Wild Card Bracket Round 2: Barbecue Nachos vs. Barbecue Spaghetti
Wild Card Bracket Round 2: Barbecue Nachos vs. Barbecue Spaghetti
It's time for round two of the Barbecue Brackets Wild Card Bracket. Let's meet today's contenders:
In this corner, it's the barbecue nachos from Central Barbecue:
And over here, the barbecue spaghetti from Bar-B-Q Shop:
The food:
Take a look at the picture of Central's nachos. That's a half order. It's an intense pile of tortilla chips topped with pulled pork, barbecue sauce, nacho cheese and shredded cheese with jalepenos on the side. They're good - really, really good. There's something magical in the combination of Central's delicious, smoky sauce and oozing orange nacho cheese. They do get a little messy - about three napkins in, I gave up and switched to using a fork. I'd totally order these again. (8.5 points)
On second tasting, I liked Bar-B-Q shops spaghetti a little bit more. This time, I got a side order, which made eating them a lot more manageable. The chunks of pork were tender and had a great smoky flavor. I'm still not entirely sold on the sauce. It's not spaghetti sauce, and it's not barbecue sauce - it's just kind of greasy. (7 points)
The service:
I went to Central a little bit after their normal lunch rush, so there wasn't a huge line queuing at the register. The guy taking orders was super friendly and relaxed. The service was typically quick - it took about five minutes for the food to come out. (9 points)
Even though I got my barbecue spaghetti to-go, the service at Bar-B-Q shop was excellent. My order was taken quickly and it came out of the kitchen within about 10 minutes (I didn't call ahead). Everyone I talked to was friendly and smiling. (9 points)
The atmosphere:
Even after the regular lunch hour, Central was fairly busy. It was completely casual, though - everyone, from suits to slackers, is equal at Central. (7.5)
Bar-B-Q Shop's dark, low-key dining room was bustling when I was there for lunch today. I only had one complaint about the vibe today - there's nowhere to wait for to-go orders. I wound up standing awkwardly in the doorway, trying to stay out of the way of people coming in. (7 points)
Price:
The cost of a half order of barbecue nachos from Central Barbecue: about $6.50. That's not bad for enough food to share. (8)
The cost of a side order of barbecue spaghetti from Bar-B-Q Shop: about $4.50. That's not bad, but keep in mind that you'll probably want something else to eat with it if you get a half order. (7)
The winner: Central will move on to the Wild Card championship round with 33 points.
Go There:
1782 Madison Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104
(901) 272-1277
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