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)"

Baskin-Robbins Soft Candy: Mint Chocolate Chip

"Our all-new Baskin-Robbins Soft Candy is the every day, any moment indulgence. Baskin-Robbins® Soft Candy is the newest way to enjoy the delicious flavors of Mint Chocolate Chip and Very Berry Strawberry ice cream anywhere, at any time! And, since they're also available in Sugar Free, they are the perfect way to indulge on your terms."

I bought a box of Baskin Robbins Soft Candy the other day. I had tried their ice cream flavored hard candies before and enjoyed them.

The box had a nice mint smell. Each piece was individually wrapped in silver foil, with the Baskin Robbins logo stamped on it. The candies were a pale green color and had tiny chocolate specks. The soft chew did not have the nice mint smell of the box. Instead, they smelled like plastic and mint. The AMW family rated them as as "really soft" and "mint flavored plastic, taffy and gum rolled into one piece."

Big thumbs down for Baskin-Robbins Soft Candy.

Dove Assorted Miniatures

Dove Silky Smooth Milk Chocolate
The Dove milk chocolate didn't have much of a smell. The taste was kind of plain. It tasted better than Palmer's milk chocolate but worse than Hershey's milk chocolate. The aftertaste reminded me of a Wendy's frosty or a Fudgesicle [read: not chocolatey enough]. "Silky smooth" seems a bit of a stretch. I found Dove Milk Chocolate boring in taste and smell.

Dove Milk Chocolate With Caramel
The Dove with caramel had a light milk chocolate smell. Caramel squirted out on the first bit. The caramel had a nice texture, but was not buttery enough. This candy was just so-so.


Dove Extra Dark Chocolate, 63%
The extra dark chocolate smelled like semi-sweet chocolate chips. The chocolate had a milkier taste than Hershey's special dark chocolate, but with a less intense cacao taste. The overall flavor reminded me of hard shell dark chocolate used on ice cream. This candy was not that great by itself. The flavor would be brought out better if paired with the right wine. This is another "will eat if there's nothing else" candy.

Ghirardelli Filled Squares Chocolate

Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate With Peanut Butter Filling
"perfect combination of intense creamy milk chocolate and gourmet peanut butter with crunchy peanuts roasted to perfection. This "grown-up" version of your childhood favorite is one you are sure to crave!"

This square had a sweet, pleasant peanut butter smell. The filling was peanut butter, with a few pieces of peanuts. I liked the smooth taste of the chocolate. The peanut butter filling was okay. I prefer peanut butter filling that's crunchy and gritty, like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. This bar fell under the category "will eat if there's nothing else."

Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate With Caramel
"delivers the perfect balance of intense Ghirardelli milk chocolate and a rich buttery center. Our smooth caramel center is so popular and uniquely delicious, we offer it with two different chocolate shells: milk chocolate and 60% cacao dark chocolate. "

When I broke the caramel square in half, a curtain of caramel drizzled out. The caramel filling was indeed buttery. I like my caramel a little thicker; but other than that, I have no complaints. I think this candy would be nice paired with a cup of espresso and a good book on a rainy day. I would buy the milk chocolate-caramel square again.

YouBars vs Element Bars

If you're interested in custom made energy bars:

YouBars official website

Element Bars official website

New York Times article on YouBars

Gadling Article on Element Bars

Sources:

"With These Nutrition Bars, Every Order Is Special", by Lisa Napolin, The New York Times, 2/20/2008

"Like energy bars? Element Bars lets you design your own", by Scott Carmichael,Gadling, September 18, 2008