Food Scoop "Birmingham"

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Posts Tagged ‘BBQ Chicken’

“Saw’s BBQ”: The joint that stands out!

Posted by bhamfoodscoop on September 13, 2010

“Saw’s BBQ” in Edgewood, is located in the same shopping area as “Dreamcakes” and “New York Pizza”. I was pleased with my experience, from the first moment I walked in the door.


“Saw’s” is a small local joint that has hundreds of different license plates, road signs, and college memorabilia on the walls.  It seems to get crowded easily inside, so they have a few patio tables in the front. The whole atmosphere reminds me of a bbq joint that would be located on Route 66, in the middle of nowhere. All that was missing was a juke-box, lol!

Once you walk in, you look at the menu and order at the counter. After you place your order, they will bring the food to your table. “Saw’s” has a simple menu which consists of ribs, chicken, hot dogs, stuffed taters, sandwiches from the pit, and a few sides.

I ordered the “Saw’s Original Pulled Pork Sandwich” and it came with potato chips (Lays Regular) and a drink (Sweet Tea). In addition, I got a side of the “White BBQ Sauce”. One simple word can describe all of this, “DELICIOUS”! The sandwich had just the right amount of pork on it, but I had to add more of the “Saw’s Sauce”; however, you should know that I’m almost addicted to any kind of good bbq sauce. “Saw’s Sauce”, is a red thin bbq sauce that has a vinegar base and a sweet flavor; I loved it! I also enjoyed dipping my sandwich into the “White BBQ Sauce”, which has a mayonnaise base and a tangy pepper flavor. If I had to choose between the two sauce flavors, I would go with the ‘Saw’s Sauce”.

A friend, who went with me, ordered the “Pork Stuffed Tater”, which consisted of a large baker (baked potato), chopped green onions, bacon, pork, and the  “Saw’s Sauce”; it came with a side, so he got the potato salad. He said that this baked potato was one of the best that he has ever had!

As we were eating, I began talking to the cashier/hostess/bus-lady, and somehow mentioned to her about this blog and how I write about and review different restaurants. Before I knew it, she had gone into the kitchen to get samples of the turnip greens and mac & cheese, for me to sample. She said that if I was gonna write about “Saw’s”, she wanted me to have the full experience. I thought that was awesome!

You should know that the online menu, for “Saw’s”, doesn’t show the additional sides that they have on a daily basis. Such as the turnip greens, mac & cheese, and a few other vegetable options. Oh and yea, the greens and mac & cheese tasted excellent! Also, the waitress told me that they put the “Saw’s Sauce” in their turnip greens. My reaction was “Wow, I’ve never had bbq sauce in my turnip greens”, but it added a nice special flavor to them.

After eating the sandwich and the other sides, I dived right into the “Banana Pudding”, that I got for desert. My friend and I shared it because I couldn’t eat it all. I had never had banana pudding like this before, instead of a custard base, it had a cool-whip base which made it lite and fluffy. I’m not sure how the base turned yellow, maybe they added yellow food coloring. Anyway, I do know that it was so good. And it still had the other normal ingredients, of a banana pudding, such as the bananas and vanilla wafers.

Ya’ll, I know that Birmingham has many bbq restaurants, and that we all have our favorites. But I experienced something at “Saw’s” that I haven’t in any other bbq restaurant in town, and that was personable and excellent customer service. And the fact that I had no complaints about the food, is a plus as well. I felt like I was the only one in the place, and this is how they treat everyone. So please, give “Saw’s” a try and I will almost guarantee that you will love it!

http://www.sawsbbq.com/

Saws on Urbanspoon

Posted in BBQ | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Welcome to Thailand: “Surin West” Edition

Posted by bhamfoodscoop on June 23, 2010

“Surin West” is a staple in the city of Birmingham, Alabama. The restaurant is known for attracting diverse people under one roof and it’s also known for getting many people outside of their comfort zone, when it comes to food. This Thai restaurant specializes in making various types of sushi along with many other authentic Thai dishes. “Surin West” has two locations, one in Five Points South and the other on Highway 280.

Earlier this week, I went to the original location in Five Points South. This is my favorite location because it transports me to the exotic land of Thailand upon entering the front door. The design, decor, drinks, and food all scream Thailand! I went in the middle of the day when it was not busy. Basically, it was like my friend and I had the whole place to ourselves; VIP style, lol! I was very thirsty when I arrived, so I ordered water. However, I wanted something else to drink besides water, and I didn’t want the standard American beverage in such an exotic atmosphere, so I opted for the “Thai Tea”. Now let me be honest, this is a drink that I will have to get used to because it is very very sweet and it seemed like it was made with milk instead of water. Furthermore, it was ok; let’s just say I drunk more water than tea!

For my entrée I had the “Thai BBQ Chicken” and it came with a bowl of  “Coconut Soup”. Ya’ll, the food tasted great. I wish I could think of another adjective to describe it, but that’s all I can say; I was speechless! The “Thai BBQ Chicken” consisted of a half piece of chicken marinated over night in Surin’s BBQ sauce and slow roasted to perfection then char-grilled Thai style; served with shrimp fried rice. This dish also came with a sweet & sour dipping sauce and I used it for my chicken and rice. The sauce was so good that I ended up ordering one more! Since this was my first time having “Coconut Soup” it took me to a new level, meaning that I want more of it. The soup was white, garnished with two pieces of mushrooms and had a creamy texture; the taste was poignant and good. And at the bottom of the soup, were a few pieces of tofu.

I sat in the restaurant for almost two hours, just basking in the atmosphere and the food. My experience was wonderful! I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves Asian food and who wants to be whisked away to a foreign land without ever leaving the city.

http://www.surinwest.com/

Surin West on Urbanspoon

Posted in Asian, Business Friendly, Date Night, Five Points South Finds, My Favorite Lunch Spots, Upscale | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

 
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