The Barbeque Exchange

I have had good meals here before, but something has changed. Upon arriving, the first thing I noticed that was different is that the smokers weren't being used. I thought perhaps they had smoked the meats for the day. No problem. But when we entered the restaurant, there was also zero smoky BBQ aroma. Even if the meats had already been smoked for the day, the aroma should come back out of them when reheated. We ordered a pulled pork sandwich with fries and slaw, and a platter with 3 ribs, brisket, beans, slaw, and cornbread. We had sweet tea to drink.



The server attempted to give me the last of the drippings and bits in the bottom of the tray, but I asked for new slices if possible. They were brought to my table after we received everything else and sat down. The portion was small, just 3 small slices, but as the platter is only 11.99, I was ok with it. One third of each slice was fat. Right away, this told me that the brisket had not been smoked for any amount of time, because if properly cooked, this fat should render away to a nice crispy layer. There was no smoky flavor at all. The meat was tender and tasted ok, it just didn't have that BBQ flavor.



When I picked the ribs up out of the serving tray, I noticed that there was at least a teaspoon of oil left in the tray and the ribs had an oily coating. They tasted ok, and although very tender and falling off the bone, were the only meat we had that had a smoky flavor at all.



The pulled pork was dry and bland with no smoke.



The beans most likely came from a can labeled Van Camps, as they were the same unnatural orange color. They had added something to them, perhaps mustard and vinegar, but they didn't contain any chipped, smoked meat like I've had at every other BBQ house I've ever been to.



The slaw and fries were standard. Nothing special.



The meats and beans were all lukewarm. Definitely not up to health department regulated temperatures.



On a positive note, the tea was excellent, the service was great, and the atmosphere is very pleasant.



I like to support local restaurants instead of chains any time I can, but it will be difficult for me to try it again. Hopefully someone will read this and take constructive criticism and fix the problems. We'll give it a month and try again. I will update my review at that point and hope to post more positive results.



This post was deleted from google reviews within 48 hours of being posted, and I'm sure it will be deleted again.

Everything I have eaten at BBQ is fabulous. The pork barbeque is the best. The salad is wonderful. I haven't had a soup that wasn't better than any soup I've had before. The corn bread is worth every calorie. Go! It's wonderful. Take your family. Everyone will love it.

We stopped in for lunch on our way to Montpelier. This place got our attention because the parking lot was packed at 1:00 on a weekday afternoon. The parking lot did not lie - the food was unforgettable. The staff welcomed us right up to the counter and helped us negotiate the menu. Everything we ate was scrumptious. The brunswick stew was just right. The macaroni and cheese just melted in your mouth. The pulled pork was some of the best we have had (and I grew up in GA where we take our pulled pork very seriously). Oh, and the sandwiches were served on fresh house-made rolls.



Lunch was so good that we stopped on our way back home to get cupcakes for dessert. Yep - just as good as everything else we had eaten there.



It seems like this is a new restaurant in town but with food and service this good, I sure hope it stays around a long time.