County Barbeque ( 1352 W. Taylor St.; dmkcountybarbeque.com ) is a little eatery/bar that has some items with big taste. It's a place that's truly smokin' ( pun intended ).
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This place truly reflects the South, down to the country music that was blaring over the table my friend and I shared. ( You definitely won't hear Gaga in this joint. ) The music made conversation a little hard to hold, but there was no denying the friendliness of a staff that includes chef Britt Arlen, manager Crystal, and bartenders/servers Izzy and Derek.
Bourbon is a mainstay at County, as there's an extensive list of the whiskey ( from several distilleries, including Jim Beam and Maker's Mark ). However, it's also present in several of the cocktails, including the Cornbread Moon ( Buffalo Trace, Blis bourbon barrel maple syrup, lemon and allspice dram ) and a very tasty Swingin Doors ( Old Grand Dad, ginger syrup, raspberry syrup and grapefruit ).
As for food, County has all the items that you'd expect at a barbecue restaurantand most of them are done quite well. The Bacon & Barbeque Parfait is a bar bite that's definitely worth savoring, as it combines grits, cheddar, spicy BBQ sauce, pork burnt ends and bacon. The BLT sliders were very tasty; however, my friend and I were a little disappointed with the bread, which crumbled in our hands.
Bread was also an initial concern with the pulled pork sandwichbut the ciabatta is needed for this massive concoction, which comes with cole slaw, pickles and a lot of Carolina mustard sauce. My friend had the veal brisket ( which is served Wednesdays through Sundays ), and it was tender and flavorful.
However, as good as the sandwiches are, the sides are even better. The corn puddingwhich somehow manages to be creamy, sweet and buttery simultaneouslyis proof there is a God, and I would return to County for this item alone. Other offerings include the mac 'n' cheese ( with the option of added burnt ends ), fried green tomatoes, collard greens and sweet-potato fries.
If you miraculously have room after consuming all that, definitely stick around for dessert. The bread pudding we tried was unreal, but there are also pies, candy-bar ice cream ( such as Snickers ) and even chocolate-chip cookie dough.
This place is definitely worth the trek to University Village.