Men (and Ladies should there be any)....We are in the wrong business!

[RG 2.0]

I don't know what most of you do for a living, some may make quite a good living and others maybe not but I can tell you that there is money to be had in the BBQ b'ness.

I went to a somewhat local BBQ place, close by to my Mother-In-Law's house today and ordered 2 BBQ sandwiches (chopped pork) and a small (4oz) brunswick stew (a georgia thing, lol) and a soda. I feel that I overpaid for what I got but I am curious to know what you all would pay for this meal in your neck of the woods.

One of the 2 sammies with the empty stew container and the drink

The itty bitty stew container

 

[jcboxlot]

$6+ I'd bet

 

[NDKoze]

That looks more like a container for dipping sauce!

For the upper Midwest or east least the fast food joints that I am familiar with, I would say $2-4 a piece for the sandwiches, $2-3 for the dipping sauce, and $1.50-$2.00 for the soda.

So, the total could range from $7.00-$13.00.

For me, I don't think I would pay over $10.00 for a meal like this.

I am guessing that after some responses you will tell us how much you got taken for?

 

[swthorpe]

One of the local BBQ places near me charges $7 for a pulled pork sandwich, but I don't know about the stew.  Two sammies, a soup, and soda would probably be around $17-$20 in this area.

 

[RG 2.0]

The "dipping sauce" is actually a side dish served in the South, mostly in GA, called Brunswick Stew. It's full of ingredients so I am accustomed to it being costly. Here's the breakdown of that meal. $6 per sandwich plus they had a "deal" where you get one side and a drink for $2.50 more. So, I bought 2 sandwiches, one for me and one for my wife, and I added a side a drink.

The lady at the register then tells me total $17.64!! This included the 7% tax but in reality, now that I think about it, I think that the tax rate on food items is supposed to be less. Anyway, I did the math while I was looking at their menu and thinking to myself that she just overcharged me. I saw my receipt and saw that she rang it up as 2 sandwiches for $6.00/each = $12.00 and then the stew for $2.50 and then the drink for $1.99 + tax = $17.64

I told her that she should've charged me $6 + $6 + $2.50 (side and drink) + tax = $15.52!! She said "Oh! You added the drink afterwards so I didn't give you the combo price, but I'll refund the difference"

Now, I am not a hard guy to please, really I'm not. She did ring it up ala carte and most people probably wouldn't have said anything but come on man! Do I have to keep you honest? She knew what was up! So, after debating a sec, she spends 5 minutes fooling around with her register and tells me that she owes me $1.33 and she'll just give me cash (I put it on my check card). So, again in doing the math, I still don't see where she came up with that total. She tells me "Two sandwiches at $6.00/ea, combo for $2.50 plus 50¢ extra for stew + tax" so I finally just gave up and didn't argue over the other 26¢ she owed me, lol. Let me add to this that the self serve Coke fountain machine had a broken ice maker and she had to go next door to a gas station and buy a couple of bags of ice to dump into the top of it. I should've known what was to come after that!!

My last gripe, it took the other lady in there, that was making my order, about 10 minutes to dish up a bowl of stew and to make 2 sammiches! Lord help them if they ever get more than one customer in there ordering at once!

Final statement : The food sucked! We could all be millionaires if what these jokers are serving has kept them in business for 4 years!!

/rant

 

[RG 2.0]

If the food quality is there, I don't complain one iota. It's when I pay a quality price and get crap food that bothers me. I am not one to go back to the restaurant and complain as I don't want any more of their food. If I didn't like it the first time, I won't like it again, lol. So I just don't go back. Problem solved. I ran into a similar issue a while back at a popular (trendy) place called Bone Lick BBQ. Lunch for my wife and I was $42.00!! I knew the prices, I threw down the cash to get it. They were lined out the door for this "BBQ". Again, it blew chunks! I've never been back but I see that they've always got a crowd. I guess I have become a BBQ snob!!

 

[jcboxlot]

Not surprised by the price.  This is (was!!!!!) my favorite place until I stared doing my own food.  They even catered my wedding 7 years ago.

http://andynelsonsbbq.com/menu2/


I could be wrong, but fast pace good BBQ joint goes though 20 butts per day????

It has to be a ton of prep work for the behind the scenes Q staff.  And someone to watch the smokers overnight.

You just can't make chicken, butts, briskets, ribs on command. 

Yes, good markup food wise, but man the work!!!!!

 

[Trip]

Lol, yeah it probably takes all that mark up just to keep the lights on even with them working non stop.  Restaurant business can keep all that money, it's not worth it.  Chick-fil-A franchise ownership where other people do the work, yes please, random great BBQ restaurant, no thanks.

 

[Pork Belly]

I'm a long way from Georgia but we would feed you better, http://www.yelp.com/biz/new-buffalo-bills-wood-fired-bbq-new-buffalo

http://newbuffalobills.com/menus

 

[SuperDave]

I've counted the hours that I put into my food.  I might be a millionaire but I'd be working for minimum wage or below.  (Pre minimum wage increase) LOL!

 

[DivotMaker]

I'm with you, brother!  Some of these places that have the nerve to put "BBQ" on their signs should be run out of town on a rail!  The sad thing is, though, the "average" person doesn't have a clue about the difference between GOOD BBQ and BAD!"  THAT'S why that place has been around for 4 years!  And, it's amplified with places like Bone Lick.  Great marketing, cool-looking decor, "trendy" environment....but the food blows!  People don't realize how great BBQ can really be, and they fall into the "it's cool to go there" crowd.  Those folks sell the sizzle, not the steak (to quote Zig Zigler). 

With that said, I can just say, "My name is Tony, and I'm a BBQ snob."  (Sounds like a BBQ Anonymous meeting...."Hi Tony!")  Hey, once you figure-out what the really good stuff is, and how to make it, you get spoiled!  My entire office tells me all the time that I absolutely ruined ribs for them!  Every time someone tells a story about a new BBQ place they tried, it usually includes "They sure weren't Tony's ribs, but...."  Makes me feel good, and believe me, these are not people that would say that if it weren't true!

So, here's to my SI BBQ snob brothers and sisters!  Smoke On!! 8)

 

[kz0m]

"The beatings will continue until moral improves!". How funny, I'm gonna start looking more closely at my receipts, I know they gotta be getting me some times as well, good funny post, I needed a laugh today!

Carl