WHAT BOISE WEEKLY SAID ABOUT US

November 14, 2007 Edition (www.boiseweekly.com)

BY RACHEL ABRAHAMSON

There's something soothing about hearing a genuine "y'all," every now and again. Road House BBQ's friendly owners originally hail from Louisiana, and the warm y'alls are plentiful in their place. I was surprised to find out that the Road House has been in its current location since 2002 because it looks shiny, brand spankin' new. The decor is scrubbed clean, and picnic tables with cheerful tablecloths add a cute factor to the place. From the moment I stepped inside, I was seriously ready for comfort food.

For my trip out to the Road House BBQ in Eagle, I snagged four other people to go along. I had looked at the menu on Road House's Web site and discovered they boasted traditional Deep South side dishes, such as black-eyed peas, turnip greens, cucumbers and onions, and sweet potatoes. No way would I be able to try all those things myself without looking like a total glutton. Turns out I ended up looking like one anyway.

I ordered the two-meat combo for $14.99, choosing beef brisket and pork shoulder. The barbecue dinner plates come with two side dishes, and I ordered black-eyed peas and sweet potatoes. I also added on turnip greens and cucumbers and onions. After ordering a microbrew on tap, I made my way with my tray, heavy with food, over to a big picnic table to join my party.

My biggest joy in reviewing restaurants with friends is that I force them to share bites of their plates with me, and they have no choice but to comply. I found my tray overflowing with samples of ribs, potato salad, baked beans and green beans, which all found their way to my eager mouth.

The coleslaw and potato salad were excellent. I don't care for overuse of mayonnaise in my salads and was pleased to find the Road House uses really good recipes for both. The black-eyed peas were a bit bland, but nothing a few shakes of the house favorite hot sauce couldn't fix. The cucumbers and onions contained a decent amount of vinegar and were crispy and delicious. The turnip greens were very good, with a nice mix of salt and pepper. My personal favorite side dish had to be the baked beans. They were sweet and moist, not overcooked and not over-seasoned. The table's all-around favorite, however, were the sweet potatoes.

The guys in my group each ordered the half-slab rib plate ($12.75). The ribs were good, the meat smoky and tender, pulling off the bone with ease. Both men agreed that their appetites could have handled the full slab of ribs ($19.75), but not having eyes bigger than my stomach when it comes to ribs, I felt the half slab was just the right size for a lady. I found the beef brisket a bit dry, and preferred the moist pork. One of my friends ordered the smoked turkey sandwich ($8.79), which was tender but not as mouth-watering as the sausage sandwich ($8.79).

I would have liked to have seen more dessert options on their menu. But my party agreed as we waddled out to the car, that desserts would have simply pushed us all over the edge.

The men did feel the plate price was a bit high for the amount of ribs they received, and one of my gal pals felt they should offer more than one flavor of barbecue sauce. But I was satisfied with my barbecue slaughter and happy to find something out of the ordinary tucked away in Eagle. I definitely look forward to plundering their menu again.

—Rachel Abrahamson thinks a good hot sauce can cure what ails ya.

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Dine-In/Carry Out Menu
To Go By-The-Pound
Group Party Paks
Banquet Facility
Catering
Ross & Polly
(208) 939-8108 ross@roadhousebbq.com