Redneck Bar-B-Que
4874 State hgwy 28
Cooperstown, NY 13326
(607) 547-2678
A couple of years ago, Cherie & I were bored one Sunday & decided to take a drive up Route 28 to to check out Cooperstown Brewery. After a lovely tasting session that left me more than a bit buzzy, we headed toward Cooperstown with the intention of hitting Brewery Ommegang. Before we could get there, we came upon a large sign in the midst of the various Little League ball fields touting Bar-B-Que. Not only that – it was a Redneck joint.
Pulling into the parking lot, it certainly looked very promising. A plain building that could easily be mistaken for a auto supply store, only the beer & BBQ neon let you know there was a Q joint here. Well – that & the smell of wonderful wood smoke. Inside is a great mix of redneck, country & trad Q decoration. Wood tables, stools, chairs & benches. Very relaxed family friendly atmosphere.
That first slightly beer-y visit I had the smoked chicken wings & pulled pork sandwich. Plus a few more beers – couldn’t resist as they have some very nice upstate crafts. I still remember the first taste of those wings. Smoked then perfectly fried & coated in an amazing sticky sweet sauce – they are the perfect post & during beer munchie. I have to admit not really remembering the pork through the beer haze.
Our return trip occurred a few months later after Waffles & Puppets at Brewery Ommegang. Needless to say, I was once again in a beer buzz. (Yes – I likes me my craft brews!) Again – I seem to remember great wings & lovely pork.
Well – flash forward to August 2010. I’m back in research mode for the Hut’s re-opening in October & want to check out the Q joints in the area. The first one to come to mind is Redneck. “Hey,” I say to myself, “Perhaps THIS time you should go there SOBER!”
As so – sober I went for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. Perhaps we did not notice previously, but there is a great outdoor seating area just off the main dining room. We choose to sit there – ordered a few beers – & decided to get the pulled pork platter with fire slaw, mac & cheese plus starters of fried green tomatoes & cheese fries with jalapenos & bacon. We wanted to get the pork unsauced (with a side sampler), but were told it was not possible as the kitchen uses the sauce to heat the pork up. I see where they’re going with that – though there are ways to do that without using a sauce. We chose to go with the Low Country Vinegar sauce as that is closest to the method we use at the Hut for heating pork.
The pork was as great as I remember. Lovely hand pulled pieces with a subtle smoke & just the right spice hit off the vinegar wash. I would have liked a bit more bark in the mix (love those crunchy pieces) but that’s just being picky. Portion was perfect for sharing at lunch especially with two sides & some appetizers.
The Fire Slaw was the side winner. A great vinegar dressing spiked with hot sauce & peppers in the slaw. I’ve made something similar at the Hut & this has made me want to bring it back soon. Mac & cheese was fine – but nothing like the Hut’s. (Yes – I am VERY proud of Cherie’s Mac & Cheese.) The fried green tomatoes came as 6 pieces – perfect for two to share. Nice crust, moist tomato & a ranch dipping sauce. I suspect they pick these from the tomato plants out front. We were underwhelmed by the Cheese Fries. There are few times in life where I think Velveeta is appropriate & cheese fries are one of them. I appreciate Redneck using real cheddar cheese, but it just did not have the gooey cheesiness I wanted. The jalapenos had a nice kick, but I felt the bacon was a bit lacking (as in I could not taste it). Will likely stick with the smoked wings on future visits.
