Monroe's Smokehouse, Jacksonville, FL, Review II

Monroe's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que
4838 Highway Avenue
Jacksonville, Florida 32254
904-389-5551,
Fax: 904-384-3323

A few months ago, I posted a review of Monroe's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que. I was fairly pleased with their food. And I've since been back many times for weekend lunches. However, my meal at Monroe's today was not up to par with their usual standards. Here's how lunch went:

- I normally order the pork chop special if Monroe's has them. They're tender, juicy and smokey. Although the pork chops today fit that description, they were also covered in an unpleasant, heavy, Creole-ish spice.
- The collard greens are no longer sweet. I received a cup of greens with orange grease running down the sides. They were swimming in a spicy, greasy brown & orange liquid. Another customer asked the counter girl to find out "what kind of grease does he (the owner) use for the greens ?"
- The red cole slow is no longer being sold. We were told "The owner stopped selling it. Nobody was ordering it. It was just going to waste back there (in the kitchen) when we made it."
- Macaroni was not available. ("We're out of macaroni. There'll be a 45 minute wait before it's done.")
- Lemon slices were not at either of the two drink stations. The containers usually holding lemons were covered with dust & crumbs.
- The banana split pie was a huge disappointment. Normally it is the perfect ending to a meal at Monroe's. This is how I described it before:

"Monroe's has banana pudding on it's online menu. So I was surprised to see banana split pie on the menu board instead. Let me tell you, I am so glad I ordered the pie. It was thick vanilla pudding, banana slices, pineapple, walnuts, a cherry and whipped cream on a graham crust. I'm still riding the high from the yummy sugary goodness. I want this pie for my birthday dinner. Take note, people."

The slice of pie I received was so sad looking. Our group did this when dessert arrived ---> "Whoa 0_0 That's not how the pie normally looks : P" The slice was sitting in a noticeable puddle of water. There was a crust, a thin layer of chocolate attached to the crust (hardshell chocolate ?), a layer of something cheesecake colored with a ricotta texture, mushy, gray bananas, teeny pineapple bits, several inches of whipped cream, a pinch of chopped walnut & a cherry on top. Very unappetizing. All of us took one bite, made a face & put the forks down. That's the first time the AMW family has left a piece of Monroe's pie unfinished.

I was wondering what would cause such a drastic change at Monroe's. Then someone overheard the cashier commenting "Oh, this is just a sideline for us. Our main focus is catering." Hmmm. I'll try to go back soon, to see if today was a fluke or a sign of a downslide.

Barbecue on the cheap: Recipe

Last night was one of those "ugh, I need to grocery shop tomorrow" moments. I decided to make a cheapo version of chopped barbecue:

- 1 lb chuck
- 1 tbsp butter
- dash of lemon juice
- pinch of salt and pepper
- pinch of dried mustard
- pinch of whole celery seed
- pinch of thyme leaves

Place lemon juice and butter in frying pan. Head on medium until butter starts to melt. Add spices and stir. Add chuck to pan and cook until lightly browned.

Once the chuck is cooked, chop it up on the "shred" setting of a blender or a food processor. Serve on toasted hamburger buns.

Choo Choo Bar-B-Que & Seafood, Middleburg, Florida

Choo Choo Bar-B-Que
County Road 218, next door to Wilford Propane Gas Co.
Middleburg, Florida
Take-out: 904-406-0539

Today I noticed a grand opening banner for Choo Choo Bar-B-Que on CR 218. I had seen their mobile concessions trailer parked there several times before, but never stopped to check it out.

The first thing I noticed was the dimness of the restaurant, due to the gray walls. The decorations included two deer heads, various nautical pieces and a hutch with trophies. The overall feel was a dreary multipurpose room one might see in a church. What I liked were the small black cauldrons on each table for salt and pepper packets. I thought those gave a more homey feel to the restaurant.

Decor aside, I really enjoyed the food at Choo Choo Bar-B-Que and Seafood. I also found the owners to be very friendly and enthusiastic. With a minor amount of tweaking, this restaurant has the potential to become a Middleburg favorite.

Here is a breakdown of the menu:

Grilled shrimp with 2 sides
This meal was listed on a menu board near the counter. It included 6 large shrimp on a skewer. Each piece was plump and fresh. Very good!

Greens
What was brought out was bbq beans. When the error was pointed out, our server's answer was "We don't have greens. That was a misprint on the menu. Can I get you a different side ?" On the menu was a listing for bbq beans and another for green salad, with the salad crossed out and "greens" written underneath. So yeah, none of us thought that made sense. But the offer of a replacement side (french fries) was accepted. The fries were hot and lightly salted, so we weren't entirely displeased about the mix-up.

Coleslaw
The coleslaw had shredded carrots and a pinch of black pepper. It was the right amount of of creaminess.

The Cannonball Combo
1/4 lb pork sandwich with 1 side and a drink
The pork sandwich was delicious! The meat was tender and smoky. It was served on a hearty sized bun.

Green onion potato salad
The potato salad was bland. It desperately needed pickles. The green onions did nothing for the potato salad.

Desserts
Choo Choo's has no dessert menu at the moment. We hear they are working on that and may have desserts later.

Drinks
The unsweetened tea was good. However, the cola tasted flat. It was poured from a liter bottle, which is probably the cause.

There's a charge for refills. This aspect probably won't go over well, as other barbecue restaurants in this area don't do that.

Takeout menu
The takeout menu had a cluttered, disorganized look. This was caused by words written sideways and an abundance of stars and exclamation points. The takeout menu needs a focal point to guide the reader. Hopefully this will be fixed at some point.

Other items available
-Stuffed flounder with crab meat, Mayport fresh fried shrimp, fresh fried oysters, catfish and hush puppies, fried fish

-Smoked chicken, Brunswick stew, St. Louis style ribs, baby back ribs, 1/2 lb ground steak with au jus

-Cucumber and tomato salad, country fried sweet corn, pole beans, fried okra, fried squash, onion rings, ribbon fries, buffalo wings (original, hotter and suicide), shrimp appetizer meal

- Children's menu: Includes fries and a small drink. Popcorn shrimp, chicken tenders, corn dog, hot dog

-Listed on the menu board: Macaroni and cheese, chicken and ribs combo

*6/27/09 Update: Choo Choo Bar-B-Que appeared closed shortly after my one visit. I have called the number on their menu a few times, but nobody ever answered. Their mobile bbq trailor is still parked there most weekdays, though. Anyone know for sure what happened ?

*8/19/09 Update: A new grand opening sign was put out about two weeks ago. The chainlink fence around Choo Choo is now gone. I have to say that's a huge improvement, because it gave the impression of "this is private property, do not enter."

*7/04/10 Update: Did Choo Choo Bar-B-Que close again ? There is a sign out front saying "Future home of the (local lodge club)"

Savory Grilled Country-Style Pork Ribs

My project group made those tonight. They came out nice : D

Sources:
"RIB-STICKERS: Fire up the grill -- from Korean short ribs to Southern favorites, it's time for barbecue," Tara Duggan, Chronicle Staff Writer, May 25, 2005,SF Gate, Home of the San Francisco Chronicle

Savory Grilled Country-Style Pork Ribs, From "Dr. BBQ's Big-Time Barbecue Cookbook," by Ray Lampe (St. Martin's Griffin, 302 pages)