LOUISVILLE, Ky. — March Madness is in full swing and what better way to enjoy the final weeks of college basketball than with some barbecue?
We have a ton of spots all over the Louisville area that specialize in ribs and other smoked meats, so I decided to travel to Germantown to try out Four Pegs Smokehouse and Bar.
It was my first time visiting the small restaurant on Goss Avenue and as soon as I pulled up, I smelled that good smoke in the air. I knew I was in the right place.
I randomly chose a Thursday around lunch time, knowing that it wouldn’t be crowded with people and service would be good.
Walking in, it instantly gives you the feel of a neighborhood hangout. If you grew up watching Cheers, it gives off the vibe of “Everybody knows your name.”
This restaurant was on my radar for quite some time. I was definitely excited when I recently saw our Reed Yadon doing a segment at the TaleSpin Ale Fest and Chef Chris Williams show off wings and pork belly on a stick. If only I could have transported myself through the screen to experience that deliciousness.
Let’s get down to business.
The good thing about a restaurant experience is glancing over the menu and strategizing. Yes, I ordered a variety of things to try. My first pick were the Grippo’s wings.
Anyone who grew up in the Ville knows that we love some Grippo’s. This is a top-tier barbecue chip with amazing seasoning. My question was how could this be fused with chicken?
The wings are smoked, fried and then coated in Grippo’s seasoning.
These wings pack a punch, but in a good way. The barbecue smoke, the slight crispiness and the seasoning on the chicken blend very well together. Yes it’s slightly spicy, but worth it. All that was missing was a “Big Red.”
I had extra leftovers and refrigerated them. I popped them in the microwave, and they tasted even better the second time around.
Next up was the White Cheddar Mac.
Macaroni and cheese is one of those dishes that has to be on the table when serving up some barbecue. This dish was super creamy, and the added touch of parmesan gave it a slight nutty flavor. However, I was slightly disappointed this dish wasn’t bubbling hot, but it didn’t take away from the overall taste.
Any southern kitchen or those who specialize in comfort food know that greens are a must. I’m more of a mixed greens type of person, but I’ll give any kind a try.
The collards turned out to be my favorite. These greens were tender and had a bite to them. I don’t usually like vinegar in my greens, but it wasn’t overpowering.
The seasoning blend was great, and it worked well with the pearl onions. I believe it was a combination of chopped bacon, black pepper, cayenne, etc. All I have to say is those greens felt like being in a southern granny’s kitchen after church on a Sunday.
Me and my best friend Charese also moved on to try their sandwiches. She ordered the pulled chicken while I ordered the pork belly burnt ends. I was disappointed because I needed that pork belly on a stick!
Anyway, this sandwich was very good. The pork belly was moist, very flavorful and I love how the addition of the pickles gave the sauce more tang. I would definitely get this again.
Charese loved her pulled chicken. I sampled some of that. This was a great chicken sandwich and had a perfect meat-to-bun ratio. The chicken was flavored perfectly and had great moisture.
I’m going to close out this review with ribs.
Ironically, Thursday was also all-you-can-eat ribs day. For $25, you could live your best life without a care in the world. A good rib has a great smoke ring, seasoned to the gods and falls off the bone.
Our waitress started us out with five rib bones. Just seeing the sauce glisten like dew on a blade of grass on a perfect spring morning had my taste buds ready to experience the glory.
The first bite, you could taste the sauce that had a mixture of chipotle peppers, brown sugar and other spices that gave the sauce life. The meat was very tender, and I love how it came off the bone with ease.
I would have liked to experience the ribs without sauce to taste the type of wood the meat was cooked over and the base seasonings used on the ribs. The taste was pretty good.
Overall, I thought the food was fantastic. I did feel the sides were a bit pricey, but worth it in the end.
Chef Chris has an amazing concept going. His brand of barbecue is definitely worth checking out. He has a brunch menu on weekends that I know I will be trying.
RATING: 4 stars
ADDRESS: 1053 Goss Avenue
HOURS: Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to Midnight; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Brunch Saturday and Sundays only 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
AVERAGE PRICE: $$$
MENU: Click here
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