Butcher Bob’s is maybe half a mile as the crow flies from my house, or a 3/4 mile walk, about 15 minutes:
We don’t eat there, though. I mean, they serve breakfast, and Mary Joan and I ate breakfast there once. And they have a food truck, and I’ve gotten a little of this and a little of that from the truck. But nothing from the truck has ever really made me take notice. We do get their brisket beans, though, those are pretty good. If I don’t have anything already made, I’ll pick up a couple pounds of beans for a cookout. But we’ve never gone and sat down, we’ve never gotten takeout, it’s just not on our radar. And why should it be? I got a BGE, a Kettle, a griddle, a freezer full of proteins, and all the time in the world.
But if I want to make brisket tacos for breakfast tomorrow, May 5th, and I haven’t already started a brisket (I haven’t), then Butcher Bob to the rescue!
This is a small storefront in a dilapidated strip of stores. The previous tenant was Junie G’s Family Restaurant. Junie moved to a bigger location, this place stood empty for a few years, there was a problem with the roof, the problem got fixed, and Butcher Bob is here now!
That is yr. hmbl. rprtr. Mosca reflected in the door! The yellow sign in the window to the right is a building permit; you can see if you look closely, there is brown paper over the windows of #14, and Bob’s is doubling in size. Here is why that might be a good idea:
Kinda tiny in there! Bob does a lot of carry out, a lot of food truck business, and a lot of catering; they were loading up for a wedding as I was ordering. Notice, below the TV and at the back of the bar… Bob has a liquor license. But there’s nowhere to serve it. Maybe that is going to be part of the expansion, I didn’t ask.
Bob runs a couple smokers. I don’t see the one out front running very often, but the big one out back is pretty constant.
Notice something different? Blue Rhino, maybe? I seem to recall that there is an ordinance against too much smoke in what is pretty much residential-adjacent. I don’t remember, but I do remember that Burger King next door had to jump through hoops and add smoke-cleaner stacks. Terry Black’s or Kreuz Market would have a problem, I think.
(Gratuitous photo including the taco truck that leases a space in the parking lot. They make damn good tacos.)
I ordered a couple slices of fatty brisket for tomorrow’s tacos, and pork belly burnt ends were today’s special so sure, why not!
And what you see is what you get.
Eh. It’s okay. It isn’t bad, just unremarkable. The brisket is pretty tender, but nowhere near anything we had in Texas (except Black’s Original). It could have been saltier and pepperier, too, and smokier. The pork belly burnt ends could have been silkier: too much burnt end, not enough pork belly. Too much bark and bite, not enough melt in your mouth.
It’s barbecue. It’s Pennsylvania barbecue. It’s not the best, it’s not the worst. If I didn’t make good barbecue in my backyard, I’d probably like it more. But as far as paying for it? Naw, dog. I’ve been right all along.
We don’t eat there, though. I mean, they serve breakfast, and Mary Joan and I ate breakfast there once. And they have a food truck, and I’ve gotten a little of this and a little of that from the truck. But nothing from the truck has ever really made me take notice. We do get their brisket beans, though, those are pretty good. If I don’t have anything already made, I’ll pick up a couple pounds of beans for a cookout. But we’ve never gone and sat down, we’ve never gotten takeout, it’s just not on our radar. And why should it be? I got a BGE, a Kettle, a griddle, a freezer full of proteins, and all the time in the world.
But if I want to make brisket tacos for breakfast tomorrow, May 5th, and I haven’t already started a brisket (I haven’t), then Butcher Bob to the rescue!
This is a small storefront in a dilapidated strip of stores. The previous tenant was Junie G’s Family Restaurant. Junie moved to a bigger location, this place stood empty for a few years, there was a problem with the roof, the problem got fixed, and Butcher Bob is here now!
That is yr. hmbl. rprtr. Mosca reflected in the door! The yellow sign in the window to the right is a building permit; you can see if you look closely, there is brown paper over the windows of #14, and Bob’s is doubling in size. Here is why that might be a good idea:
Kinda tiny in there! Bob does a lot of carry out, a lot of food truck business, and a lot of catering; they were loading up for a wedding as I was ordering. Notice, below the TV and at the back of the bar… Bob has a liquor license. But there’s nowhere to serve it. Maybe that is going to be part of the expansion, I didn’t ask.
Bob runs a couple smokers. I don’t see the one out front running very often, but the big one out back is pretty constant.
Notice something different? Blue Rhino, maybe? I seem to recall that there is an ordinance against too much smoke in what is pretty much residential-adjacent. I don’t remember, but I do remember that Burger King next door had to jump through hoops and add smoke-cleaner stacks. Terry Black’s or Kreuz Market would have a problem, I think.
(Gratuitous photo including the taco truck that leases a space in the parking lot. They make damn good tacos.)
I ordered a couple slices of fatty brisket for tomorrow’s tacos, and pork belly burnt ends were today’s special so sure, why not!
And what you see is what you get.
Eh. It’s okay. It isn’t bad, just unremarkable. The brisket is pretty tender, but nowhere near anything we had in Texas (except Black’s Original). It could have been saltier and pepperier, too, and smokier. The pork belly burnt ends could have been silkier: too much burnt end, not enough pork belly. Too much bark and bite, not enough melt in your mouth.
It’s barbecue. It’s Pennsylvania barbecue. It’s not the best, it’s not the worst. If I didn’t make good barbecue in my backyard, I’d probably like it more. But as far as paying for it? Naw, dog. I’ve been right all along.
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