alamo bbq comes west!. ok, i give up. when barbecue is either texas, north carolina, kansas city, duluth, mn, papua new guinea, etc. and people are fighting over it, all i want to know is....how the (exple does it taste? because, if it's good, who gives a damn? well, that's how i felt about deep run roadhouse, a new outpost set up by alamo bbq chef paul hubbard (finally, a place to sit and eat his texas caviar!). almost as much fun for a foodie as is humanly possible, the road house is a tex-mex comfort food hybrid, and the crossroads of these is truly an experience. you want barbecue? how about 5 different "meats" to choose from including portobello mushroom (every vegan's favorite meat). want a burrito? sure, choose your protein and load it with standards like beans, salsa, rice and sour cream, or go extreme with their train wreck, which features some of their best sides, mac and cheese (this ain't kraft's bright neon orange kid's food-drug), cowboy beans (with burnt ends cooked into them), cornbread...just thinking about it makes me wanna take heart medication with me next time. even the "snacks" sound ridiculous, like the cheese fries with 3 cheeses, barbecue, grilled onions....oh, gotta stop before i conk out the computer from drool. then there are the sides, and all i can say is, this is what distinguishes deep run roadhouse from the other places that serve similar food, they are just plain fun. from the alamo mainstay of texas caviar (basically beans, corn and onions served in a tasty vinegar base) to their aforementioned, and soon to be legendary mac and cheese (with or without jalapenos). the side portions are generous and fun to share and sample, you can get two with a combo instead of one and a drink. i highly recommend the extra cost incurred for the drink. one day, i may just come in here just for the sides alone, they're that good.
the format is similar to other bbq joints in town, place your order and pay, have a seat, and the food is delivered to table rather quickly and friendly. the store front is easy to miss, just off ridgefield and gayton roads near the most tucked away 7-11 i have ever seen (and almost not seen, i mean this place must stay in business on lottery tickets alone). atmosphere wise, nothing to get too excited about, but it's clean and airy, with a dozen or so booths and a few tables stuck in the middle of a dining space that's cozy, but big enough for a mental square dance when you are finished eating. and you will find yourself doing just that. i can't remember when i left a restaurant in that much of a better mood than when i arrived, but the deep run roadhouse put a full and for real smile on my face, and i can't wait to go back and take another run!