Real American BBQ-Common Room

[verona]

Is the BBQ worth a visit?

 

I would definitely go again, just not at night or on a weekend when it's full of town drinkers.

[TheRedBaron]

I agree with Verona. A group of us went a few weeks ago.

 

We had the following: -

 

The whole damm farm: The people that had it said it was okay but the staff could not get the order out correctly as they had forgotten the chicken breast.

 

Slider selections: Supposedly in 'Brioche Buns'. If they were then they were very disappointing as they were hard and were not a great vehicle for the pulled meats. Whilst the pulled meats were nice, there was not much of it and it all had the same sauce on the bottom bun. I ended up pulling the meat out of them and eating it. Not worth £16 for one second

 

Pulled pork sandwich: The guy that had this said it was great. To be fair it did look good and I wished I had had that instead.

 

Onion rings: Nice but just not seasoned at all. Tasted of nothing.

 

Deep fried pickles: The pickles i have had before have been cut into 'bottle top' rounds. These were cut length-ways and would have needed more cooking. The batter was too thick and again they did not seem seasoned in any way.

 

Sweet potato fries: These were great, but I am a sucker for sweet potatoes anyway. The standard fries were of the frozen type and not cooked enough.

 

Scotch Bonnet Jam: Again like the baconaise, avoid. I expected this to be hot as the description would allude to. However it was all sweet and no heat.

 

The hot sauce on the tables was in the same vein. If it had had some heat I would not have minded but it was poor.

 

Would I go again? I would if they correct their mistakes. They have the scope to be a 'go-to' venue. As it is at the moment it is more a case of 'look at us we have pit barbecue'.

 

If I had paid with my own money I would have complained but as it was being paid for by my company and I was with work colleagues I didn't (and yes I know I should have).

[Chez2]

Has anyone tried it yet? I hear they spent over 30K in importing bbq pit ovens from the USA. Cant wait to try it. It's what Sheffield needs and what I have been craving ever since I came back from Memphis. From looking at the menu they put rubs on the meat and slow cook it for hour's over hickory and apple wood. Yummy!

 

I'd have opened a place and done this if I had the money.

 

I might have to have a look at that place. Let us know if you find anywhere else similar.

 

Have you tried cooking your own? My hubby used to watch the programmes made in the USA where they do the serious BBQ cooking, can't remember the chaps name. We don't cook in a pit but we did buy a smoker BBQ and buy books on the rubs and tried a few recipies. We left the rub on overnight then left a large joint of meat cooking and smoking in the smoker BBQ. It was so tender and so fab! As our smoker BBQ is above ground its impossible to keep the temperature up to use it in winter.

[alternageek]

I know a few American expats who swear by making pulled meats in their slow cookers and bring from home liquid smoke helps with flavours as well.

 

I want to try to do a briskett in there.. Will wait till the winter though

[verona]

I might have to have a look at that place. Let us know if you find anywhere else similar.

 

Have you tried cooking your own? My hubby used to watch the programmes made in the USA where they do the serious BBQ cooking, can't remember the chaps name. We don't cook in a pit but we did buy a smoker BBQ and buy books on the rubs and tried a few recipies. We left the rub on overnight then left a large joint of meat cooking and smoking in the smoker BBQ. It was so tender and so fab! As our smoker BBQ is above ground its impossible to keep the temperature up to use it in winter.

 

Yes, ever since I went to Memphis I have had the bug. I make my own rubs and smoke my own own ribs and joints of pork. You can't actually beat making your own. I also watch the programmes and have a bbq bible by Steven Raichlen.

 

One of things they need to do with the ribs in here is to remove the thin membrane from the back of the ribs before cooking, as it leaves a thin papery layer that is not very nice as you eat them.

 

They just haven't quite got it right here but with a few adjustments it would be great.

[Chez2]

I haven't been to America so can't compare 'our' BBQ to anything. I will have a look at the books to see if its the same person.

 

I quite like the papery bits on ribs, cripsy bits....anything really.

 

Our first smoker BBQ was a briskett and a huge joint of pork. Hubby put a temperature robe in the middle of each joint of meat to monitor cooking as we hadn't done such a long smoker BBQ before. We froze some of the meat for sandwiches and it didn't seem to destroy the flavour.

 

What is liquid smoke?

[verona]

We don't seem to have grabbed the concept of bbq in this country, maybe it's because we don't have the weather. In certain parts of America, reputations hang on doing a good bbq.

 

In this country we tend to only cook burgers or sausages, and we don't do a very good job of it at that. I currently have a weber smoker, and a sausage or a burger has never been near it.

 

I've not heard of the liquid smoke. I tend to throw a chunk of apple wood or hickory onto the coals for added flavour.

[feederfil]

Went on Friday night had pulled pork enjoyed it it ,bit dry but OK . Cornbread and coleslaw very good. But why serve it in enamel dog bowls and old tin cans ,this was lost on me! Also agree with previous poster about sat with drinkers and not in separate dining area. Also had fried pickles more batter than pickles! Would go again but my partner would'nt .

[Chez2]

We don't seem to have grabbed the concept of bbq in this country, maybe it's because we don't have the weather. In certain parts of America, reputations hang on doing a good bbq.

 

In this country we tend to only cook burgers or sausages, and we don't do a very good job of it at that. I currently have a weber smoker, and a sausage or a burger has never been near it.

 

I've not heard of the liquid smoke. I tend to throw a chunk of apple wood or hickory onto the coals for added flavour.

 

I know, most people do just cook junk. We cook a lot of vegetable dishes on our BBQ. Some of the vegetarian options we cook have had strict carnivores drooling. People took the 'recipe' home it keeps being passed around.

 

We have a proper smoker BBQ with a water chamber in. Our smoke wood goes in a separate smoker box not directly on the coals. The smoke lasts longer this way.

[GQsm]

I've eaten twice from the Common Room new menu and twice at Reds True BBQ in Leeds.

 

I have had the rib combo plates in both places and found the Common Room's less dry but also less smokey than Reds. The Common Room mixed rib meal is for two really, even though it doesn't say so on the menu (Unless you are a big eater, you won't finish it all without help).

 

I have had burgers in both too. I would say Reds was better although I had the "Whole Damn Farm" burger at the Common Room so the beef patty ended up just a small part in a very large burger, but I thought the patty was a little thin

Will probably have a simpler burger next time so I can rate it properly.

 

I loved the Scotch Bonnet jam but as mentioned above, it was definitely sweet without much heat, so bare that in mind.

Would also recommend the Reese's Peanut Butter milkshake if you are a fan of the chocolate and not on a diet.

 

I would recommend both places to anyone who fancies an American BBQ style food experience. I think both are doing a good job by UK standards taking decent raw ingedients and giving them enough love and attention to detail, but I think both have plenty of room for improvement compared to the best in the US.

 

As the Common Room is close, I'll go a few times a year at least, so fingers crossed they tweak and fine tune everything. The potential is there to be one of the best in the country of it's type with those pit smokers in the kitchen.