Monday, August 3, 2009

Quickie Review #42: Cobb Switch Barbecue

Neighborliness is a time-honored Texas tradition, yet will only take you so far in the increasingly crowded world of Dallas restaurants. When I first read about the lofty pedigrees of those involved with the new Cobb Switch Barbecue in Carrollton, my hopes soared that maybe we would finally gain an establishment equal to Louis Muellers or Coopers in Central Texas. Failing that, maybe their bbq would at least be as good as Hard Eight's or Rudy's, two of the better practicioners of the art in the Metroplex. Sadly, my lovely wife the Rock Star and I must both concur that Cobb Switch isn't even as good as the local chains, much less the sainted denizens of Taylor and Llano.

Housed in a ramshackle building in a location that has clearly seen better days, Cobb Switch is all about being family friendly. The welcomes from countermen and family servers are all genuine, and they work hard to give you everything you need. Also some dishes are quite good, particularly the cheesy potato casserole and the grilled-to-order Texas toast. However, there is no evidence of a wood fire in use, so I must concur that the rumors I've heard about them using a gas grill are probably true. The meat is certainly fall-off-the-bone tender, and that's a plus as well. However, the flavor of everything we tried, from pork ribs to brisket to sausage to turkey, lacked the true smoky punch that makes great barbecue such a religious experience. Worse yet, the sauce was frankly terrible, tasting much like ketchup, even the spicy version. Probably the ribs fared best of all. Coleslaw had good crunch, green beans were fine, and the jalapeno pinto beans rather pale and uninviting. In sum, not the best of meals, although if you and your family are not true 'cue connoisseurs, you'll probably make out just fine. No website either, and the whole effect suggested that the owners wanted to get it up and running as soon as possible rather than take the time to get things right. Still, I don't enjoy dumping on people's dreams, and they do seem to be sincerely likeable folks. Therefore, given what I've said above, at least consider Cobb Switch soon, and as always:

LIFE IS TOO SHORT FOR MEDIOCRE FOOD!!!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

This is just sad, don't you think? I mean, I was expecting so much better...

Food Czar said...

Did you go, Margie? It is sad, but I think the economic downturn may have really scared the owners, who decided to open as quickly as possible and take their chances. At least, that's what it seems to me. Too bad, because I think that the restaurant may suffer the fate of its immediate predecessor unless substantial improvements are made to the food.