As we all know, when it comes to barbecue, we all have our opinions of what or who is the best. People will have their favorite spot, and will not go anywhere else. In Hot Springs, there is some history surrounding barbecue, and the legendary spots have their following, and rightfully so. But there are a few places that are relatively new, and they are making their own mark on the Hot Springs BBQ scene. One of these places is The Rib Cage BBQ and Catering.
Former barbecue competitors Jason and Angela created their Sweet Heat Sauce, and for the last few years have been serving the Hot Springs area their succulent barbecue. Huge portions, awesome flavors, and food prepared with a lot of love, is starting to separate The Rib Cage from other Spa City BBQ places. The best BBQ is made when the actual owner of the place is also the pitmaster. More pride is taken in the preparation of the food, and it comes through in the flavors.
My first trip to The Rib Cage was to try their ribs. But when I looked over the menu, I saw that there was a sampler. So why not try a little bit of everything? Well, there was a lot of everything! The Rib Cage is not skimpy on the portions. Everything was great.
Being a BBQ man myself, I always say that the measuring stick for a BBQ person or place should be their brisket. The reason being, it is the toughest to cook good on a consistent basis. It takes time to get your process down and to be able to reproduce great results day in and day out can be a challenge. I will say that the brisket at The Rib Cage is some of the best around. The BBQ nachos are big enough to easily feed two people, and there isn’t a bigger stuffed potato in town.
Whatever your menu choice is, make sure to get some of their Sweet Heat sauce. You can get it mild or hot. It starts of sweet, and gets the taste buds dancing. Then comes the heat. A nice even heat level that isn’t overbearing, and doesn’t ruin your palate, or the flavor of the sauce. The heat doesn’t linger, so shortly after you are done chewing, the heat is gone. It has a perfect balance.
Barbecue is so subjective. There are so many styles, types of sauce, types of wood to cook with, and so forth and so on. The Rib Cage BBQ and Catering has some of the best barbecue around, and many of the locals are starting to realize that. From ribs, brisket, pulled pork, smoked chicken salad, awesome sides, huge portions, and their signature Sweet Heat sauce, The Rib Cage BBQ and Catering has you covered when the urge for great barbecue strikes. Just head on out to 5429 Central Avenue, I promise you won’t be disappointed.