Filed under: Food
After a 2 year hiatus, the annual BBQ tour is back and better than ever! (View our last tour here.) For our first stop on the tour this year, we visited a relative newcomer to the Cincinnati BBQ scene, Landen Smokehouse. Pulling up in parking lot immediately piqued our interest, as the sign outside is crafted from sheets of plywood.
Inside, the mouth-watering smell of smoked meat hung thick in the air and John Lee Hooker played over the stereo as we sidled past a few vintage motorcycles on the way to the counter to place our orders. I couldn’t pass up the “Meat Sampler” which consisted of a 1/2 rack of ribs, pulled pork, and brisket for $15. Several sides were available, but after watching the meat be piled into my styrofoam container I figured the meat was going to plenty on its own. A half dozen different styles of BBQ sauce were available, all but two of which are made onsite. The “House” and “Zesty” sauces were particularly good. But enough about all that — we were there for meat, and meat we got.
The ribs were excellent. Lots of smoke flavor and and a not-too-chewy texture put these within hog-calling distance of any other ribs in town. The rub had a little black pepper spice to it that added a nice kick. A few in our party were a bit put off that the membrane on the underside of the ribs wasn’t removed, but it was easy enough to remove before or while eating — not something that bothered me in the least. The pulled pork was absolutely fantastic. Lost of flavor, excellent texture…probably the single best item I sampled. The brisket, while promising, ultimately failed to deliver. The brisket was rubbed in what tasted like the same rub as the ribs and served to nicely compliment the brisket as well. Again, the smoke flavor was evident throughout the brisket slices, but unfortunately the brisket was a little on the dry and chewy side. Good brisket is almost impossible to find in the Cincinnati area, but even so there is better brisket to be had elsewhere.
All in all, I found Landen Smokehouse to be a worthy addition to the BBQ scene in Cincinnati and a fine way to kick off this year’s BBQ tour.
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