Barbecue is good for us.

Well, as the academic semester has started again there’s unfortunately been less BBQ in our lives. So sad. But I’ve recently revisited two joints that were previously reviewed here, so I thought I’d post some short updates.

Looney’s BBQ, Berkeley – (Original Review) One of the first joints we reviewed here, Looney’s seems to have improved somewhat over the last months. I had a brisket sandwich that was probably as good as any I’ve had in the Bay Area. The beef was well smoked, great beef flavor, and not too fatty, which is a rarity for brisket around here. Andrew had pulled pork, which though it was more chopped than pulled, was moist and flavorful. And, of course, the hush puppies were still bad ass. Our last review left you with the impression that you should only go there if you wanted to watch a game or have a beer and a hush puppy, but I think we can revise upward and suggest that lunch is pretty freakin’ good there too.

Great American BBQ Company, Alameda – (Original Review) Unfortunately, the update on this one is more mixed. My wife Tamar, a Texan who knows good brisket, was pleased with her plate. Though the meat was pretty dry, it was lean, tasty, and fall apart tender. Andrew wasn’t so impressed with his beef the last time, and I’d say this is an improvement. Unfortunately, my ribs went the other way. I got the end of the rack, and it seemed as though they’d been sitting around for a while. They were dry and VERY cooked – too much char, not enough meat. And, again, the sauce was nothing to write home about. My theory is that this is a lunch joint, and we showed up for dinner. Everything was a little too old, not quite hot enough, slightly stale. So, maybe, go for lunch instead, as we did the first time.

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