Friday, January 24, 2014

Denton Strikes Barbecue!

Just west of the square on Hickory and down a small corridor, sits Gold Mine Barbecue. A relatively new establishment that certainly merits a visit for those looking for BBQ in Denton.

As any good "miner" of barbecue, my friends and I first did a little "prospecting" (as the menu referred to the appetizers).  I'm a fan of good Fried Pickles, so I was intrigued by their being coated with their "Gold Dust" dry rub.  Personally, I found that it made the pickles a bit gritty, like corn meal, but most of my friends thought they were quite good.

Another member of the party ordered the "Burnt Ends".  I place this is quotations because they were not at all what I was expecting.  A fan of burnt ends would expect a very rich, deep flavor, including some charring and what is known as the "bark".  These have no such flavor - albeit, they do taste very good - but I wouldn't recommend for someone that is expecting the typical burnt ends.  These were tender chunks of brisket that were covered in sauce.  I enjoyed them, but know what to expect if you order them.

Dinners come with 2 sides, and you can choose from Fries, Mac&Cheese, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Green Beans, BBQ Baked Beans, Fried Okra, or a Side Salad. Being my first visit, I went with the standard Cole Slaw and Baked Beans.  I enjoyed the cole slaw, it was akin to what you might expect at a KFC, rather than the shredded cabbage stirred I a light vinegar that is more typical with Texas BBQ.

The BBQ Baked Beans weren't as savory as I would have liked, having a very sharp, tangy BBQ flavor instead.  From the rest of the party, I'm told that the fried okra, mac & cheese and fries were all good.

But we were really there for the meat! And all of the meat we tried was very good. I selected Ribs and Sliced Brisket and neither disappointed.  The brisket was lean, yet moist, have a good smokiness and was tender and flavorful.  The ribs had a little bark and came clean off the bone.  I will warn the Texas BBQ Traditionalist - the ribs come with a little of the house original sauce on them, which is sweet, so you may want to ask for your ribs dry.  On the other hand, if you're a Carolina transplant, these may be just what you've been waiting for!

A few friends ordered Turkey and were quite pleased. They tell me it had a good consistency and smokiness and they would order it again.

The last aspect I'll mention is the pricing. If you just check their menu on the web, you may be scared off by the prices (plates run from 10.99 for a one-meat to 17.99 for a four-meat plate), but the portions are ample.  I will usually order a 3-meat plate, but the Gold Mine 2-meat plate was more than enough.

So, if you're looking for something new - or just have a hankerin' for some 'que, give Gold Mine a try!


 
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/13/1782230/restaurant/Gold-Mine-BBQ-Denton"><img alt="Gold Mine BBQ on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1782230/minilogo.gif" style="border:none;width:104px;height:15px" /></a>