like to call Foodie Friday.

I write about food every Friday, and sometimes more often than that. Yet somehow I’ve managed to not write about barbecue.That’s too bad because no other cuisine is more debated than Q. It is also the cuisine I feel most qualified to speak intelligently about. More on that later.

So now that summer is here, let’s start talking barbecue! Here’s my plan… Every other week I will review a barbecue restaurant. Why every other week? Because my cholesterol is high enough! All good things in moderation, right? I’d also like to keep my blogging schedule open to talk about new restaurants that are likely to come along.

I’ve assembled the following list of barbecue restaurants. I’m limiting my choices to those in Alpharetta, Milton, Johns Creek and south Forsyth. I considered throwing Roswell into the mix but didn’t. They have some terrific Q including Swallow at the Hollow. The list is pretty long as it is, but I’m not opposed to making it longer.

Here’s the list and the rough order I hope to follow:

• Smokejack
• Woody’s
• Slopes
• One Star Ranch
• Pig-N-Chik
• ‘Cue
• Dickey’s
• Jim-N-Nicks

They are in no particular order, just randomly assembled. I’ve been to all but one of these, yet will try to visit each one more time before reviewing.

So why do I feel qualified to talk Q? Because I love the stuff! And like many aficionados, I’ve traveled to a lot of venerable Q joints across the southeast. My family is from North Carolina so I tend to favor Q of that tradition (specifically Lexington-style barbecue from the Piedmont region of the state).

I’m also certified to judge competition barbecue in both the Kansas City and Memphis sanctioning bodies (KCBS and MBN). I only judge two or three contests a year, but I’ve been fortunate to try Q from some outstanding champion pitmasters.

Overall Thoughts on BBQ in Alpharetta

I tend to have an overall negative impression of Q here for several reasons. First, Georgia doesn’t have a unique barbecue tradition of its own. There are influences of Carolina style and Memphis style here, but nothing really sets us apart. Second, there are no generations-old barbecue joints in Alpharetta. The oldest joint on my list is probably Slope’s, and they started up in the mid-90′s. Contrast this to Atlanta and the south side which boast some terrific old Q joints. Third, we’re overrun with chain and franchise barbecue. This goes without saying of any restaurant concept in Alpharetta. But in my opinion barbecue doesn’t lend itself well to franchising. This cuisine is a craft. It takes time and talent to make it well. However, BBQ technology has advanced a lot. I’ve had some decent Q from electric and gas cookers that smoke with wood pellets.

A trend you need to pay attention to is what I call boutique barbecue. These are restaurants that craft small batches of barbecue using quality ingredients. Dive joints they are not. Expensive? Absolutely! We’re talking steakhouse prices. Here in the affluent burbs, I believe you’re more likely to find the best barbecue in places like this.

So let’s give this barbecue thing a whirl this summer and see how it goes. Feel free to disagree with what I say. I’ll try to keep my BBQ snobbery in check. At the end of the day, if you like the Q from somewhere, that’s all the matters.

Smokejack, you’re on deck!

Every Friday, Roots in Alpharetta features an article on food and dining in a series I like to call Foodie Friday.

My mother and step-father are coming to visit this weekend. They live in a small town in North Carolina with just a handful of restaurants. They always look forward to eating at one particular restaurant while here. Any guesses what it is? The answer is at the bottom of this column. You’ll be disappointed! At least I always am.

Here are the new and closed joints I’ve noticed over the last month or so…

Woody’s Bar-B-Q – Northpoint

Just what Northpoint needs, another chain/franchise restaurant. And to top it off, it is a barbecue joint. Famous Dave’s tried this idea in almost the same location. Didn’t work so well for them. Woody’s has set up shop in the old Pizza Hut. I haven’t tried it, but I’m almost never a fan of franchise barbecue. You’ll have to forgive me if I’m not in a huge hurry to try their contrived down-home Q.

Mango’s Cuban Cuisine – Northpoint

…but on the other hand, what Alpharetta does need is more Cuban food! I’ve written about this before. And the Northpoint area certainly needs more locally owned joints. So I was excited to try this double whammy of a new restaurant. They are located next to Figo Pasta, a prime spot for cubicle dwellers, but terrible with the parking layout. Inside they look like a chain joint, with fancy printed menus, complicated ordering computers and chain restaurant decor. I’ve been assured they are not a chain.

I was there for lunch on Wednesday. Lunch specials cost $7.75 which includes a soft drink. Not a bad deal. My ropa vieja was tasty but the beef wasn’t as tender as it should have been. The black beans lacked flavor and were just blah. They also didn’t serve real Cuban bread but rather dinner rolls. I really wish a local Cuban joint would make the attempt to offer authentic Cuban bread. It is terrific. All in all, I think Mambo’s on Haynes Bridge beats these guys hands down. They are not that far away either.

East Side Pizza in Johns Creek – CLOSED

I just discovered this place a few weeks back. They were in a location that was saturated with pizza joints. I suppose the competition was too much, because they closed. Kinda stinks because I was growing fond of their pie and cheap prices.

River Tavern – Milton

They have been open for just a few weeks and I’ve already reviewed them. Check out my review if you haven’t seen it. This restaurant confirms my theory that the number of tattoos on the chef is directly correlated to the quality of the grub. I have no tattoos and have a hard time boiling water. See what I’m talking about?

Gyro King – Windward and Highway 9

Not sure if they are open yet. They’ll be setting up in the shopping center with Taco Mac and La Parilla in the space formerly occupied by Burger House and some teriyaki place. Looks like a cheap franchise joint.

…and the answer to my quiz above… Moe’s Southwest Grill. Yeah, I know, yuck. I’ve tried turning them onto other burrito options. They didn’t like any of them, even Chipotle. So think of me while you’re having something delicious for lunch on Saturday.

I don’t usually post a lot about coming events, but I couldn’t pass this one up. I learned about this recently from a chef I know online. It’s certainly something you don’t see a lot of in the burbs.

Crawfish… those delectable little mud bugs. I’ve only had them once and that was enough to turn me into a fan. There is something primal about eating these things. You start off with wiggly little critters before they are thrown to their death into a pot of boiling water. They come out soaked through with spicy goodness. Pinch the tail off and eat that morsel of meat that hides within. Then, establish your credentials as a bayou epicure by sucking the head. Let’s get onto the event, shall we?

The folks at FieldGood are putting on a crawfish boil! They’ve arranged to have over seven hundred pounds of crawfish delivered fresh from Louisiana. For $26 you can enjoy all-you-can-eat mud critters, cajun corn, potatoes, sausage, bread and sweet tea. There will also be live music. Here are the details:

What: Crawfish Boil at FieldGood

Where: 11500 Webb Bridge Way, Alpharetta

When: Friday May 21, 5:30pm until 9:00pm

Cost: $26 for adults, $10 for kids

Order tickets by calling 770-343-9697

Every Friday, Roots in Alpharetta features an article on food and dining in a series I like to call Foodie Friday.

Once again, this event never fails to disappoint. I went solo this year, but that’s okay. I hunt better alone. And hunting is exactly what I did. Upon arrival I purchased forty tickets, all for myself. Mwahahahaahhaha! When the first two booths I hit only charged two tickets, I realized I was in over my head. Somehow I managed to spend every ticket. Here are my random thoughts on the food.

Today’s Secret Ingredient – Pork!

Somehow I missed the Chairman from Iron Chef making that proclamation. Everyone there seemed to have a pork entree. Pork sliders, pork soft tacos, ribs. It went on and on. I expect something like this from Smokejack. Village Tavern, Wildflour and even Sip Tapas served pork. Enough already!

Things That Impressed Me

Milton’s – Small portions that seriously delivered. I ordered the ribs but the girl misunderstood me and gave me shrimp and grits. I ended up trying both. The shrimp were amazing. I’m not normally a shrimp and grits kind of guy, but these were off the hook. The ribs were pretty good too. The rub combined with the glaze in the right savory proportions. I wanted a whole rack, and didn’t even get one rib. I felt worse than Chris Rock’s character in I’m Gonna Git You Sucka. “How much for one rib? You got change for a hundred?” Two tickets for a pinch of one rib. Dang!

Sage Woodfire Tavern – I mentioned earlier that their food didn’t impress me much. Now I feel like an idiot. Sage’s soy glazed salmon was a winner. It was cooked perfectly with a little heat. I’d order it off the menu.

Things That Fell Short

Kozmo’s Gastro Pub – I got the fried calamari right as they were coming out of the oil. They were very lightly battered… like almost no batter. By themselves there wasn’t much there. The sauce that was served along side was fair. But I expected more from this joint.

Sip Wine and Tapas – BBQ pork soft taco. It was the first thing I tried and it looked like it was made long ahead of time. There was no smoke flavor in the pork and it was mushy.

Random Tidbits

Bistro 52 – Attention snooty Windward tennis ladies… mark your calendars! This place opens the first week of June. Today they made a Cuban sandwich that was decent. Strangely enough, I didn’t taste any of today’s secret ingredient… roast pork.

Anna’s Kitchen – This Jamaican joint has somehow slipped under my radar. They had one of the longest lines today. The reason was clear… their jerk chicken was delicious and packed some serious heat. On my to-try list.

Kiku Japanese – They win the WTF award. Kiku had a man with a gong walking around their booth. I’m not sure why, but it was kinda cool. I’ve decided that I need a gong for my cubicle at work. That’ll break up the monotony of my day!

Every Friday, Roots in Alpharetta features an article on food and dining in a series I like to call Foodie Friday.

There hasn’t been a lot to report here recently. Maybe the economy is turning around and restaurateurs are having a better go of things. A lot of what I have to mention this week are changes to existing joints.

The Firkin and Crown - This is an English pub at the Avenue Forsyth. I’ve only been there two or three times over the years and my opinion was mixed. But based on recent reviews I’ve read, it seems they have made a more racy change to their appearance. The waitresses are now showing a lot of skin. Think Hooters girls with short kilts and bare midriffs. They seem to have ripped off the racy theme of the Johns Creek Irish pub The Tilted Kilt. So if you’re easily offended by scantily clad women, be warned.  It takes more than that to offend me though.

Meyer’s Deli - This is a new deli that opened across highway 9 from the Windward Walmart. I guess they are technically in Milton. I went there once for takeout and had a decent sandwich. I don’t want to pass judgment based on that experience alone though. I’ve lamented our over abundance of sandwich joints and delis before, so another in town doesn’t get my motor running. They also have the guts to claim they are an authentic New York style deli. While I’ve never been to a deli in New York, I’ve seen places like Carnegie’s on the Food Network. I seriously doubt we’re gonna see something like that in Alpharetta. I have low expectations, Meyer’s, so prove me wrong!

Hachi-Hachi Japanese - This is a hibachi and sushi place in Johns Creek on Jones Bridge Road. They are closed for a long renovation. I’m not sure for how long, but it is WAY overdue. I always kinda liked the food here and it was a little cheaper than the hibachi you’d find on Northpoint. But their building is old and dirty. This renovation needed to happen years ago. I look forward to trying them again once the work is finished. I never get tired of seeing grown men playing with food and lighting shit on fire. But being an only child, I’m easily entertained.

Nana’s Sushi – This is a small all-you-can-eat sushi joint in a Milton strip mall next to a gas station. I believe they are closed. There is no sign in the window indicating such, but the place has been locked during the lunch hour for a few days. I’m not an expert on the food business, but me thinks locking your doors during the busy cubicle dweller lunch rush is probably a bad thing. Sushi isn’t usually my bag, and AYCE raw food kinda creeps me out. Next-to-the-gas-station sushi doesn’t exactly scream classy sushi restaurant either.

Sage Woodfire Tavern - They are opening a second location at the perimeter in the Park Place shopping center. They’ll be in the space formally occupied by Houlihan’s. This is a perfect spot for them, I’m sure it will be successful.

On Friday I reviewed the online review websites. As a followup to that article, I wanted to mention this topic. I’m not sure how many restaurant owners read my blog. Probably not many. Nevertheless, I think what I have to say here could be of some benefit. And I don’t think this advice is being followed by many restaurants at all.

Do not ignore or underestimate the significance of online reviews. Your restaurant could struggle as a result. On the other hand, your restaurant could thrive because of what is online. Or better yet, your joint could go viral online!

I’ve been writing reviews online for several years, both here on my blog and on other websites. I’ve seen a lot of restaurants handle online reviews totally wrong and I’ve seen it done extremely well. I’ve also seen a lot of marketing blogs offer advice that is just plain wrong! Some of this is counter intuitive but I promise it is the way to go.

Claim Your Business Page

Go to the various review sites (yelp, urbanspoon, citysearch, four square, etc) and enter your business’ information. Sure, this is a no brainer. Enter your hours of operation, links to your website, menus, and any other information. But beyond that, make sure your address is correct. I cannot stress this enough. Many of these online review sites have iPhone, Android and Blackberry apps. These apps have location-aware technology that is very cutting edge. Your customers are using these mobile devices to find and locate your business. Make absolutely sure your address is correct and displays in the correct place on google maps. Many times I’ve seen google put a restaurant blocks down the street, or perhaps not list them at all. And here in the northern burbs of Atlanta, addresses can get squirrely when you have overlapping cities and zip codes (Johns Creek versus Alpharetta for example).

Specials and Coupons

Sure, you offer specials on your website and in other marketing. Why not offer something on the review websites? And I’m not talking something like a free Coke. Make your initial offer on the review sites something significant! Your goal here is to get reviewers into your restaurant. Give them a very tempting reason to go for the first time. More on this later.

Don’t Review Yourself

Do not, under any circumstances, review your own restaurant. Not only is this dishonest but it is pretty easy to spot and looks desperate. Even with your clever wording, people can tell. Just don’t do it.

Don’t Encourage Customers to Write Online Reviews

This is the counter intuitive part I spoke of earlier. This is also where most marketing blogs will lead you astray.

Maybe you’re a new restaurant and you’re frustrated that you’re not getting reviews. So you talk to some of your regulars and encourage them to go to yelp or urbanspoon and write reviews. Sounds perfectly legit, but don’t do it. For one thing, yelp openly discourages this in their business owner’s FAQ. And if it does happen, the review will likely get gobbled up in their review filter. But worse than that, many in the online review communities consider these to be “shill reviews”. They believe is it just the business owner writing reviews. Right or wrong, your restaurant may open itself up to ridicule by the community. I’ve seen it happen a lot. I cannot stress this enough… don’t ask customers to write reviews.

Reach Out to Reviewers

So you want to get credible online reviews? Ask for them! Seriously, just ask. Let’s say you opened a new barbecue restaurant in the northern burbs of Atlanta. No one is reviewing you online and you’re growing frustrated. Go onto the websites and find active reviewers who have visited other nearby barbecue restaurants. Send them a private message. Be polite and friendly and invite them to try your restaurant. No form letters, no spam, just a personal and sincere invitation to try your place. Should you offer a freebie? This isn’t necessary in my opinion but you could if you wish. Make it clear that you don’t expect a review, you just want them to try your place. Chances are… if they come, they will review you. And in addition to the review websites, reach out to local bloggers. Yeah, I’m a blogger so this is easy to suggest. A feature on a local or foodie blog is worth a lot.

Respond to Early Reviews

Good or bad, I suggest responding directly to your early reviews. If someone had a good thing to say, thank them! If someone had a bad experience, treat them like a customer who complains in your restaurant. Actually, you should probably do MORE than you would otherwise. Reviews online are seen my thousands of potential customers. While negative reviews are bound to happen, I think you should respond to them head-on. Offer to make it right or return their money. I’ve heard of businesses who have paid for an upset customer to go to a competitor. Are you willing to go that far to make things right? You ought to consider it!

Do not respond in an angry way to critical reviews online. The last thing you want is to piss off an already unhappy customer. The next thing you know your ugly private messages to that person are posted online in a forum for the world to see. Again, I’ve seen it happen.

I hope what I have to say makes sense. Consider it sincere advice from someone who is likely to review you one day! And even if you are not a new restaurant, pay attention to what is written about you online. Google yourself and see what the search engines think are important about your restaurant. The majority of the hits I get on my blog are from people searching for a specific restaurant I’ve written about.

Next time I’ll write about social media and restaurants. Until then… if you think I’m off base on my advice or have any questions or comments, leave them here or e-mail me at lee@rootsinalpharetta.com