B&C Melrose BBQ

After our success at Mary’s we hit the Internet to find another hole-in-the wall Nashville BBQ spot. A name that kept coming up was Pop’s, but unfortunately it permanently closed at the end of 2010. So we took the recommendation of our hosts, Susan & Jamie and headed out to B&C Melrose BBQ.

We were a little skeptical when our cab pulled up to a grocery anchored strip mall, but we had already started the party with some Jack Daniels – when you are in Tennessee you have to drink some Jack – so we decided to give this relatively new comer (2008) a try.

Shingai, Anthony, Susan & Jamie

The restaurant consists of a simple counter set-up where you order to take out or dine-in at the  sparsely decorated room next door. Some fellow BBQ fanatics followed us in and recommended the pulled pork, ribs, mac & cheese and garlic cheese grits, which we ordered. We also got their tomato and molasses based mild, hot and sweet heat BBQ sauces.

We were the last customers of the day, but the staff were very friendly and told us about how they smoke the pork and ribs using a spicy dry rub & hickory for 12+ hours.

Ratings:

Pulled Pork – 6 – smoky and juicy

Ribs – 6.5 – good hickory smoke flavor, mild BBQ sauce they were covered in was just OK

Mac & Cheese – 3- cheesy & creamy, ours were cold since it was so late in the day

Baked Potato Salad – 4 – middle of the road

Grits – 7.5 – creamy and garlicky, these were really good, Susan couldn’t stop eating them

Mild Sauce- 4- too sweet without enough flavor

Sweet Heat –4- we were excited about the name but it was nothing special

Hot Sauce – 7.5 – this is the one to order - first you get a little sweetness up front and think to yourself this isn’t hot, then the cayenne and chipotle flavor kick in and make you start drenching your pork with it.

Corn Bread Muffin – cakey and moist on the inside with good corn flavor

Ambiance: 3 – too new and in a strip mall,

Overall – 6 - this is good ‘cue for the masses, staff was very friendly, plus we tried a new good local beer here, Yazoo

Memorable Quotes:
Jamie: "You know these guys are on a BBQ tour"
Waitress: "I heard. Where to next?"
Shingai: "Memphis"
Waitress: "That is really good BBQ"
Anthony: "Where do you recommend?"
Waitress: "I was with my friend and boyfriend, but I don't remember anything"
Anthony: "Lot of drinks?"
Waitress -"Yes, a lot of that and some"