What about the BBQ this year? any reviews, hits or misses you want to talk about?
I will be up this weekend and looking forward to eating my way around. WHat are your reviews for the festival foods?
I guess nobody eats the BBQ at the park? I figured one or 2 would have a opinion or recomendation.
Last time I had the park's BBQ I thought it tasted cheap and terrible. I think most of the food now tastes pretty cheap and terrible, with the main exceptions being some of the deserts and skillets.
The BBQ just tastes bland, and the ribs looked sad. It seems like they just boil it or something rather than actually cooking it in a pit. Of course it's all prepared off-site and they have to cook massive quantities of it, so there's no good way to keep up the quality they used to have. I sure would like to see them work on some improvements on this front.
I just stick with the lumberjack burgers. Those are hard to screw up, although even they are slowly slipping in quality over the past few years.
QuoteLast time I had the park's BBQ I thought it tasted cheap and terrible. I think most of the food now tastes pretty cheap and terrible, with the main exceptions being some of the deserts and skillets.
Maybe that's why it took so long to get an answer. I think you may be onto something. We just don't hear much about the food.
It used to be a draw unto itself. They rely so much on the foods to make the extra dollar you would think they would be strict with the quality. But I agree, there isn't a whole lot I really look forward to eating, that's why I brought up the topic.
I may seek out the apple dumpling with Cinnamon ice cream and stick with what I know I will like.
Monday I will do my best to report back.
I have to agree with Shave! We no longer get excited about trips to the City because of the food. My hubs liked the bbq last year, but he'll eat anything slathered with sauce. I thought it tasted like a shoebox, so I stuck with my skillets. I'm still in love with most of the dessert offerings, but the food quality just isn't there, and that's sad. We used to start out with breakfast at the Mine and end with dinner at Molly's, but it's just not all that anymore. We eat breakfast before we leave, stop for cinnamon rolls at Delilah's (which are hit or miss), and grab a skillet for lunch. Then we head out to eat after we leave the park. SDC, you're losing park dollars because your quality control is nonexistent! I would love to be get excited about eating there again.
QuoteSDC, you're losing park dollars because your quality control is nonexistent! I would love to be get excited about eating there again.
It is with a heavy heart that I must agree with you. I find that I would rather go to Branson and hit a wendys drive through as its much cheaper and frankly a step up. I will do some food investigating on this trip and report back.
Remember the wedges of cheese, big pickles, ears of corn, and bbq vendors around the park? And the fajita skillet? Yum! But, no more! Fish Camp had the best fish dinners, and now they offer dry burgers and philly steak sandwiches. My biggest disappointment of all last year was "the works hot chocolate". I couldn't wait for OTC just for the cocoa, and it was so bad - very diluted, I couldn't drink it. I felt bad because I kept telling everyone to hold off until we get near Main Street so we could order "the works". It wasn't a hit with anyone. Even hubs didn't want it, so...we went home and made our own. Some of my best SDC memories include the food we ate. The only sure bets are cinnamon bread and sarsaparilla.
In the old days when I worked on park, they grilled over charcoal each day chicken quarters and polish sausage. They had the wedges of smoked chedder cheese, corn on the cob dipped in melted butter, and at one time, the mine and mill offered fresh baked bread that was baked in crocks, and you ate as much of that as you could during your family dinners. The Big Jack sandwiches were freshly made by hand...I made a few of those, and Grandma in the kitchen at Jack and Marys made pies from scratch. The mushroom burgers at lumbercamp were fabulous, and the funnel cakes with powdered sugar, well, I made many of those too! All that stuff was great...I do miss the food from those times.
I agree the food quality has gone down. I miss the fajita skillet as well. We ate the Thanksgiving Buffet during OTC a couple of years ago and it was really good, but since we started going to SDC I do think the quality of the food has depreciated over the years. I'm still frustrated with the way they are doing the souvenir mugs this year (which will probably be a permanent change). Come on SDC, show us the love again in the food department.
i know its not bbq but you cant go wrong with the breakfast buffet. on my trips now we usually just start the day with a big breakfast and skip lunch or dinner at the park.
Our experience witht eh All-You-Can-Eat was pretty good. We ate a LOT. We didn't have any down at the Red-Gold Hall.
MMMMmmmmm Bbq....
I too must add my "amen" to the unfortunate decline in food quality at SDC over the last couple of years. Two years ago we went to Bluegrass and BBQ for the first time and I was incredibly disappointed. Their "House of BBQ" advertised several different "styles" of BBQ but in reality it was all the same style but with different types of sauce on them. The ribs were so tough, my jaw was sore by the time I finished the slab. Having said that, their apple dumplings, cinnamon bread and ice cream at Hannah's are amazing. Also, last year my family made several trips to OTC and consumed several gallons of hot chocolate with "the works" and it was always delicious! So hopefully Gilligan, your experience was an anomaly, and not a sign of things to come.
I hope so, too, Parson! I waited a long season for that hot chocolate. On the upside, I forgot about the apple dumplings - have never had anything but a delicious one!
We just got back from our trip. Had the BBQ at the Red Gold Heritage Hall last night and it wasn't bad. It was very full yesterday and today. Had a 1/2 pound hot dog at the grill outside Red Gold this afternoon and it was pretty good as well. Breakfast at the Mill both mornings and really enjoyed that. And of course got a BIG sack of taffy before leaving to help us savor the "memories"...
I'm from Memphis, you don't want my opinion on the pork. It would excessively harsh. This year, I just happened to miss going back for the Memphis in May BBQ Contest so eating that was an assault on my discerning taste buds.
Went to the BBQ hall,
It was lackluster,
Improvements over last year?
They had 2 guest vendors, and I am sorry to say I do not remember their restaurant names but they were set up just like the regular SDC booths.
I ate the vendors insted of SDC BBQ. I am wondering if it was all cooked the same with different sauce poured on top. I tried the group that were from Aurora , I enjoyed the brisket. It was without a smoky crust that I enjoy but I didn't regret buying it. They served it with a crap roll that seemed like something you buy at Thanksgiving from wal mart in a pack of 12 for 1.00. They used to have several sauces to choose from with your BBQ, this year is was 3, Honey Blackberry ( too sweet for me) and SDC original, ( OK ) and Sweet Hickory I think ( not memorable), they did not have the Carolina mustard base sauce I used to enjoy. The meals were all the same price regardless what vendor you bought from so it was a even playing field. AS I said I was fine with it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/78984378@N05/7238867054/
They had a band of young guys from Stone County and they were enjoyable to listen to while I ate.
I didn't find the Apple dumpling, they did have apple pie it was huge just didn't look tempting enough for me to indulge.
My thoughts were they should have more open pits with the good old lump charcoal going for the smoke and the feel of a BBQ. Just having trays of foil that could have just as easily held stoffers lasagna was not impressive. They sure could cook some corn on the cob over the flames live, make it look and SMELL good while they were making some money. They did have corn on the cob but it may as well have been boiled, it showed no signs of being on a grill. I skipped the $5 they were asking for an ear.
I will go next year, I would love for them to have sampler side plates for $3 so you could try each vendors BBQ and sauce, it could end up taking on a competition flair. Love the music the BBQ is OK.
My verdict is go, the music is great fun and makes it all worth it, like a trip down memory lane at SDC.
Here's the Ultimate Truth on Q: if you ask to talk to the person in charge, you have to wait for him to come from the back and he smells like smoke and is smeared with grease, you're probably at the right place.
There is NO good mass-produced BBQ. Good sauce? Yes, sure, but sauce goes on the beans. The meat should stand alone without sauce.
QuoteThere is NO good mass-produced BBQ. Good sauce? Yes, sure, but sauce goes on the beans. The meat should stand alone without sauce.
I agree 100%. And frankly the meat reminded me of something mass produced.
I had brisket, buddy had pork and chicken. Pork was nothing special and the brisket had no " skin" to it at all. No smoke layer with a little tasty black from the outside of the meat. It looked like it was cooked corned beef style. Maybe I expected too much .........
As I said I will go back and I will go back for the music.
I was raised in the food business and It is a HUGE mistake for SDC to treat this BBQ like its cafeteria food, its a LARGE amount of revenue that is lost by not making the
food a " Memory worth repeating" and folks, its getting non repeatable pretty fast !!
It is a HUGE mistake for SDC to treat this BBQ like its cafeteria food, its a LARGE amount of revenue that is lost by not making the food a " Memory worth repeating" and folks, its getting non repeatable pretty fast !!
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AMEN!
Hi, long time lurker first time poster here. My wife and I just went up to SDC this past weekend for a day trip. For lunch we had philly cheese sandwiches. They were very disappointing, very bland and used cheap chop meat instead of steak. Worst, later in the day, over near the Flooded Mine we found another food place selling the same sandwich for a dollar cheaper, strange. For dinner we tried the all-you-can-eat BBQ in Reunion Hall. This was surprisingly good. It was a bit pricey ($20 a person) but that included all-you-can-eat BBQ, sides, and drinks. The BBQ was brought out on a big platter and served buffett style at your table. It was decent, about on level with Rib Crib in quality. Over-all, we too have noticed a decrease in the quality of food in the park. My wife was rather disappointed that the Wagonworks stopped selling the steak sandwiches, they were one of her favorites.
The little hot dog place by Wagon Works had the best turkey chili and tomato basil soup for sale in the Fall. No more - they did away with it! And I know people bought it, because they were always selling out early. So sad! We've postponed our trip a week so we can be on the lake for the wakeboard competition, so that will put us at SDC the last day of the BBQ Fest. I think we'll be skipping the bbq and focusing on the music.
Welcome gunslinger!
Where did you buy your philly at? and where was the other place at? thanks
Quote from: Gilligan on May 22, 2012, 11:19:42 AM
It is a HUGE mistake for SDC to treat this BBQ like its cafeteria food, its a LARGE amount of revenue that is lost by not making the food a " Memory worth repeating" and folks, its getting non repeatable pretty fast !!
AMEN!
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agreed
Quote from: sanddunerider on May 22, 2012, 05:57:36 PM
Welcome gunslinger!
Where did you buy your philly at? and where was the other place at? thanks
The place we bought it from was right across from Flossie's Fried Fancies but I don't remember the name of it, but it was a small place that I think only sold the Phillies and some sausage and potato skillet thing. Looking at the map it may have been the Lumbercamp Skillets, that sounds about right. The place that had it cheaper I believe was Buckshot Annies but again I'm not positive because it was my wife who pointed out the price difference and at the time I was trying to navigate a stroller around a large group of folks who decided the middle of the walkway was a good place to stop and chat.
My husband got the on opening weekend and liked it alot. He said it was pretty dern good!