Charleston's favorite BBQ restaurant has opened a new location downtown on Summers Street.
  

Dem 2 Bros and a Grill, originally on the West Side, was created by Adrian "Bay" Wright:

ADRIAN” BAY” WRIGHT STARTED SELLING BBQ ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHILE VISITING HIS HOMETOWN OF CHARLESTON, WV FOR A FRIEND’S WEDDING. AFTER A LITTLE CONVINCING FROM HIS FAMILY AND GROWING DEMAND FOR WRIGHT’S BARBECUE, HE DECIDED TO STAY. AFTER 2 YEARS OF STREET VENDING, WRIGHT SECURED HIS FIRST STOREFRONT LOCATION, THUS DEM 2 BROTHERS AND A GRILL WERE BORN.

DEM 2 BROTHERS AND A GRILL WERE FEATURED ON THE FOOD NETWORK’S “SOUTHERN FRIED ROAD TRIP”. D2B HAS GAINED NATIONWIDE RECOGNITION AND RANKED ON SOME OF THE TOP LISTS FOR THEIR DELICIOUS BBQ AND HOME-STYLE SIDES. LISTS INCLUDE TOP BBQ JOINTS IN THE USA, TASTE OF SOUTH MAGAZINE, “BEST MAC & CHEESE IN THE STATE” AND BUZZFEED.

ADRIAN WRIGHT A CHARLESTON HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL STANDOUT, WRIGHT PLAYED FOR VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY BEFORE HE STARTED A STINT IN THE NFL. WRIGHT, A FORMER TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS RUNNING BACK, ENDED HIS FOOTBALL CAREER IN 1987.



The new restaurant has a bit of a more refined vibe, whereas the original location is comfy and homey. The downtown location has this punny neon sign wall and a bar with tube lighting and yellow accent walls. 



Same warm hospitality and excellent customer service I've come to expect at the main location - just all in a new space. And the food? Always delicious. 


I went for a pulled pork sandwich, sweet potato casserole and macaroni & cheese. Let me start backwards with the macaroni & cheese - because it's one of my favorite dishes ever, and this restaurant has one of my favorite versions. It's a little sweet, always moist and love that cheese pull.  The sweet potato casserole is always a go-to for me because you don't find it everywhere, and I love those warm spices. And the pulled pork - moist, free from fatty bits and topped with a tangy BBQ and crunchy slaw. Delish.



Grade: A

Wild & Wonderful BBQ is a food truck that doles out pulled pork, smoked bologna & sausage, and brisket sandwiches in addition to a bevy of sides.



Based in Huntington, the truck can be found at events locally. I visited them to get my hands on some grub. First things first, I ordered the Mountaineer Cheesesteak with pork, sautéed peppers, and cheese on a hoagie roll. I liked this well enough, but I wish the cheese was cheesing more. I think the cheese sauce was a bit too thin, so it didn't lightly melt. It kinda got soaked up. I did enjoy the twist with the pork though; it added a nice flavor.



And while it might not be the most appealing visually, the smoked scalloped potatoes were pretty good. Scalloped potatoes are one of my preferred mediums of potato and, to have them cheesy and smoked, that took it up a notch.



Because the nature of the restaurant, the menu can change bit by bit. What have you had here? What's been your favorite?



Grade: B

Charley West BBQ Fest is an annual BBQ Fest benefiting the Bob Burdette Center After School Program in Charleston. It is held on Kanawha Boulevard at Haddad Riverfront Park, and I attended for the first time this past weekend.



There are a few ways for folks to get involved. You can purchase a meal from a restaurant set up. Or, you can purchase tasting tickets to try samples from backyard and competition BBQ masters. I was super excited about the latter because these are the places you can't just try any day.



I got 3 tasting tickets - $3 - to sample three different places. I mixed it up between backyard and competition style.



I started with pulled pork from Hatfield BBQ, which was moist and delicious. No sauce here - but it didn't need it.



Next up was Gettin Piggy With It 304, which gave me this beautiful sampler of everything because I couldn't make up my mind. Rib, wing, pulled pork, brussel sprouts and a smoked deviled egg. Every item was delicious - I just wish I could get this food again! They were so generous, and I am so appreciative.



Finally, I tried Dakota Farmer's pulled pork, smoked pepper and delicious balsamic BBQ that I could eat on anything. At this point, I think Dakota should just open his own restaurant because the food I've tasted from him at various competitions is always delicious. Next time, I just hope I can get some of Dave Mincer's food!



2023 Charley West BBQ Fest Results:

Backyard
Backyard Pulled Pork
1st Dave Mincer
2nd Tyson Hatfield
3rd Dakota Farmer

Backyard Sauce
1st Dave Mincer
2nd Dakota Farmer
3rd Notorious P.I.G.

Backyard Ribs
1st Tyson Hatfield
2nd Dave Mincer
3rd Dakota Farmer

Backyard Wildcard
1st Dakota Farmer
2nd Notorious P.I.G.
3rd Dave Mincer

Competition
Competition Pulled Pork
1st Stills & Squeals
2nd Getting Piggy with It

Competition Sauce
1st Stills & Squeals
2nd Getting Piggy with Itp

Competition Ribs
1st Getting Piggy with It
2nd Stills & Squeals

Competition Wildcard
1st Stills & Squeals
2nd Getting Piggy with It

People's Choice
Commercial: Soul 2 Soul
Competition: Stills & Squeals
Backyard: David Mincer

School is in session. Let's do a quick refresher on regional BBQ. There are a few notable locations in the United States characterized by the kind of BBQ they serve:



1. Kansas City - sweet, tomato-based thick sauce. All kinds of meat.

2. Carolina - South Carolina has a mustard-based, tangy gold sauce, while North Carolina goes for aa vinegar-based, thin sauce. Pork.

3. Texas - beef brisket. No sauce.



And then there's Memphis-style BBQ, which is often characterized by pork - shoulders, butts, ribs, pulled pork sandwiches. 

"Memphis style BBQ prepares ribs in two ways: wet and dry. Memphis-style pork shoulders are slow-smoked, pulled, and served with a thin, tangy sauce on the side. While it’s certainly sold on its own, pulled pork sandwiches are a staple of the Memphis BBQ style. Traditional Memphis style BBQ restaurants pile creamy coleslaw onto their pulled pork sandwiches."



Central BBQ is an award-winning BBQ joint in Memphis, which is known for its slow-smoked hickory & pecan wood, secret combo of dry spices and 24-hour all-day meat marinade.

"Our founders Craig Blondis and Roger Sapp met on the barbecue circuit in the mid-80s and after competing in Memphis in May’s World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest and many other local and regional BBQ competitions, they made the leap from friends to business partners. The pit at the first Central BBQ on Central Avenue was fired up in 2002 and has been stoked ever since thanks to our wonderful customers.

Central BBQ’s local success in Memphis has sparked national interest over the years, Our restaurant and founders have appeared on several national TV shows including Pitmasters, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, and BBQ with Bobby Flay, plus national publications such as USA Today, Garden & Gun, Southern Living and Men’s Health.

Over the years, Central BBQ has expanded far beyond Central Avenue. We have four locations in Memphis and recently opened our fifth restaurant and our first outside the Memphis city limits in Nashville’s Capitol View area."



I got in line early, and there were already folks there in front of me. I tried to maneuver my way into the shade because it was warm on this day. 



Once it was my turn to place my order, I went with a pulled pork sammy, side of mac & cheese and potato salad AND a little banana pudding. Mmm-mmm.



This thick sandwich was full of pulled pieces of pork - no fatty bits. While fat adds flavor, I'd rather that be removed before gnawing on a hunk of gelatinous ick. None of that here - just smoky, delicious pork piled high between two pieces of bread. 



I had to try every BBQ, and I am always going to lean toward the tangy mustard ones or the sweet tomato ones. It's no difference here. 



The mac & cheese was delicious - a nice little browned topping with tons of ooey gooey cheese underneath.



The potato salad could have used a bit more tang for my preference, but cool and creamy is a nice complement to the smoky pulled pork. 



And banana pudding is the absolute perfect end note for a BBQ meal. Sweet, southern and soul-soothing.

Grade: A

I think ribs are one of those things that when they're bad, they're just not a pleasant experience. For that reason, I shied away from ribs for many years. You know the kind - tough, not super flavorful, fatty. But, then I had good ribs and discovered sometimes it is just worth the risk. Hog Wild Bar-B-Que in Fairlea falls on the better end.



The fully on-theme restaurant features a wooden, country-esque exterior, plus a drive-thru! I ordered a 1/4 rack of ribs with green beans and coleslaw. The ribs were not super fall-off-the-bone, but they weren't tough or fatty. Just gotta use your chompers a bit. The flavor was good - slightly sweet, nice smoke. I wouldn't be mad at some extra sauce to dredge it through, though. Green beans were decent, and I liked the chopped slaw - surprised to see no carrots! 



Grade: B

BowlesBoyz BBQ has a location in Sissonville and a newer location in Campbells Creek.



The BowlesBoyz BBQ Up The Creek has many of the same menu items as the Sissonville location, from what I can see, which include fried appetizers, bbq pork, bbq chicken, sausage, wings, ribs, sandwiches, and sides. 



I placed a to-go order for Maw Maw B's Pork Sammich, which is "our famous pulled pork piled high on a toasted bun with our WV gold sauce and Grandma Bowles's chow chow." This was nice and on the tangy side. The sauce was pretty thin so it was hard to cling to the meat sometimes, but flavor was still good.



I had a side of potato salad, which was also a little tangy - but also creamy and pretty tasty. I wished it was a bit colder because it was more room temperature. 



Each of the sauces are decent for different reasons, but my favorite is always a tomato-based sweeter sauce. 



My favorite fried app of all time, though is hot pepper cheese balls. This version was OK - maybe cooked a touch too long because the cheese wasn't oozey and gooey; it was a bit sunken and deflated. 



What's your favorite thing here?

Grade: B

The Pink Pig has been bopping around the southern part of the state - from Fayetteville to Huntington to Beckley - and I was lucky to catch them open a few months ago in their Beckley location. 



I've had their food in a few different locations, so it's no surprise I knew what I wanted: these delicious jalapeno poppers covered in bacon and some pasta salad. These are flavorful and satisfying. The ambiance and service left a bit to be desired but no major complaints.



They also had some products for sale - like Blue Smoke Salsa and Moon Pies. That was a fun little throwback. 



Overall, a tasty meal. But I don't think they're currently open, and it's tough to keep track of when they are.

Grade: B

I made a trip to the Taste of Bridge Day this year just to track down one vendor: Twisted Sisterz BBQ & Catering.



Hosted at Adventures on the Gorge, the event brings together local food vendors who offer a variety of tasty options for attendees.



I have been trying to check out this particular place for quite some time, so I was excited when I saw that they were listed as attending. I got in line early, purchased enough tickets, and bee-lined right to the barbecue truck. I was one of the first ones in line and ordered the smoked pork sliders, which had a pumpkin barbecue and tangy apple coleslaw. I would've liked some punch your flavors with a bold barbecue and a strong smoky flavor from the pork but besides that, I do like that they had a creative spin on it.
 

Grade: B

The Pink Pig opened in Huntington - after its initial stint in Fayetteville - about a year ago, and I was excited to check it out since I was a fan of the first location.  



I was there not long after opening, so I can forgive the interior decoration, which was corrugated metal walls, plastic tablecloths and sparse tables. 



To be honest, if the food is good, I don't really care either way.



At the other location, I had a pulled pork sandwich topped with macaroni & cheese. So I couldn't do that, but I went with the brisket burrito with mac & cheese. 



I'm not sure if maybe I didn't have super high expectations, but, man, I still think about this burrito.



First of all, I think the flour tortilla is key. It was warmed and stretched around this huge hunk of meat and cheese, so you didn't get that dry burrito bite that I hate. It truly was just a vessel for the goods.



The brisket is moist with the cheese of the mac & cheese. No chewy or fatty bits. And the creaminess of the mac & cheese just made for a nice contrast in texture. There were a variety of BBQ sauces, and I always go for the sweet and tangy tomato-based one.



I also ordered a side of potato salad, which I always enjoy. Cold, creamy and just feels very summer picnic to me. Have you been?



Grade: A