Always With Me #2: Bring on the BBQ
Over the years, Davenport, IA has nearly become a second home to us. We’ve made a ton a great friends and fans, and we’ve played some of our most memorable shows out there as well. One great aspect of returning to Davenport so often is that we’ve had the opportunity to try the majority of the top restaurants the Quad Cities have to offer. We thought we had exhausted all of our choices until a great BBQ joint opened up in the back of Kilkenny’s Irish Pub—one of our favorite and most frequented venues in Davenport.
Big Mouthz BBQ moved into Kilkenny’s kitchen just a week ago, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Danny and I got down on some BBQ not once…not twice…but three times over the course of our 24 hour stay in Davenport last weekend! Needless to say, it was some tasty stuff. Uncle D won’t stop raving about it, so I’m going to pass the keyboard to him to fill you in on all the saucy goodness…
I’d like to preface by stating that I’m not a big fan of ribs, or rather, I wasn’t until I ate Big Mouthz this past weekend. As we pulled up to Kilkenny’s on Friday evening, the smoker was in full swing out back and the first waft of it got my mouth waterin’. BBQ is one cuisine that is notorious for smelling better than it tastes, but for Big Mouthz, the taste tops the already amazing aroma.
By the time Kevin and I were finished performing on Friday night, the delicious scent of BBQ had beaten me into submission. I ran out to Big Mouthz food cart (YES, THEY HAVE A FOOD CART TOO!!!) with hopes that some tasty stuff still remained. Like any good BBQ place, daily supplies of meat are limited, and Big Mouthz is no exception. Luckily, they had what I wanted—pulled pork and carolina egg rolls!
The Big Mouthz food cart offers walking tacos or sandwiches with your choice of meat as well as carolina egg rolls, which are filled with various BBQ meats and cabbage. Kevin opted for the pulled pork sandwich, while I ordered the pulled pork walking taco and a bbq chicken carolina egg roll. Holy smokes!!!! [pun very much intended]. The meat was tender, juicy, and had the perfect amount of smoky flavor. The egg roll had the perfect amount of crispness and the flavor combo of smoked chicken and cabbage was excellent. To top it off, the three Big Mouthz sauces are some of the best in the business, as far as I’m concerned.
While all three sauces were delicious, my favorite was the Sweet & Smoky—it complimented the meat without masking any of its natural flavor. I could literally drink this sauce on its own. Southern Style had a great peppery kick to it that reminded me of a much better version of Arby’s Sauce. The Signature Raspberry Habanero takes the prize for most unique. The combination of sweet and spicy made this bold sauce a real treat—a flavor that ought to be bottled and sold ASAP!!!
By the time we had finished eating on Friday night, Kevin and I had already decided on our next meal—the ribs. Sure, making a good pulled pork sandwich is one thing, but the true BBQ kings have mastered the art of pork ribs. After our rib dinner on Saturday, Kevin and I could safely deem Big Mouthz masters of the rib.
We each ordered ribs with two sides and a couple of excellent local brews from Bent River Brewing Company. For sides, we chose pub chips, coleslaw, baked beans, and sweet potato fries—all fresh, delicious, and worth the trip, even without the BBQ. The ribs were all I could have imagined and more. They were meaty, tender, and fall-off-the-bone, with the perfect amount of smoke and seasoning. They didn’t even need sauce!
On our way out of town, KP and I grabbed some more carolina egg rolls for the road. I think it’s safe to say, we’re Big Mouthz addicts now, and in addition to performing, we’ve got another great reason to stop in Davenport! Do your tastebuds a favor and make the trip to Big Mouthz at Kilkenny’s Irish Pub—you won’t regret it!
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