Mac's Speed Shop

After eating three BBQ meals in three hours, our stomachs were in need of a little break. We literally ate so much pork, Anthony ended up with the meat sweats. However, the day was not done.

We arrived in Charlotte and immediately headed to Mac's Speed Shop. We immediately realize this wasn't one of the hole-in-the-wall BBQ joints we have frequented to date. This was a high octane BBQ and biker joint with a great beer selection, in fact it was our first BBQ joint that served beer.

Our hosts, Shingai's grad school classmate and his wife - Bryan and Mishell, joined us and recommended the brisket. We started with some fried pickles that were salty, crunchy, a little spicy and hot - very good. Shingai and Anthony ordered a sampler of pulled pork, St. Louis style ribs and beef brisket to split. The waitress accidental inclined a leg of the beer can chicken as well.

They placed a bunch of sauces on the table include their homemade vinegar sauce, red BBQ sauce and their sweet vinegar Carolina BBQ sauce.  The real surprise was their South Carolina style vinegar mustard sauce, which was great on the beer can chicken.


Ratings:

Pulled Pork -6.5 -  well defined pink smoke ring tossed in their Carolina sauce - unfortunately the sauce was too sweet for us
Brisket -6.5 - served as a half-inch slab in their red BBQ sauce, the meat was dry
Beer Can Chicken -5/6- good smokey flavor, a 5 on it's own, but the mustard sauce elevated it to a 6
Ribs - 6- dry rubbed and smoke, good smokey flavor, covered in red BBQ sauce
Green Bean Casserole - 8 - the green beans were fantastic and done with a cream of mushroom base, healthy hit of pepper and some cheese and fried onions on top
Baked Beans - 8 - Shingai is a baked bean lover and he really enjoyed this sweet and spicy side dish

Ambiance -2 - this is a testosterone fueled rock blaring, tattooed waitress biker, beer, BBQ joint

Overall -6.0

Shingai enjoying his ribs