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December 30, 2000 BIG D'S BBQ BARN
Atmosphere ** Pricing: dinner for two, not including tax & tip: about $16 Atmosphere There's a plow hanging from the ceiling at Big D's BBQ Barn. You'll see it as you first arrive, for it dwarfs the entry where guests queue up for dinner. A couple of ladies stand behind the counter, ready to ring up orders and refresh trays of food as they are depleted. Hanging above the heads of these ladies is a cafeteria-style menu board listing all the food available at Big D's, including a few noteworthy items that are probably overlooked quite often. Let's face it: the BBQ buffet here is the big draw. Big D's vast dining room has dozens of tables with linen tablecloths covered with glass. In the center of every table is an aluminum napkin dispenser, a bottle of ketchup, and salt & pepper shakers. The chairs have wooden ladderbacks and are only moderately uncomfortable. The windows in front look out into the parking lot and across the street at the Waccamaw Pottery. Old photographs and country kitsch – crosscut saws, yokes, washboards, and ceramic pigs – fill any decorative void. A couple of huge hornets' nests hang at opposite ends of the dining room. There is no area for non-smokers, though there's a smaller, dimly lit and rather claustrophobic room for private parties near the buffet area. Depending on the season, a reasonable number of the other diners at Big D's will be local fellows with very impressive bellies dressed in camouflage and hats. We saw several "comfortable couples" in matching wind suits and fleece during our visits here, as well as many children. Our own rugrats, invited to eat what they liked, exuberantly attacked the buffet, delirious with a sense of culinary freedom. There's a stuffed squirrel on the wall. When we visited shortly before the holidays, it was wearing a Santa Claus hat, as were several of the other mounted animals – mostly bucks and ducks. Certainly this is no place for the squeamish. But at least we aren't surrounded by the mounted heads of hogs and chickens, for we dined most heartily on both here at Big D's BBQ Barn. Service Big D's is a buffet, so there's theoretically no service here. A small crew, mostly women in casual dress – no uniforms – serve as staff, and they are conscientious about polling tables to make sure everybody is happy. (One named Glynes is extraordinarily friendly and helpful.) However, something strange happened when we visited Big D's a second time. We called in advance and asked if several tables could be pushed together for our party of 15. "Come on ahead!" we were told. When we arrived, our request had not been fulfilled. We offered to move the tables ourselves – our group, which included five strong men and five energetic kids, could have redecorated the entire place with little effort - but we were politely asked to leave the tables as they were. Food The all-you-care-to-eat buffet costs $8 for adults, $4.75 for kids 10 or younger; kids 3 and under eat free when their accompanying adults are dining at the buffet. It typically includes some 16 selections, plus several sauces and gravies, and an all-you-can-drink beverage (sweet tea, pop, or coffee). The barbecued chicken is smoky, succulent, and falls off the bone. The fried chicken is the genuine article, an outstanding example of that amazingly greasy art form, as are the biscuits. "The biscuits rock," pronounced 11-year-old Matt, Jr., who himself makes a FINE biscuit from scratch and is therefore qualified to make such a statement. However, several of our party lamented the absence of jelly and syrup for Big D's rockin' little biscuits; real butter would also be a nice touch. The buffet also includes homemade corn bread, fresh coleslaw, superb baked beans, rice and four gravies, chicken bog, Fordhook lima beans, steamed cabbage, pork skins - all the good Southern standards. The sweet potato soufflé, rich and buttery with a lovely sweet dark crust, was a big hit with our party, as was the old-fashioned sweet potato pudding. They served nicely as dessert. On our second visit, we asked about the very tasty ribs we sampled the first time we ate at Big D's. The ribs are put on the buffet only when they are requested in advance, we were told. If you think of it, call ahead and make the request! And the barbecue itself? Oddly enough, this was where Big D's fell a wee bit short of expectation. The shredded pork was absolutely tender, subtly and deliciously flavored, and available in both vinegar and mustard styles. Unfortunately, however, it was a bit dry, on our first AND second visits, which took place in late and early evening. According to Glynes, Big D's in Hemingway (which is run by different members of the Davis family) cooks and transports a whole hog to Big D's at the Pottery once each week. Perhaps it loses a bit in the transition. Happily, the two excellent barbecue sauces on the buffet are perfect for masking this slight dryness. A few other items on the menu are worth mentioning here. The special ($4.60) includes a choice of one meat (anything from the buffet, or pork chops cooked to order), two vegetables, and biscuits or cornbread. Barbecued pork or chicken sandwiches are $2.50; sides include fries ($1), onion rings ($1.65), and sweet potato sticks ($1.65). Hams ($3.75/lb.) and pork shoulders ($3.50/lb.) can be ordered a week in advance; whole BBQ or fried chickens are available for $6.75. Summary Big D's BBQ Barn offers excellent old-fashioned country comfort food for seriously hungry eaters. But if your idea of culinary hedonism is an extra helping of green salad, you should probably skip Big D's, for there's no green salad here. "I can feel my arteries harden!" one of our party grinned as she bit into a second biscuit. Those biscuits are made, we suspect, with real lard, and probably the fried chicken is, too. There is really nothing here for those who count calories and fat grams, and all that we could recommend to vegetarian diners is the coleslaw ($1.90/pt.), as anything else is likely to have some meat in it somewhere. After a shopping excursion at the Pottery, skip the Food Court and stop at Big D's for lunch or dinner, Tuesday through Saturday. Try to come when they're a bit busy, so the food is being made fresh for the buffet (a good rule of thumb at any buffet, actually). If you aren't intimidated by a few hundred extra fat grams, it would be difficult to find better eatin' for better prices. Do your belly a favor and skip lunch on the day of your visit to Big D's BBQ Barn. You'll want to save your appetite. Can you think of a little-known restaurant with excellent food that you'd like to see reviewed in this column? We invite you to contact us at table42@wrightforyou.com! |
