Big Bad Wolf BBQ

Big Bad Wolf BBQ
5713 Harford Road
Lauraville, Baltimore
410-444-6422
bigbadwolfbarbeque.com
barbecue
Cost: $$
Reservations: Take-out
Date of meal: Friday, September 18, 2007
National Price-Quality Frontier: Inside It
Baltimore Price-Quality Frontier: On It

Lauraville has two take-out barbecue joints; it seems obvious to compare them. These are Big Bad Wolf Barbeque (reviewed here) and Alabama BBQ Company. Both on Harford, Big Bad Wolf BBQ is a mile or so north of Alabama BBQ Company. Both are designed for take-out but eating in would be a lot more pleasant at Alabama. Big Bad Wolf is much less attractive, and has only a counter (right up against the serving area) and no tables. This might be OK if you are going alone but doesn't work if you want to eat with someone and talk to them. If you plan to eat in, go to Alabama (or even better go down to Rub in Federal Hill). If you are doing take-out (which is what both Alabama and Big Bad Wolf are set up for), decor and tables don't really matter.

Service was friendly, competent, and fast. They answered questions about what came with what and were happy to give me lots of sauces.

Big Bad Wolf is substantially cheaper. A half rack of ribs (multiple sauces included) is $8 at Big Bad Wolf and $11 (not including sauce, which adds $1.50 for one sauce). A full rack is $15 at Big Bad Wolf and $20+sauce cost at Alabama. I thought quality was similar or even slightly better at Big Bad Wolf, so Alabama seems inferior for take-out ribs.

More details about the ribs. I ordered a half-rack of pork ribs and a half rack of beef ribs (both $8). There are 6-8 sauce options. Servers were friendly and helpful. They were happy to give me as many sauces as I wanted in any (presumably within reason, but it didn't come up) quantity. Pork ribs were dry-rubbed with spices that added great flavor and were visible on the ribs. Pork ribs were a little dry relative to Rub, but about as dry as at Alabama. Beef ribs were cut across the bone like short ribs not between bones. I thought these were juicy and flavorful. (I can't compare as didn't try the beef ribs at Alabama, mostly because Alabama was rather expensive and I saw no easy way to try both pork and beef without spending $25). Ribs were served with corn bread which was not really worth the calories (but also thrown in free). I enjoyed both the Kansas City sweet and spicy sauces, though neither blew my mind.

While not the best ribs on the planet, Big Bad Wolf serves up pretty good ribs at an appealing price. If I was in the neighborhood and wanted take-out ribs, I would go to Big Bad Wolf over Alabama. If I was willing to pay a bit more and wanted to sit down, Rub provides a better product at a higher price.

Alabama BBQ Co.

Alabama BBQ Company
4311 Harford Road
Lauraville, Baltimore
410-254-1440
alabamabbqcompany.com
barbecue
Cost: $$
Reservations: Not Needed
Date of meal: Friday, September 14, 2007
National Price-Quality Frontier: Inside It
Baltimore Price-Quality Frontier: Inside It


Alabama BBQ Company is a barbecue joint designed for take-out. There are a couple of tables and a little counter. The environment is actually quite pleasant, with bright colors and tasteful furniture; there are a few free weekly magazines to read. While it is certainly possible to eat here if you want to, the tables mostly serve as a place to wait for your meal.

I ordered the rib dinner ($13 for 6 ribs plus two sides and barbecue sauce) and onion strings ($3). (To my eye, this is on the expensive side for a take-out rib joint, so I was expecting stellar ribs.) The very nice and well-intentioned woman at the counter told me that my order would take a minute as the onion strings had to be fried; the ribs were ready. They then forgot about the onion strings, did a few other things, and assembled my ribs a few minutes later. They then told me my meal (excluding onion strings) was ready. Starting the onion strings late wasn't a big deal, but it did take a bit of extra time. I mention it mostly because there seemed to be a mix-up on another customer's order while I was waiting, yet another customer's bill told to pay the wrong amount (clearly an innocent mix-up), and also because I read a comment on another website which mentioned this problem also. I don't think it is an anomaly.

I chose the mild sauce for the onion strings and the raspberry glaze for the ribs. The former was solid but the latter was particularly good. Unfortunately, neither the ribs nor the onion strings lived up to their sauces. The ribs were fine and completely edible, but they were also dry (dry-rubbed also, but I mean not juicy or moist) and didn't fall off the bone. The onion strings hadn't been mixed up properly prior to frying and therefore much of the batter hadn't cooked. The onion strings that had been cooked properly were fine but nothing special, but half of them were inedible, uncooked batter.

To sum up,

• I liked: the decor (for a take-out joint), the sauces, and the friendliness of the service.
• I was so-so on: the ribs
• I didn't like: the onion strings, order-taking and payment, the cost

Alabama BBQ Company is too expensive for how good it is. Definitely not on the National or Baltimore price-quality frontier. (There is another BBQ joint up the street that I haven't been to yet, so Alabama BBQ may not even be the best option for take-out ribs in Lauraville. I'll let you know once I've tried them both.) While on the opposite side of town, Rub provides better ribs and better service at only a slightly higher price in an environment where you can more comfortably sit if you want to.

Update (9/19): Having been to both Alabama and Big Bad Wolf one mile up Harford, Big Bad Wolf provides an equally good product with more efficient service at substantially lower prices.

Chameleon Cafe

Chameleon Cafe
4341 Harford Rd.
Lauraville, Baltimore
410-254-2376
New American
www.thechameleoncafe.com
Cost: $$$
Reservations: Not Needed
Date of meal: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 (6:30pm)
National Price-Quality Frontier: Inside It
Baltimore Price-Quality Frontier: Inside It

Chameleon Cafe is a pleasant but low-key place tucked in a row of cute stores but next to a supermarket on a busy road. The dining room is set back from the main road and high windows insulate the place from the market next door. Coupled with the sponge-painted burnt orange walls, it almost gives the place a Mexican-style stucco feel.

Service was very good. The specialty of the house is updated Maryland fare, made from high-quality local ingredients. Our server spent quite a bit of time highlighting where meets and vegetables for various dishes were raised or grown, and giving suggestions. There were no specials on the menu, though we had been told that the menu had recently been changed. While the menu highlights the origin of some of the ingredients, I confess that the flavors described didn't really leap out at me. Entrees were all in the low $20s.

Chameleon Cafe has a wine list and an extensive selection of interesting bottled beers. I had a decent trappist ale, for example.

To start, I ordered a corn bisque, which was far too salty. A dining companion ordered a different soup and also found it too salty. The friend green tomatoes another ordered as an appetizer were excellent, reflecting the excellent tomatoes used. I had their duck entree. The duck was of excellent quality and cooked perfectly. Unfortunately, the sauce in which it was served was bland and uninteresting. It was served with green beens that were plain but excellent in quality and preparation. The duck was served on a homey bed of chopped up potatoes, corn, and some sort of bean (lima?). It tasted like clam chowder without the clams and the chowder. Come to think of it, my bisque tasted like that too... but with more salt. Given the ingredients used in the food, the pricing seemed appropriate. However, the execution made me feel it was a bit overpriced.

While I liked the concept of Chameleon Cafe (excellent local ingredients prepared simply), I think the execution was only so-so. At this price point and style of food, I would prefer b Bistro. Still, if I was in northeast Baltimore, I'd be happy to eat at Chameleon Cafe.