Gastronomy612’s Weblog

I must admit. I have a guilty pleasure, multiple actually, but only one that pertains to this post. I love Chili’s baby-back ribs, and loved these ribs before Michael Scott suggested going to Chili’s for every work outing, and even before that annoying, yet catchy jingle got stuck in the heads of Americans, so much so that they had to sing the chorus out loud. I will abstain from writing said lyrics.

I live in the midst of Minneapolis’ Eat Street District, home to myriad locally owned restaurants featuring various cultural cuisines. Lucky for me, I often get fliers in my mail box with menus and was immediately blown away to have a BBQ joint right behind my building (because surely Market BBQ down the street was too far) with reasonable prices. Last Friday, David and I popped in for a late night treat to gear up for watching some episodes of The Tudors.

Mr. B’s is a small space but has cafeteria style seating, and some high tables with equally suitable stools. Having never been to an authentic southern rib joint, the decor pleased me with vinyl, checkered table cloths, and brick wall paper. The staff was friendly, and helpful with the menu, as it was surprising to be offered so many sides with a meal. Believe it or not, Mr. B himself made an appearance and chatted it up with us as we were getting our rack of ribs, toast, fries, greens and coleslaw (to go of course! We had Tudors episodes to watch, duh!). Mr. B made some funny, albeit inappropriate comments that had us laughing out the door and into the next day.

Most importantly though, the ribs. The ribs were delightful. They had a wet sauce, a smoky and spicy flavor much unlike Chili’s overly sweet sauce that drowns out any flavor of the meat. Mr. B’s ribs were very tender and did not require much prying from the bone, unlike the ribs of Market BBQ. You could tell that Mr. B slow cooked those ribs for a long time just because of how rich the flavor penetrated the meat and fell off the bone.

For $23 we got all of the above, a real deal. I must also mention that i am addicted to french fries. Mr. B’s french fries were PERFECT. They were crispy, nicely browned, and seasoned perfectly with season salt. I am not so much a fan of coleslaw or “greens” (WTF), but that’s because A) i don’t understand what greens are and B) I think I have that KFC coleslaw of my childhood stuck in my head. Mr. B’s coleslaw, like his fries were near perfect and had I not loaded up on ribs and fries, I’d have ventured more into that cup of slaw. The toast ain’t bad either; also a nice complement to any saucy meal to wipe up the mess I’d otherwise leave on my plate.

Mr. B, you’re all right in my book. I’d go back any time, and not just because I live near it.

Oh! and don’t worry friends, you get plenty of napkins and wet naps if you decide to get this, or Mr. B’s other southern food (think fried chicken, corn bread, and pulled pork sammies) to go.

(612) 879-0400

BBQ at a glance