Big Bob's Que

I gave Henery's Smokehouse a 2.5 out of 5 for many reasons, below are a few.

I found the Pork to be quite dry and a little on the chewy side. It was even less flavorful than it was juicy. There was almost no flavor to the pork. It seemed as if they lightly smoked it then baked it off in the oven. They defiantly did not wrap it in foil; which holds the juices in the meat.

The Ribs where fairly juicy, I enjoyed the fact each time I took a bite I needed a napkin. The flavor however was lacking. The ribs where not very thick, so every time I took a bite I tasted a bit of fat, personally I think fat just sucks all the flavor out any meat. The smoke flavor was not terrible. I could tell it was not cooked in the oven. It also had a light crunch to them. I will have to post a photo of my ribs soon to show you how I like it crunchy.

When we come to the Green Beans the consistency was fine, they were not too hard and not too soft. Flavor... I should probably lower my score for the flavor but they did taste like green beans. There was just about no flavor in them at all. There is so much you can do to green beans. Add smoked bacon to them; add some salt or pepper, something, anything.

I enjoy my Mac-N-Cheese baked like a casserole giving it a very thick consistency. This mac-n-cheese was hardly held together by the cheese. When I make it, I use at least 3 cheeses, layer the noodles and cheese, sprinkle crushed red peppers throughout, add salt and pepper, then top it off with cracker crumbs and bake it in the oven. It is fantastic.

There are not many BBQ Joints I go to that has bad Sweet Tea. This tea tasted more like water than it did sweet tea. Not only did it taste like water but also it was not sweet! I ended up switching to soda.

The consistency of the Red Sauce was good; it was not very thick, although I do like it a little thicker most people would not know the difference in consistency. The flavor was okay, though I wish it had a little more kick.

The consistency of the Yellow Sauce was the same as the red sauce, which is good. The flavor of the yellow sauce was much better than the red sauce. After I left the smokehouse I still tasted the kick that I received from the yellow sauce

I found the Price to be a little on the high side. If the pork and ribs were a little better I would have found no problem paying what I did. Though considering the amount of food it was a okay price. Though if I based the price only on flavor then I got taken.

I enjoyed the Atmosphere. Though it was not amazing I did enjoy the knotty pine tables and chairs. I also liked the large windows, although they looked out to a busy rode and made where I sat a little hot. I was worried that I would not find a seat, not because they were busy but because the arraignment of seating is odd. I thought there may be some history to this joint but with the young waiters who looked ready to go, and the quick hands in the kitchen I doubt I would get any type of story of history from them.

All-n-All it was not terrible but I would not go back there very often. A BBQ Joint that keeps me coming back is one that has history and takes pride in their food. I will come back if I see they take their time smoking the meat and do not let flavor and quality slip through the cracks while trying to make more money. If you have been to Henery’s Smokehouse you probably like it, many people I know in the upstate of SC enjoy it. Leave your comments below, let me know if you think I was spot on or totally off.

The Pulled Pork

Juicy 2.5

Flavor 2

Smoke Flavor 1.5

Que Score = 2

The Ribs

Juicy 3.5

Flavor 2

Smoke Flavor 2.5

Tenderness 3.5

Crunch 2.5

Que Score = 2.8

Green Beans

Consistency 4

Flavor 1.5

Que Score = 2.75

Mac-n-Cheese

Consistency 3.5

Flavor 2.5

Que Score = 2.25

Sweet Tea

Flavor 1.5

Sweetness 1.5

Que Score = 1.5

Red Sauce 

Consistency 3.5

Flavor 3

Que Score = 3.25

Yellow Sauce 

Consistency 3.5

Flavor 4

Que Score = 3.35

Price

For amount of food 3

For taste of food 2

Que Score = 2.5

Atmosphere

Display of History 2

Friendliness 2.5

Que Score = 2.25

I have heard it said and tend to use the phrase myself, “If I can’t smell your BBQ Joint from the a mile away, it is not worth going to". Smell is usually what attracts me to a Joint. It is the first indicator that there is quality food worth savoring. If the smell is strong then that normally means the smoker is on and meat has come off the smoker recently. If I cannot smell the aroma of simmering wood from the time I get out of the truck it puts the idea in my mind that this might not be worth eating. On the other hand, when I can strongly smell the aroma of BBQ that normally means pork, or chicken is coming or has come out of the smoker very recently and is ready to be experienced.

Something I would like to do if I ever own my own BBQ Joint is make sure meat is coming off the smoker all day, not only in the mornings. I worked at a BBQ Joint in my younger days. Around 3pm I would put the meat on the smoker then at 8am I would take it off. I really like the smokers that rotate for a even cook and smoke flavor. If I were to put the meat on the smoker, lining one shelf then stager the times putting meat on the smoker with a few hours between each rack I could insure juicy savory meat all day long.