CMH Gourmand – Eating in Columbus & Ohio

Here are a few things you need to figure out or be ready for before you go to B & K Smokehouse.

1) Cash or Credit (your call, as a fellow small business person, I say go cash if you can)

2) For sandwiches: White, Wheat or Bun. I’d go with the bun

3) For other smoked meats / BBQ: White, Wheat or Cornbread

4) Sauce on or sauce on the side: Sauce on the ribs, Sauce on the side everything else.

5) If you want a Turkey Rib, visit after 4 pm.

6) Sweet sauce or Mustard sauce: Sweet!

Now let us proceed with why you want to go to B & K Smokehouse. First item of note, the staff are friendly, on my first trip they spied me getting out of my car as they were walking from the smoker out back to the kitchen saying “Hi there, are you here for the carry out order”. I guess a really white guy in a Subaru stands out around East Main Street but hey, saying hi when I am 100 feet from the front door is a plus. I was here for the ribs and they did not disappoint. The B & K ribs are among the top three in the city. My BBQ judge instincts and my taste buds suggest these ribs are smoked at least 12 hours, maybe longer. The smoke flavor is good. Suspended in a pond of sauce even better. The meat is tender to the bone and pulls away with ease. You can taste the meat flavor. Good Job B & K.

Let’s move along to the wings. I’d place these as among the top five in the city. These are also well smoked, tender with the meat falling off the bones in some cases and very meaty – no scrawny BW-3 wings here. Go with sweet sauce on these. I’ve tried them on two different occasions and the consistency is there.

Now let me walk you through my notes for most of the menu.

Brisket Sandwich: OK. Benefits from sauce. A bit fatty and tasted more like pot roast than traditional brisket. Served shredded.

Pulled Pork Sandwich: OK. Benefits from sauce. Served shredded.

Baked Beans: watery and addition of pickle relish to the sauce is not an upgrade, but it is daring. I would not order these again.

Corn Bread: dry and crumbling, I would not order this again.

Mac & Cheese: fair but missing flavor seems to lack salt, pepper or any cream to the cheesiness.

Cole Slaw: Reminds me of KFC cole slaw which is my baseline for good cole slaw. This is among my favorite in town. (Note: for many years I thought cole slaw was called cold slaw, I just thought you should know).

Potato Salad: Good. Mustard base. Better than average.

Green Beans: Good would benefit from a bit more seasoning or a touch of bacon.

Carrot Cake: Better than average.

Now for a quick review. Get a slab of ribs with sauce, a dozen wings and large cole slaw. Get a few other items to try for yourself (taste is subjective so don’t order based just on my favorite) and expect to have a great meal.

I’ll wrap up with answers to a few B & K mysteries. B is the first initial of one brother and K is the initial of another. The framed collection of old Mad Magazine covers on the walls come from the collection of their dad.

And now, you know.

B&K Smokehouse
1114 East Main Street
Old Towne East
NW Corner of East Main and South Champion
614 252 7917

Monday to Wednesday 11 am to 7 pm
Thursday and Friday 11 am to 8:30 pm
Saturday Noon to 8:30 pm