Boy, is the old
adage true that the secret is in the sauce, especially at Wood Ranch
BBQ and Grill! The Southern California chain has fourteen locations and we wish
just one of them was here in Miami, even with their stiff, wooden
lodge feel. Things didn't start off on the best foot as our server
didn't reach the table to greet us for quite some time. It was agony
seeing the smiling patrons wiping barbecue sauce off their faces and
fingers while our stomachs growled. But Wood Ranch made up for the
lapses in service with the best barbecue-- served in generous
portions-- we've tried in a long while.
The meal began with a basket of warm rolls coated in garlic, parsley, and butter.
They are everything you look for in rolls: chewy, crusty, and soft.
Then, we split two items. The BBQ chopped salad ($12.95 with chicken,
$13.95 with tri tip) includes fresh lettuce, white corn, black beans,
tortilla strips, Monterey jack, scallions, tomatoes, cilantro, and
ranch dressing. The chicken is smothered in a barbecue sauce that has
a hint of sweet, but is mostly savory. It adds a rich, smokey flavor.
Afraid that the salad would be overdressed with either the barbecue
sauce or ranch dressing, much to our delight no ingredient
overpowered the other in a perfectly copacetic relationship that
brings out each of the flavors in the salad and is an automatic
recipe for success.
The western tri
tip sandwich ($12.95) comes with Monterrey jack, sauteed onions and
peppers, and real au jus. Jardiniere is served upon request.
Smothered in barbecue sauce, the meat has the aforementioned taste
through and through and makes the sandwich as messy, yet delicious,
as barbecue should be. And the signature side chosen to complement
the sandwich was the mac and cheese, which is a solid effort,
although the macaroni was a bit overcooked. Not too cheesy, but
cheesy enough.
Perhaps
the reason why Wood Ranch serves up such incredible barbecue is
because all of their barbecue items are prepared using
two-step cooking process. First, they slow-roast overnight the ribs,
tri tip roasts, chickens and prime rib. Then, they grill and sauce
them to order over a live mesquite wood fire. The results are mouth
watering.
Wood Ranch BBQ and Grill
189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles
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