This past weekend, I did something I’ve never done before: Take a road trip just for the food. MSO, two close friends and I all piled into the car bright and early last Saturday morning to head down to the Adirondacks in NY state. Our destination: Tail O’The Pup, a hokey roadside BBQ joint known far and wide for its smoked ribs (its official address: Halfway between Saranac Lake and Lake Placid on Route 86, Ray Brook, NY — I kid you not!!). Initially, I was a little skeptical, doubting that anything could be worth a 2-hour drive, but boy, was I wrong!
Talk about melt-in-your-mouth, finger-licking goodness! Thick, juicy, saucy…everything you could ask for in a good rack of ribs. And the side dishes were pretty good too. For $12.95, I got the half rack of ribs (5-6 ribs), corn on the cob, corn bread and potato salad (you can choose three sides from a list of many). A pretty good deal, I must say.
And the whole experience was made that much better by the atmosphere. There was a live band — a bunch of 50-something gents, but boy could they rock — the weather was beautiful, the air was warm, and the company great. And we even picked up two jars of the house BBQ sauce for home cookouts!
After licking our fingers clean and taking a few silly pics of the tacky decor, we carried on our way, tummies full and hearts lighter.
For those of you not inclined to make the trek, I also recently discovered another delish rib place in the NDG neighbourhood of Montreal, much closer to home! It’s called Bofinger; try it out and let me know what you think!
Gerry Gudzio said,
December 4, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Hi, I also made a pilgrimage to Tail O’ The Pup a few years ago after watching Derick on PBS do a Roadside Adventure feature on the rerstaurant..
It was a very pleasant experience but try getting back on Highway 87 after dark. The roads are narrow and not very clearly marked. I t wasn’t easy.
Gerry Gudzio said,
December 4, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Yes, Bofingers is great, too! I once ate at Outlaws Smokehouse in Sonora, California and I thought I would never have ribs that good ever again. Bofingers is the only place that comes close to Outlaws.