P rior to our dinner Monday night, "Sweetbones" was merely a term of endearment we reserved for one another. Now, we realize the word carries with it so much more. For those hard-core BBQ fans who have had more than their fair share of free Big Jim's, a short trip to Pantops Center reveals an alternate venuefor hearty smoked Southern fare.
Sweetbones, which opened on Pantops Mountain about five years ago, is run by the owners of Northern Exposure, though the two menus share little in common. Sharing a storefront in a strip mall with Food Lion, the restaurant is fully split into a bar and dining room. The bar serves the full menu and is equipped with televisions, while large-framed sepia photographs adorn the dining room.
In addition to the standard BBQ, Sweetbones offers steak, salmon and pasta options. The entree selection is quite diverse, with an equal mix of don't-be-afraid-to-eat-with-your-hands meals and platters. The appetizers are generally spicy and fried, but there are a few exceptions to this pattern.
Sadly, the Texas Toothpicks ($4.95) are so popular they were sold out when we dined. But they sound great, and are one of the most frequently ordered appetizers. Slices of onions and jalapenos are dipped in beer batter and fried and served with the restaurant's ubiquitous roasted red pepper ranch dressing.
The beer batter onion rings ($5.95) are not the thick-cut standard, but a skinnier version. As the waiter admitted, there's only so much you can do with an onion ring, and they were good, although overpriced. Six dollars should pay for a whole bucket of onion rings.
The nachos were of high quality, but overpriced as well. Jeff's Great Nachos ($6.95 regular, add $3 for chicken) came with "cheese sauce," sour cream, tomatoes, scallions and salsa. The show's standouts were the big warm flaky tortilla chips - a nice touch instead of the usual bowl of Tostitos.
For those of you dying to know how good the BBQ itself is, fear not. Whether you choose Hacked Pork BBQ or Butchered Beef ($5.95 each), you will find an above-par serving size and sauce that hits the spot. Side dish choices include a rainbow of potato variations, such as 'tater salad, sweet potato fries and homemade mashed potatoes with butter and carraway seeds.
Sweetbones also has good ribs.Pavilion X residents Charlotte Zeithaml and Commerece School Dean Carl Zeithaml have been known to carry out Sweetbones' "Famous Ribs," and on their recommendation we tried a plateful. A half rack will set you back $13.95, and the full rack rolls in at $19.95. The baby back ribs are prepared with a "Real Memphis" dry crust, which includes a combination of a whopping 16 spices. After intense finagling, we found out from our waiter that brown sugar composes one of the tasty crust's main ingredients. We can't reveal the crust's base, but here's a hint: you can buy it at the adjacent Food Lion.
The ribs are served with a homemade barbecue sauce that's quite good, although very thick. It's called the "Comeback Sauce," perhaps because it makes you want to keep coming back for more.
Sweetbones does offer a nostalgic dessert off the kids menu. Dirt 'n Worms may remind you of the dessert your mom made for the neighborhood block party when you were little: a huge mash of Oreo cookies and chocolate pudding, accented with whipped cream and colored gummy wormsfor a frighteningly realistic effect. They even put it in a cute plastic cup decorated with seahorses - the same one that holds the crayons for the kids table!
A nice setting, accommodating service and decent barbecue make Sweetbones enjoyable, even if it lacks the colorful character of a true neighborhood barbecue joint, such as Hog Heaven.
STARS:
Service 3
Location 2
Food 3
Price 3.5
Atmosphere 2.5
532 Pantops Center
977-1020
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