Ribs, bibs ad barbecue

Pit crews perk up barbecue scene

Ed Murrieta, for the Northwest Guardian

Derek Choi purchased BBQ Pete’s a couple of months ago. But his is not the name that truly matters. These are the names barbecue lovers need to know: Evert. Duane. Neal. Monte.

Those are the names of the barbecue pit crew that Choi hired from the former BBQ Pete’s, which was smoked out of business more than a year ago following problems with the Internal Revenue Service. Not only did Choi rescue the barbecue crew from some fast-food jobs, he also gave Tacoma barbecue lovers a reason to buzz: Honey Bee BBQ, which now inhabits the former BBQ Pete’s.

The pit crew is the same and so is pretty much everything else, from the menu to the décor. Where things said “Pete’s,” Choi inserted “Honey Bee.” The only thing missing is servers on ladders drizzling honey on corn muffins. But the manager said that as soon as she hires and trains new staff, honey will once again drip from heights.

Until then, content yourselves with the return of finger-licking, pink-to-the-bones barbecue.

Meantime in Lacey, Bret Dodd quit the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to turn his passion for home-brewing, home-barbecuing and motor sports into a business: Speedway Brewing Company, which he opened in November. Where does the barbecue fit in?

“Every brewpub serves pub grub like burgers and pizza,” Dodd said. “I wanted to do something different.”

While Speedway’s pulled pork BBQ nachos are definitely a nod to pub grub, the menu is mostly meat – from baby back ribs to brisket to pulled pork. Plus, of course, microbrews.

Here’s a rundown of Honey Bee BBQ and Speedway Brewing Company.

Honey Bee BBQ

WHERE: 1314 72nd St. E., Tacoma; 253-535-0588.

HOURS: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, noon-9 p.m. Sundays.

WHAT’S SMOKING: St. Louis-style pork ribs, rib tips, baby back ribs, beef brisket, chicken.

WHAT’S THE WOOD: Alder.

WHAT ED ATE: The entire right-hand side of the menu – St. Louis pork ribs ($14.99 half slab, $22.99 whole), rib tips ($13.99), beef brisket ($12.99), baby back ribs ($16.99) and chicken ($12.99). Combos, $16.99-$25.99.

WHAT ED LIKED: Everything he ate. Even when I was served the gnarled end-cut of a slab of St. Louis ribs, the pork was tender, sweet and pink to the bones – with just enough crusty chewiness around the edges to give the meat character. Meat and cartilage lovers will want to stick with the rib tips. Baby backs are generally not my favorite, but these were good – thick and meaty, with just enough fat for flavor and a little something to make the meat slide off the bones. My first order of brisket was on the dry side, but my next one was marbled with veins of tender fat and lined with a smoky-pink ridge. Chicken bore a mahogany sheen but wasn’t as smoky in the middle as other meats.

WHAT ELSE: Meals served with corn bread and honey, salad (chopped romaine, not a bagged mix), baked beans (a bit too sweet for my tastes) and corn on the cob (mushy and dry by any standard). Four sauces to choose from: classic (recommended), tangy (recommended), spicy (not spicy enough) and honey-mustard (too sweet for barbecue, if you ask me). Steaks, salmon and fish and chips, too. Honey Bee also has a full-service bar/lounge, with electronic darts and pool tables.

BARBECUE RATING: * * * *

Speedway Brewing Company

WHERE: 1225 Ruddell Road S.E., Suite F, Lacey; 360-493-1616.

HOURS: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, noon-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, noon-8 p.m. Sundays.

WHAT’S SMOKING: Baby back ribs, beef brisket, pulled pork, chicken.

WHAT’S THE WOOD: Pecan, hickory, apple.

WHAT ED ATE: Baby back ribs ($12.95 half slab, $20.95 full), beef brisket ($9.95), pulled pork ($7.95), chicken ($8.95), hot links ($1.99 each).

WHAT ED LIKED: Veins of tenderizing fat ran through the two servings of brisket I ordered; no knife necessary. Pulled pork had sweet, clean swine flavor, with a nice chewiness that stopped short of dry. Baby back ribs, smoked only on Tuesdays and Thursdays, were fat (not fatty) and flavorful; they slid easily from their baby bones. Chicken breast was dry, with nary a hint of smokiness – like they took bagged bird from Costco and rubbed it with spices. Hot links, not made in house, were firm and zesty.

WHAT ELSE: Sides include the mother of all baked beans – a firm, mildly-spiced, meat-filled mound. I liked the horseradish slaw better than the wet potato salad. Mild and hot sauces (on the tables, in squeeze bottles) are serviceable. Oh, yeah: the beer. Speedway brews six kinds. Given the pub’s auto-racing theme (major races are taped and played back), it’s a natural that the beers have hot-rod handles: The Hefeweizen, for instance, is called Hemi-Weizen, after the hemispherical high-performance engine. Indeed, the wheat ale has a nice round finish. Flying Scot ale, named after Scottish driver Jackie Stewart, has a smoky peat edge. Owner Bret Dodd calls his “dark” India pale ale Cheater Slick – appropriate, since IPA shouldn’t be jet black. Given the liberties Northwest brewers take with this hopped-up style of beer, roasted barley and black patent malt make this one quaffable IPA.

BARBECUE RATING: * * *

BUT WHAT ABOUT …

Before you call and complain that I didn’t review Ranch House or Warthog or Branks or your favorite barbecue joint, visit my blog, Ed’s Diner, and tell me why you like their barbecue.

I’ll also post a rundown of previously reviewed barbecue favorites, from JT’s Original Louisiana Bar-B-Que in Tacoma to Memphis Blues in Vancouver, B.C.

Ed’s Diner: blogs.thenewstribune.com/edsdiner

Ed Murrieta: 253-597-8678