Still Smokin'

The W - a little pork, a little brisket, and 2 ribs.

The celebration of Independence Day calls for all Americans to embrace our nation's most cherished pastimes - a trip to the beach, the explosion of illegal fireworks, and consumption of copious amounts of barbecue. In recent weeks I have fulfilled my patriotic duty by revisiting a local barbecue favorite which had fallen off my radar quite some time ago. The Joint holds a special place at Blackened Out, as it was the subject of one of our first restaurant reviews for OffBeat back in November 2008. I'm sad to say that it's been almost that long since I have ventured to the Bywater for barbecue. But like the say - there's no better time than the present.

As much as I love the charm of the original location, the Joint has successfully transported the ramshackle feel to a larger and (most importantly) more air conditioned building at the corner of Mazant and Royal, just a few blocks away from its birthplace on Poland Avenue. The crowd at lunch is an eclectic mix of blue collar laborers and female trend chasers in office garb. You still order at the register, but now there is a stand alone bar and total seating for about 40 inside. Follow the sign pointing you to the restroom, and you enter a narrow courtyard with patio seating shaded by umbrellas, where you can get a firsthand look at the enormous and impressive smoking rig.


Smoke chicken, ribs, and green salad.

The menu at Joint still runs the gamut, opting to cover the full range of regional barbecue instead of focusing on one specialty. While New Orleans cannot claim a particular category as its own, the spicy, rich links of chaurice that emerge from the smoker make a convincing argument that the question of who makes the best sausage is still up for debate. A 1/4 dark meat chicken had taut peppery skin which protected moist flesh that had plenty of smoke and a mild flavor. Traditionalists need look no further than the W, which features a sampling of the three most iconic cuts of barbecue. Moist shreds of chopped pork get a spritz of the Caroline style vinegar sauce before being scooped onto lightly toasted white bread for ease of transportation. Slices of brisket alternated between good and great, depending on how fatty the particular slice. Sadly, the ribs were disappointing on consecutive visits. The bones slipped right out from underneath a tough exterior bark and terribly dry flesh, a far cry from the fatty, al dente cuts that I remember.

Sides include the standard cole slaw, baked beans, and potato salad, which I never seem to order. Instead I usually go with the green salad with smoked onion and tomato dressing, which is a perfect way to appease your guilty conscience without sacrificing flavor or (in my case) to justify ordering the mac and cheese, a rich, creamy, cheesy concoction which acts like the call of the sirens for those of us who see no reason in restraining ourselves when it comes to indulgence. Rolls of paper towels are bottles of sauce are the only table decorations to be found, a sign that even though the Joint has moved to a bigger and better location, thankfully not everything has changed.

The Joint - Par/Birdie
701 Mazant
(504) 949-3232
Mon-Sat 11:30am - 10pm

For Lunch Today...

There are not many BBQ spots in or around NOLA, but the few that we do have put out a pretty damn good product. After living in exile in Austin for four years (no victory lap for this guy), I developed a hankering for BBQ which I brought back home with me. So whenever I get the itch, I head on down St. Claude to Poland Ave and make my way to The Joint.*

The Joint is such a dive, but that's what gives it its charm.** There are maybe 8 picnic tables and benches inside and a few outside, the A/C barely works, and the "bathroom" door is a curtain. But they make some great BBQ, so ambiance be damned.

In some regions, your choice of BBQ meats is strongly dependent on where you are. Brisket and sausage in Texas, pulled pork in the Carolinas, ribs in Memphis and St. Louis. Not the case at The Joint. They have Texas style beef brisket, St. Louis cut pork spareribs, Carolina pulled pork, smoked chicken on the bone, and a local Cajun specialty of smoked chaurice sausage. Can't decide which one to choose? No problem, go with the 3 meat combo plate. Oh and don't worry, they have both thick, sweet sauce for the brisket and thin, spicy sauce for the pulled pork.

As for sides, my favorite is the mac & cheese. The baked beans are rather light in color from the absence of tomato, but they are still sweet with either molasses or brown sugar. If you need a little greenery, order the salad with smoked tomato and onion dressing.

Finish it off with a slice of peanut butter pie for dessert, and you've got yourself one hell of a lunch. So head on out to the Bywater, tuck your tie inside your shirt (if necessary), and dive right into some great BBQ at The Joint.

* This "For Lunch Today..." goes out to Big Brutal Dave ("BBD"), an avid reader of the blog. He had some, shall we say, "complaints" yesterday:
BBD: f*king let me ask you this
where the f*ck was i supposed to go to lunch today
if yall didnt tell me
d*cks
Peter: You are in Baton Rouge, mother f*cker
We only do it for NOLA
BBD: so f*cking what
its bullsh*t
you didnt do it for nola today
thats what im saying
Peter: Agreed
At blackenedout we try to post everyday
Sometimes we need to bill though
BBD: well where should i eat
or should i have eaten

**I noticed on The Joint's website that it will be featured on the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives," so some of you may think that I am guilty of plagiarism. But let it be known that I have been patronizing The Joint and calling it a dive long before Guy Fieri has. End of rant.