[demoknite]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

I hate to tell you this, but I really believe that true South Texas Mesquite BBQ puts Memphis BBQ to shame. That said, we don't have a lot of BBQ in Las Vegas for some reason, and for several years our best was called Memphis BBQ. They had three locations, but I don't know if any are still open though. The one on Rainbow or Decatur (I forget which it was) has closed. We have never had any real Texas BBQ although a couple of places have claimed to be. They weren't and they didn't last. Buzz BBQ is excellent, maybe the best in town IMO. But now we've discovered The Road Kill Grill at John Mull's Meats on Thom Blvd. It's a fun place. Like going to an old fashioned joint in Houston or Memphis or KC. You can eat outside on picnic tables, but it's mostly take away.

Memphis BBQ has at least one location on Craig and LVB by the Air Force Base. It's always crowded when I make my way up there and while Im not a big BBQ connissuer it is very good in my opinion. And they actually smoke the meat instead of baking it and putting BBQ sauce on it.

[gvc8]

Originally Posted by Croce

I think the place was mismanaged. They took away the live music, then the dance floor. They added more dining tables where the dance floor was and it just was not an atmosphere conducive to dining. Service was on the decline too and once a place starts down the groupon road, watch out. It will probably reincarnate itself as a Mexican or Asian place. Not to worry,we still have a few restaurants left to choose from.

that location used to be a RoadRunner Saloon , bar/grill with video gambling. when north forty took over , I guess they didnt have a gamber's license because they took out all the bar machines.

[von949]

Originally Posted by demoknite

Memphis BBQ has at least one location on Craig and LVB by the Air Force Base. It's always crowded when I make my way up there and while Im not a big BBQ connissuer it is very good in my opinion. And they actually smoke the meat instead of baking it and putting BBQ sauce on it.

I believe the ONLY reason that place is still open is because it is so convenient to the people that work at the base. When I lived across the street from there about 3 years ago, lunch time was always packed, dinner time not so much. Me and my co-workers would go there for pay-day lunch about once a month and always returned from lunch late. That's how busy the place was.

At night it was a ghost town. I'm thinking it is a little too expensive for the average person living in that area. A lot of low income people in that area and a $10 plate of ribs to feed one person is a bit much.


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[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by von949

At night it was a ghost town. I'm thinking it is a little too expensive for the average person living in that area. A lot of low income people in that area and a $10 plate of ribs to feed one person is a bit much.

The problem with a BBQ joint -- a real one at least -- is the fact that it's a hard sell in this town to offer $5 worth of raw pork ribs for $30. When you get down to it, there are 2 kinds of people:

1) The people who understand that smoking ribs for five hours adds a considerable amount to the overhead, and thus the $30 price tag. Unfortunately for the BBQ joints, these people usually own their own smoker and are quite happy to do it themselves.

2) People who think par-boiled, grill-finished ribs equals "barbecue." These people get their ribs at Applebee's for $12.99 a slab. They get what they pay for. But they don't know from quality.


"Don't know from quality," seems to be a common thread to my food posts, lately.

[demoknite]

Originally Posted by von949

I believe the ONLY reason that place is still open is because it is so convenient to the people that work at the base. When I lived across the street from there about 3 years ago, lunch time was always packed, dinner time not so much. Me and my co-workers would go there for pay-day lunch about once a month and always returned from lunch late. That's how busy the place was.

At night it was a ghost town. I'm thinking it is a little too expensive for the average person living in that area. A lot of low income people in that area and a $10 plate of ribs to feed one person is a bit much.


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Agreed. However, I think they must be getting some business outside of lunch hours otherwise they wouldnt remain open at that time. Remember there are still people that work late hours on the base and plenty of base employees live on the base or very close and would definitely get a pulled pork sandwich for dinner on the way home from shift work.
But there are many places that rely on one meal out of the day to make their bank. Ive drunkenly waited 20 mins for a table at IHOP and similar ****ty breakfast places (chain and local) and driven by at dinner time to see an empty restaurant. Some places on the strip that make a lot of money are only open for dinner service, for example. Michael Mina isnt serving up omlettes for breakfast nor does he have a lunch service.

[NLVgal]

Originally Posted by demoknite

But there are many places that rely on one meal out of the day to make their bank. Ive drunkenly waited 20 mins for a table at IHOP and similar ****ty breakfast places (chain and local) and driven by at dinner time to see an empty restaurant. Some places on the strip that make a lot of money are only open for dinner service, for example. Michael Mina isnt serving up omlettes for breakfast nor does he have a lunch service.

I believe the Cracked Egg on Cheyenne follows this business model. They are open for breakfast and lunch, but I think they close at 2PM.

If I opened a restaurant (which I will never do, having watched enough people mess up their lives on Restaurant Impossible, and having read Bourdain's excellent book) I would try that business model as it allows to the owners to at least have something of a life.

Buzz BBQ slow smokes their meat. The brisket is off the chain tender. I just wish they had cornbread. They have regular bread, and I believe it's house made. It's quite tasty. I just like cornbread with BBQ. Cornbread with honey butter would be even better. Maybe I'll drop them a suggestion card next time I go in.

[SportyandMisty]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

...

When you get down to it, there are 2 kinds of people:

1) The people who understand that smoking ribs for five hours adds a considerable amount to the overhead, and thus the $30 price tag. Unfortunately for the BBQ joints, these people usually own their own smoker and are quite happy to do it themselves.

I don't own my own smoker, but I feel as passionately about coffee, so I own my own coffee roaster.

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

...2) People who think par-boiled, grill-finished ribs equals "barbecue." These people get their ribs at Applebee's for $12.99 a slab. They get what they pay for. But they don't know from quality...

In coffee land, Starbucks (or *$ or charbucks) is the coffee equivalent of Applebees. It is consistent -- consistently mediocre.

[NLVgal]

The best coffee I ever had was at Aria at an Epicurian scholarship event, and I've been to Blue Mountain, Jamaica.

That coffee didn't suck either.

I'm currently fond of Gevalia, but since I quit my job I may have to switch back to Nine O Clock Bean Coffee. If you grind it yourself, it's pretty good.

As far as owning your own coffee roaster- good for you. I'm an efficiency expert and that doesn't work for me, but I admire the effort. Perhaps one day you will offer me a cuppa.

[ScoopLV]

The two best places to get coffee in the valley -- at least from a "bang for the buck" angle -- Jones Market at Jones and Spring Mountain and Costco.

Both sell excellent coffee for $6/pound. Any time I see Rwandan at Costco, I buy several bags. And if I can't get that, I go for the Baltic coffee from Jones. Just be careful because the clerks at Jones always try to grind it. When you tell them you want whole bean, they look at you as if you have two heads.

[demoknite]

---Observer 53----

Enough about coffee, lets stay on the subject of closed restaurants.

amirite or what???