volumes have been, and will continue to be written about… barbecue, that uniquely southern method of slow-cooking meat - primarily pork - over wood coals to create a mouthwateringly succulent dish imbued with a smoky flavor, which has several unique character styles throughout the south. for example, north carolinians and virginians prefer two different styles, both which are different from that preferred by texans - who prefer beef - while alabamians prepare a different style than do tennesseans or mississippians. and yet, with such numerous stylings and flavors - whether from kansas city or memphis, raleigh to birmingham, or apopka, fl to jackson, ms, and all points in between - almost everyone agrees that no matter the type or cut of meat, it shouldn't be excessive oily, nor visibly greasy, that it should be tender, and that among those quality marks include standards of appearance which indicate proper cooking such as smoke ring, appearance of the exterior, and individual servings which have a proper balance of inside/outside meat.
indeed, barbecue is a world unto itself, and for that reason, the dish and restaurants that serve it may receive harsh, perhaps unduly rigorous criticism from aficionados, purists or others. and as was shared with me by a friend who is an award-winning kansas city barbecue pitmaster, the competition cooking circuit is entirely different from cooking in a restaurant because competitors cook to the judges' taste, whereas restauranteurs cook to their patrons' tastes - and those two are often worlds apart.
because of that, my thoughts on peg leg porker will be more lenient and generous than if they were prepared for competitive barbecue cooking.
almost any business can have continuously new clientele, however, eateries, restauranteurs and other food business owners acknowledge that the majority portion of their business comes from regular, repeat customers (except, perhaps, for those in airports). repetitive local business supports any restaurant, and is especially true for barbecue joints. seeing what appeared to be local customers comprise the majority of the "regular crowd" in plp was somewhat reassuring.
the beckoning aroma of cooking barbecue wafted throughout the area which raised my expectations as i walked to the restaurant. i sampled their pulled pork plate which was served with two sides - green beans, and macaroni & cheese.
the food temperature was hot, which is definitely agoodsign. the barbecue had long strands, indicating it was pulled, and not chopped, which is anothergoodsign, and there were pieces of outside meat which showed a lovely smoke ring, mixed in - but it all had an oily sheen, was excessively greasy, and neither appeared, nor tasted fresh. the meat was not served with sauce on it - anothergoodpoint, because barbecue is all about the meat itself, not the sauces - but the serving size was - imo - lacking. the portions were all served in disposable containers - meat in a paper-lined cardboard tray, and sides in styrofoam cups.
the green beans - which i presumed were freshly grown rather than canned - were seasoned with fresh cooked onion and had a slightly smoky taste, which presumably meant they were seasoned with plp's own barbecue trimmings, most likely pork. however i found them excessively salty.
the macaroni appeared to be large shells rather than the traditional elbows, didn't have a distinct or unique cheese taste, and was similarly excessively salty. one couldn't help but wonder if the "seasoning" packets in commercially sold boxes were used, rather than being freshly prepared, aka "homemade."
i also sampled their hot/spicy sauce in a separate cup, rather than pouring it on the meat. the sauce's first taste impression was metallic. it smelled sugary sweet, and i very much wonder if it was simply heinz® 57 with added sugar, black pepper, white vinegar, and inferior grade hot pepper or habaneros. i have previously tasted a metallic-type hot pepper in another area restaurant, which strongly suggests the two may use the same commercial food supplier.
seating was available inside, or al fresco on a concrete front patio, and both accommodations were ample. the restaurant also has a fully stocked bar at the opposite side of the ordering/serving counter.
there is a possibility they were off their game that day, so in all fairness, i intend on giving them another try. next time, i hope to sample their pork ribs, and perhaps a pulled pork sandwich.
overall impression: mediocre