Monday, April 22, 2013

The BBQ Battle on Oaklawn Boulevard

Ribs Gone Wild  VS.  Another Bite BBQ
Not many people think about BBQ when you mention the intersection of Jefferson Park Road and Oaklawn Boulevard in Hopewell. But over the past year smoke has filled the air in that intersection each weekend as two mobile BBQ stands waged war against one another for BBQ supremacy and so far neither has admitted defeat. 
In the Valero parking lot in a red wooden barn like trailer sits Another Bite BBQ and across the street in the Shell parking lot in a large white food truck with a large smoker sits Ribs Gone Wild.   On any given weekend there are lines of customers at each place waiting for a variety of BBQ, from ribs and brisket to pulled pork and chicken wings.
Because it is easier to get to I tried Another Bite BBQ first. Served by a rotund redneck guy with a big white beard, Another Bite BBQ serves up ribs, brisket, chopped pork, chicken and a variety of sides.  While not on the menu, I asked him to fix me a sampler plate with chopped pork, ribs and brisket which he gladly did for $20.   In about 5 minutes I had a Styrofoam container loaded with smoked meats and a tomato based bbq sauce.   While the meat was smoked it tasted like it had been sitting on the grill for quite awhile and was a little dry. The sauce was good and had a nice tangy finish to it.  The meat was ok it was not great.
On my birthday I decided to try Ribs Gone Wild for lunch.  I was extremely impressed because my birthday was on Easter Sunday and it was raining but the Ribs Gone Wild crew was still out there smoking away and serving up huge slabs of Ribs and smoked chicken. The racks of ribs they were serving were huge and so was their price - $28 per rack.  While I know that ribs are expensive, $28 a rack seems pretty high.   They come coated in a deliciously tangy tomato BBQ and the meat was practically falling off of the bones; these ribs were amazing.   I was blown away by the smoky sweet flavor that was complemented perfectly by the tangy sauce.  And honestly 1 rack could feed 3 people easily so $28 really wasn’t too bad of a deal.
With that all being said the Winner of the BBQ Battle on Oaklawn Boulevard is…
RIBS GONE WILD!!!
While Another Bite BBQ does offer a little more of a selection like brisket and chopped pork the ribs at Ribs Gone Wild are practically untouchable even at close to $30 a rack. 

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