Barbeque joint offers pure porky satisfaction
by Lynn Williams
maindish@baltimoreguide.com
Big Bad Wolf’s House of Barbeque gained a certain amount of notoriety when it opened a few years ago. Why? Because The Sun’s Elizabeth Large, not an overly easy-to-please critic, gave it a four-star review. Some members of the foodie community were outraged that a humble Harford Road barbecue joint would garner the sort of acclaim usually reserved for haute venues like Charleston and Hampton’s (see below).
The Wolf’s fans, on the other hand, cheered. After all, if a restaurant does what it sets out to do very, very well, it should be recognized—even if it’s the sort of place where you can totally pig out (pun intended) for less than ten bucks.
What some of those fans might not know, though, is that the little yellow-brick carryout does have a Charleston connection. Founding chef Scott Smith worked with that other Wolf—Chef Cindy—at Charleston and Petit Louis, and his fine-dining cred shows in his yummy smoked meats and homemade sauces.
You can eat-in at Big Bad Wolf, but the few seats at the tiled counter (under a painted blue sky licked with painted flames) had been snagged, so our family got a cross-section of the menu’s best for an eat-at-home feast.
A pulled pork sandwich ($4.95) is a must: the huge mound of tender meat moistened with your choice of sauce—we like the tangy Carolina vinegar, flecked with red pepper—overflows its Kaiser roll.
Smith and his brother and business partner Richard hail from the Eastern Shore, and have provided a delightful version of the grilled chicken ($5.95 half, $9.95 whole) found at all those church and firehouse cookouts on the way to the beach. The mahogany-colored skin has been rubbed with Old Bay, and the meat is flavorful and moist. The offering comes with a dinner roll or cornbread sticks.
The vegetarian member of the family chose a veggie burger with the works, including sweet honey barbecue sauce, and dug into an assortment of $1 sides, including barbecued baked beans; collard greens; oozy, oily, guilty-pleasure mac and cheese, and a potato salad which tastes surprisingly upscale, with its pinkish, tarragon-spiked sauce.
The menu also offers pork and beef ribs, barbecued chicken, burgers and Texas-style slow-cooked brisket. Six sauces, in various shades of spiciness and smokiness, are supplied, as well as a chef’s-special sauce for avid experimenters. Check the chalkboard for other specials, which usually include several types of grilled seafood, and perhaps a steak dinner.
The Latest Dish…
Yes, Hampton’s has closed! InterContinental, which now owns the Harbor Court Hotel, has converted its premiere restaurant—for two decades a contender for the best-in-the-city crown—into a catering venue. Sure, Hampton’s hasn’t been the talk of the town for a while now, as newer culinary superstars such as Cindy Wolf, Timothy Dean and Jason Ambrose captured the public fancy. But I’ll always treasure my Hampton’s memories: the service that made me feel like a visiting duchess, the flattering peachy-pink surroundings, and an oyster stew that’s still among the best dishes I’ve ever tasted.
Across the street in Harborplace, Paolo’s sleek Cal-Ital café has been closed this winter for “renovations.” This weekend it’s waking up again—as a whole new restaurant! Big Kahuna Cantina, a surf-themed place dreamed up by Capital Restaurant Concepts, Paolo’s parent company, will offer a fusion of Mexican and Polynesian cuisines, with tequila and nacho bars (and, I’ll bet, lines out the door). Big Bad Wolf’s House of Barbeque Location: 5713 Harford Rd. Hours: Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday Phone: 410-444-6422 Our meal for three: $24.10
