disclaimer: i love pork.
the rusty fork is an instant american bbq throwback, with some limitations. the ambiance is about 70 percent there. great blues and country music, "modern rustic" decor and a large outdoor space. this restaurant screams, get me a beer and a rack of ribs. the limitations in regards to the ambiance come at the cost of trying to be an upscale cocktail bar (most cocktails over 60tl) slash instagram heavy photo experiment. this is most notable in the gaudy purple lights when the sun goes down and the excessively large bouquet of purple and white flours in the corner of the outdoor space. i simply just don't get it. but that the same time... i get it in regards to most of your clientele. do me a favor though, stick to your guns.
now let's get to the meat of the situation. like the decor, the food had its ups and downs. overall though the menu was plentiful and the pork options were on point. we started with a sampler plate, side of mac and cheese and shared the baby back pork ribs as the entree. note: though their price points are high across the board, the amount of food was more than enough for two people. the meal was topped off with a bourbon pecan stuff pie.
the lows: the onion rings and the mozzarella dippers were really the only two lows of the meal. the onions rings were over fried and close to burnt with a heavy and chewy batter. the mozzarella dippers, or sticks as i call them, were too big with a batter that had no taste. these are two items to avoid. lastly, while the wings were good, the provided dipping sauce was watery and thin. give me blue cheese or a thicker yogurt with buffalo wings, please :)
the mediums: the bourbon pecan pie. this was so close to being amazing. the taste was there but the "pie" itself was dry and reminded me more of a mosaic cake. if you are going to put a dollop of ice cream over some pie, the pie needs to be moist, warm and soft.
the highs: easily put the baby back ribs did not disappoint. they were tender, fall of the bone, style ribs with a great tangy bbq sauce on top. the fries were great to boot. not falling far behind were the potato skins with bacon on top. easily a return order for me on both fronts.
rusty fork is certainly a place i will return and a great place for some beers and greasy spoon food. not sure if i will dive into their cocktail's but easily can be a place to go with some friends and enjoy a cool summer night outside. just do me a favor and dim the purple lighting as i am enjoying my ribs and beer.