Texas Barbeque With a California Twist

If you get a sudden hankering for a meal of delicious meat, you can’t gone wrong moseying over to the Texas-roadhouse-like Barn Burner restaurant on Fair Oaks Ave.  It’s not quite true Texas but it’s danged close – and the portions and flavor are good enough for panhandle chowhounds.

Now, I’ve been to Texas and eaten in the roadhouses that Barn Burner emulates and they are similar, but this is California and we needed some modifications So Barn Burner offers up salads (a concession to us Left Coasters) along with stuffed baked potatoes, calamari and tuna! Instead of white bread directly out of the bag, Barn Burner serves soft warm rolls, topped with a mixture of chopped garlic, cheese and butter.

Brought to our table was a very large platter packed with smoked baby back ribs, beef ribs, BBQ chicken, pulled pork, brisket and tri tip (another California concession) . Barn Burner’s barbecue sauce is a mélange of sweet, hot and tangy. For side dishes we had macaroni and cheese, Cole slaw, tater salad, corn on the cob, baked beans, warm rolls and barbecue sauce for dipping.

The meats were all served without sauce, smoked and some had a tasty rub. Both types of ribs were tender and so much easier to eat without all the sauce. They were perfect for dipping. Chicken was a bit on the dry side, but with sauce quite a treat.

I found the brisket to be dry, but the tri tip was a tender, juicy and melt-in-you-mouth. The pulled pork was done in the traditional style, smoked with a slight taste of vinegar to offset the richness of the pork.

As for the sides the macaroni and cheese is some of the best I’ve ever had. Rich, creamy and cheesy with large elbow macaroni. The Cole slaw was of the creamy type and a little bland for my tastes. The tater salad was a tangy mixture of potatoes, mayonnaise and mustard, simple yet absolutely delicious. Sweet corn on the cob was cooked to just al dente and the beans were served in a thick sweet-savory sauce.

Barn Burner also serves and assortment of hamburgers, sandwiches, steaks, salads and stuffed potatoes. There is a good selection of appetizers and side dishes. Combos come with choice of meat and two sides. There are also larger combos for groups of people to share.

The Barn Burner is a casual family restaurant. Save your quarters for the kids to use in the arcade room while you enjoy the peanuts they serve.  Prices are moderate; $8.00 – $10.00 for hamburgers and sandwiches, appetizers $6.00 – $8.00, and combos anywhere from $11.00 for a single serving of meat to $32.00 for four servings of meat (this serves 2 people unless you’re a big eater). Larger combos are available. They also have a children’s menu.

The Barn Burner, 1000 South Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena. (626) 403-7427. Hours: Monday – Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday  11 a.m. to 9 p.m.  Online at: www.BarnBurnerBBQ.com