Blue Ribbon BBQ

February 7, 2008

Blue Ribbon Bar-B-Q, Arlington, MA

I took the day off work today. I decided to take advantage of the weekday off (usually I go somewhere where one can enjoy weekdays), so I went to Blue Ribbon Bar-B-Q in the depths of the Boston suburbs for some good, authentic Carolina style pulled pork. It was busy (undoubtedly, not as busy as it would be on weekends), but I managed to find a spot at a standing counter to enjoy my sandwich. I enjoyed it so much that I realized halfway through it that they had accidentally given me a pulled chicken sandwich rather than the pulled pork that I ordered. I was in heaven as it was, and it didn't bother me one bit. Anyone from the South knows that the meat is second to the preparation...smoked, dry-rubbed, and free to add whatever sauce you want (I chose the Carolina Vinegar, which is a great dipping sauce). The baked beans were out of this world (I was standing across from two business people visiting from the New York area, and all they could utter was, "out of this world" in their thick accents). The pickles there are awesome, too...pull them out of a vat with tongs, and if you're lucky, you'll get a nice pickled clove of garlic and a sprig of collards as well.

This place is well worth the ride. It's accessible by public transportation...just take the Green Line to Park, the Red Line to Harvard, and then the 77 bus towards Arlington Heights to 905 Mass Ave. You can't miss it. It'll take you about an hour and 15 minutes, but on a snowy day in Boston, the ride is worth it.