4 /5 Running Deep: Big Hoss BBQ is off the “beaten path,” but it’s worth the drive to give them a try. We went on a Friday night around 7 pm and the place was almost empty. The restaurant has a quaint (maybe cheesy?) old west theme on the inside walls with a combination of folding tables/chairs in the large open room and booths along the walls. The server was friendly and attentive.
We ordered the Fried Mozzarella Sticks as an appetizer. Pretty basic cheese sticks, about the same that you get from in a frozen bag from the store. We won’t get it again and will try one of their more interesting appetizers next time (hopefully something that they make themselves and not buy in a bag). For our main course, we had a Four Meat Combo Plate, Three Meat Combo Plate, and the Chicken Fried Steak. All the plates came with a choice of two sides. Let’s start with the star of the show….the BBQ!
Sliced Brisket. Some BBQ places ask if you want lean or moist sliced brisket. We weren’t given a choice and the brisket on all the plates was definitely lean. It had a noticeable bark and a thin smoke ring. Meaty is the right word for it, but a little dry since there was very little fat. The brisket had good flavor and when paired with the provided BBQ sauce, was very good. Each plate had five half-slices of brisket.
Pork Spare Ribs. You get three to four ribs on the plate. The ribs were very meaty and the meat was firm and tender the way that I think ribs should be (not fall-off-the-bone) with a noticeable smoke ring. Very good.
Baby-Back Ribs. You get three to four ribs on the plate and they charge an extra $3.75 to get the baby back ribs. They were good, but since the combo plates are already $27.95 (3 meat) and $32.95 (4 meat), I don’t think they’re worth the extra cost. Stick with the pork spare ribs.
Pulled Pork. This was a small pile of overly-sauced pulled pork that was okay, but the sauce was over-powering and it wasn’t very appetizing. I’d skip the pulled pork and stick with the pork spare ribs and sliced brisket.
Jalapeño Sausage. You get five or six slices of sausage on the plate. This was good jalapeno sausage. It doesn’t have a smoked flavor, and it wasn’t grilled, but we still enjoyed it. I hope they make it in house but based on some of the other dishes, I’m not so sure. Either way, I’d get it again.
My wife got the Chicken Fried Steak (she tries it whenever it is on the menu). She got it with the gravy on the side, which is why it is bare in the photo. Based on the look, it appears that the chicken fried steak is not made in house (see photo). It was tender and the breading wasn’t overwhelming, but nothing to get too excited about. The gravy was good, and my wife asked for extra with her leftover to-go meal. The plate was supposed to come with Red Skin Mashed Potatoes and Whole Kernal Corn but came out with fries instead of the corn. The server quickly brought out a side of corn and let us keep the fries. If you like chicken fried steak, this won’t blow your socks off but it’s an okay option. My wife will get the BBQ next time. Last thing, I really liked the potato salad and cole slaw. The battered Texas fries were good, and the mac-n-cheese was okay.
BBQ is always expensive when eating out and Big Hoss is not far off what we expected for prices. I might be wrong, but it seems that Big Hoss relies on pre-made items to fill out their menu, but the BBQ is very good overall. I would recommend giving Big Hoss a try…you won’t be blown away, but it’s worth the trip. Plus, I like supporting the local restaurants and getting away from the big chain restaurants.
