A team lunch brought up the age old question…where do we want to go? When your only limiting factor is it needs to be on the Southside, we found ourselves at the Double Wide Grill. As the snow billowed down, I arrived at a restaurant with a trailer park set up in the outdoor dining area complete with a pink flamingo. The warmth inside greeted us to a beer-can Christmas tree, beer-bottle chandeliers, and a hubcap ceiling.
The boss had already ordered some wings to arrive while we browsed the menu. Lunch started off with honey garlic and bar-b-que chicken wings. Yes, I too thought honey and garlic. But the warm honey, black pepper, garlic and red chilies were well blended and executed with a perfectly seasoned wing. The plain bar-b-que even had a subtle bite too them. This was going to be good, because the Food Doc can definitely put away some wings. They weren’t over fried and didn’t depend on the sauce as the sole flavoring.
Several at the table toyed over how fantastic the ribs were. As a person from BBQ country, I took this comment very lightly. The table was a culinary smorgesborg. Let’s work my way around the table. The beef chili was a chunky meat and vegetable blend of spices that provided heat and a comforting sensation that made you want to curl up at home. It was served with a perfectly moist piece of corn bread that had the perfect touch of sugar. The pulled pork sandwich was tender pork shredded coarsely with a Carolina style bbq sauce, with pickles on an onion bun. I added the Memphis style bbq sauce to cut the very pungent sense of vinegar as I ate it. The coleslaw was a vinegar-based crisp sensation in my mouth. Finally, I give my break down on the ribs.
First I must analyze the sauces. They have a Carolina style that looked like a sweet and sour sauce. It was truly a reduced vinegar, slight touch of sugar, and red peppers. For this style of sauce it was flavorful, but not my personal favorite. I preferred the traditionally thick molasses/ketchup based sauce with a hint of garlic and a touch of heat that captures the tastes buds once you’ve swallowed and moved on to the next bite. The ribs were tender and fell off the bone, but without the sauce I felt they lacked seasoning.
All in all, lunch was fabulous. The only sad feelings involved having to return to work. Happiness came from enjoying our meals without a pager going off.
As an aside, during the summer, the Double Wide is space to enjoy the outdoor dining room (near the gas pumps). Kick back with the frozen mojito, some chili cheese fries and burger and a game of cornhole. An interesting fact about this establishment is that the avid meat lover and vegan can dine together in very flavorful harmony. They offer many vegetarian and vegan options.
Double Wide Grill is a frequent Food Doc take out destination and I also sit at the bar and enjoy a drink after work. With a Wide selection to choose from, I recommend a weekly dose of the Double Wide, but try a variety of proteins including the seitan options
Maybe I’ll see you there
Food Doc
Double Wide Grill
2339 E. Carson St
Pittsburgh, PA
(412) 390-1111
doublewidegrill.com
No comments:
Post a Comment