This little BBQ joint in Mountain View has definitely been attracting attention over the past few months, and deservedly so. I've encountered positive buzz online and have driven past it a few times (usually coming back from grabbing Kenko Sushi). It seemed like the perfect spot for a to-go lunch on a cold, rainy Friday afternoon. I wasn't disappointed - and the issues I had were purely palate-based, not necessarily anything negative that the restaurant did or didn't do.
I decided to order my lunch online via Gary & Meg's site. It was pretty easy to use; no issues in that regard. Constructive feedback-wise (and I didn't take points off for this at all), I'd recommend that they use consistent language across all social media/online platforms when it comes to the menu items. Several times I saw that the entrees came with two sides (indicating you could choose) and other times, including in the store, it said that the entrees automatically came with the corn concoction and the mac and cheese. It didn't end up being an issue for me since coincidentally those are exactly the sides I wanted, but I did write out my preferences in the special instructions, which apparently I didn't need to do. That seems like a pretty easy fix in terms of updating social media accounts, etc.
Also, when I was selecting a pick-up time, the minimum "ASAP" option was for at least 35 minutes. Totally fine by me, but when I came in to pick up the order, they just prepped it for me right there. I'm assuming that the 35 minutes is more for the ribs and chicken than the pulled pork, but I'd tailor the wait times based on what the customer is ordering. Not a huge deal at all - it didn't take very long to have my order packed up and ready to go. As an aside, I hope they spend some time this summer concentrating on the interior presentation. Right now, I'm sure this is probably at least 95% a to-go business, but the storefront has potential as an in-house dining establishment. It looked like you could theoretically eat at the diner-esque front counter, but it's not too hospitable for that quite yet. Here's hoping.
I liked the pulled pork - it's juicy, tender and flavorful - but for me it was too spicy. I can typically handle spice, but because it was so strong it actually overwhelmed the sides - I could barely taste the corn concoction and mac and cheese until I grabbed some water to clear my palate. From what I could tell, it looked like there were red pepper flakes in the pulled pork, which definitely provides a kick but in my opinion drowns out the supporting cast. The corn concoction was excellent. It tasted very similar to the cornbread pudding that House of Que in Hoboken has. I'd definitely get that again. The mac and cheese was also very good. I'm always a huge fan of breaded toppings, though it was a LITTLE too reminiscent of that Velveeta/milky taste. Again, I'm sure that's a huge selling point for a lot of other people, it just wasn't my cup of tea.
Next time I'm bypassing the pulled pork in favor of the ribs, as that seems to be the big seller here. Even though this wasn't my favorite BBQ meal of all time, another customer easily could have had a perfect experience with the same food. Also, the customer service is top-notch. Meg was on the premises when I came to pick up my lunch and was very hospitable; can't undervalue the intangibles like that. There's definitely a lot to like here now and going forward. read more