Southern Food: Soul Food, Cajun/Creole food, BBQ in Boston (Worcester: appointed, house)

[Champ le monstre du lac]

OK I was watching the Food Network and they were showing various restaurants in places like Savannah and New Orleans and it was making me hungry. I'm thinking Southern food like

Fried Chicken (not just Popeyes, but with soul, flavor, etc..)
Collard Greens
BBQ - Memphis Ribs
Biscuits
Grits
Gravy
Beans and Rice
Shrimp Po boys
Crawdads/Crayfish with hot sauce
sweet potatoes
Southern Turkey recipes

you get the picture...

I'm trying to think of where to find such places in and around the Boston area and I'm drawing blanks. They must be out there somewhere. Cajun is particularly hard to find. Anybody know where to get good Southern food in the Boston area?

[wxjay]

The one place that I have been to for BBQ that is close to the South is Redbones in Somerville, MA. Get the fried pickles while you're there too.

Now, if you are used to BBQ from the South (Carolina or Memphis) you might be disappointed. But for Boston and the Northeast, it's legit.

[goyguy]

Redbones is awful. True, they're soon going to be open at a second location in Kendall Square. But a popular hamburger take-out place in Des Plaines IL also opened in another location, then in another and then in another. Now there are tens of thousands of McDonald's all over the world. Few are those who'd say Mickey D's is a good place to buy a cow sandwich.

For those of us in Boston who are either Suth'na's or were raised by them, it's a sad situation. Much advantage is taken of the supposed aversion to "hot" food that New Englanders have, as well as their cultural and gastronomic ignorance. Lots more BBQ and soul-food places have led short-lived existences than have survived.

One spot I've yet to try is Daryl's Corner Bistro in the South End, and I should get over my cynical self and do so. Daryl's was a much-loved soul food joint called Bob the Chef's for decades until the original owner retired. The new proprietor sought to yuppify the place under the mistaken assumption that he could keep the loyal clientele while drawing in the gentrifiers. Before too long the restaurant had gone belly-up, then was reincarnated using the grandiose Stork Club name only to flatline again after a short time. It's said that this latest version may be the best since the original. For all who are interested in seeing (and tasting) for themselves, Daryl's is on Columbus Ave - left side of the street, a short block beyond Mass. Ave when you're heading out from downtown.

A decent spot for 'cue is Bison County, on Moody St in Waltham, where genuine buffalo-meat dishes are actually in shorter supply than variations on the BBQ theme. I have a special place in my heart and tummy for the mustard-based sauces of South Carolina, since my family roots are sunk deep in the Palmetto State. They serve a "perfectly decent" rendition in this small place on Metro West's Restaurant Row.

Overrated in my opinion, but tolerable, are the Blue Ribbon Barbecue restaurants in Newton and Arlington. Their focus is more on the tomato/vinegar 'cue of North Carolina. You're in for a treat if grits happen to be on the menu when you go. They do make a slammin' version of that Suth'n specialty.

INtolerably overrated is Cambridge's Coast Café, which is a crying shame because...not only are they an easy walk from my home, I know the proprietors' family. (Shhhhh! ) The collegiate, grad-student, and hipster/yuppie types - the kind who show how cool they are by saying "I love me some sushi/martinis/whatever" - give it lotsa business and affection. As a rule they're clueless slumming Caucasians who've maybe ventured as far south as Washington DC in their lives. This Suth'na-raised palate gives a big thumbs-down to their flour-battered chicken, so-not-homemade mac n' cheese, flavorless greens, cornmeal-dipped catfish, etc.

I wish I had more good to say about more Suth'n/soul-food/BBQ restaurants in Greater Boston.

[lrfox]

I agree with goyguy, Rebones is terrible if you've ever had real BBQ (no matter which regional take, KC, Texas, SC, Memphis, etc... ). I mean awful. It's about as authentic as the "smokey bones" chain. I'm not a Southerner myself, by my father's side of the family is from VA, SC, and NC and I'm in that area quite a bit and have grown to love good BBQ. I've had great BBQ in Kansas City (military relatives stationed nearby), and outside of Dallas. There are only a handful of places in New England that I would say are passable with BBQ (fewer than a handful for "Soul Food" in general). Redbones isn't one of them.

My go to for Southern cooking in Boston is Slades Bar and Grill. It's avoided the yuppification because it's on the wrong side of Mass. (Tremont at Hammond St) Ave so it's fantastically authentic. It is gritty and by no means a fancy place, but it's the closest thing I've had to real Southern Cooking in Boston. Not so much BBQ, but the best fried chicken I've had up North. The fried fish looks excellent too. They also do music and dancing frequently. It's a good place to spend a few hours. Cheap. It is by far my number one recommendation for anyone in Boston looking for real Southern food.

As far as BBQ goes, I haven't had good BBQ in Boston. Most places I've tried range from "meh" to "awful" and cater to crowds that are clueless about real BBQ (read, hipster or yuppie). The Best BBQ I've had in New England is from a trailer with a pit behind it in Bethel, ME called "BBQ Bob's." Very good and open year round. If you get get up there (great skiing, leaf peeping and canoeing), check it out. It's on Route 2/26 near the Irving Station in Newry (right outside of Bethel).

I've also had decent BBQ at United BBQ in Providence. Not wonderful, but passable by New England standards and certainly better than Redbones.

Both of those places are on Boston.com's list of New England's 10 Best BBQ places. I've never been to any of the others.

[xS☺B☺s]

Agree with PPs. Good Southern, Cajun, and BBQ is poorly represented in BOS. I used to get take out from Daryl's which at the time was still Bob the Chef's. There was a decent Cajun place near Berklee many years ago. Forgot the name.

A few years ago right here on CD some restauranteur from Texas was telling us in detail how he was going to bring real BBQ to BOS. I highly encouraged him telling him how among the multitude of great Indian/Asian/Euro Cuisines well represented in BOS, BBQ was conspicuous void on the menu and he really ought to go for it.


Nope, BOS needs good Southern. It doesn't have it.

[Champ le monstre du lac]

What inspired me to write this thread was by watching Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" where he went to the heart and soul of Cajun Country in Louisiana. My mouth was watering. Seriously thinking about it makes me ponder booking airfare down to New Orleans this weekend. Surprisingly I've had good Cajun food when I lived in Seattle, but there is also a large black community in Tacoma, WA that had transplanted from Louisiana.

I guess I has opened this thread to include other types of Southern food like Soulfood and BBQ as I knew in the back of my mind that perhaps finding good Cajun food with all that Louisiana spice and flavor may be a lost cause here in Metro Boston. Sad ...hell I would drive all the way to Worcester, Hartford, or Providence to find it. Thus I knew there was failry decent BBQ here and there. Fried Chicken, not so much. But I'll have to go to that place in Roxbury that Irfox recommended.

Boston does seem to have an aversion to spice. What we do here (Italian, Seafood, Portuguese etc...) we do it well. Variations of Asian like Thai and Indian, even Vietnamese seem to do well in Boston. Boston has always been known to come up short on Mexican, but lately that really has been gettting better around these parts and I have noticed that there are now other options besides Border Cafe for Mexican (like the Howling Wolf Taquiera in Salem, very good New Mexican inspired cuisine).


Anyway, carry on there could be more BBQ and soulfood that others may chime in on that we don't know about, and please please please ....do tell if anyone knows of a good Cajun Restaurant anywhere in New England.

[merwin101]

In Cambridge, look into Tupelo (http://www.tupelo02139.com/dinner.html - broken link) in Inman Square and Hungry Mother in Kendall Square.

These places are 'Southern-inspired' and may have a higher end feel (Hungry Mother more so than Tupelo) than one would typically expect when looking for this type of food.

[Cantabridgienne]

Love Hungry Mother!

[shiver]

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who isn't impressed with Redbones. It's okay, but I don't get the hype. Blue Ribbon BBQ in Arlington (location in Newton, as well) is better IMO, but still not stellar. I love BBQ and I've had the "real thing" in TX, Memphis, St. Louis, and KC so I'm definitely picky.

Soulfire on Harvard Ave in Allston is okay. I wouldn't go completely out of my way for it, but if you happen to be in the area or live somewhat near there, it's worth checking out. I've actually heard some decent reviews from friends about Smoken Joe's in Brighton Center, but just haven't had a chance to go yet.

The menu at Highland Kitchen in Somerville is Southern/Cajun inspired. I've been there once and, while I can't remember what I had, it was pretty good.

I love the Chowhound boards for restaurant suggestions. The posters on there really know their stuff and often know about some excellent, lesser known places.

[mattry]

The best hands down is Mrs. Jones in the Lower Mills section of Dorchester.

The Chef (Mr. Jones) is born and raised in Prichard, Alabama and the food he serves in every bit as good as the Soul Food I loved when I lived for a while Down South.

Fried Chicken, Collards, MacnCheese, Smothered Pork Chops. Its all amazing.

For BBQ Blue Ribbon is my go-to in a pinch. But the news of them no longer smoking on site and rather at a commissary are disheartening and explain the drop in quality during my recent visits.

Redbones new location in Kendall is tolerable, not great, but tolerable.

One great place that is only open in the summer is the Formaggio Kitchen Saturday BBQ. Get there early and line up, smoked early that morning and heated up to order on the grill. Wont substitute for Down South, but its the best in the area.

Also I agree about Hungry Mother. It is not traditional Soul Food, but its French-Southern inspired cooking. Even though that sounds somewhat off putting, it really is a fusion that works. Plus they have the best House Brewed Sweet Tea in the Boston area.