Depending on the type
of egg, the minimum temperature for frying an egg is said to be 144-158F
and on scorching summer days in Phoenix, television news shows
perennially traumatize visitors and tourists by frying an egg on the
city's sidewalks.
If blistering heat is
the reason the Phoenix area has so many outstanding barbecue
restaurants, I'm all for Albuquerque's temperature climbing a few
degrees in the summer.
The venerable Honey
Bear's Barbecue is easily equal to, make that superior to
Hap's Pit Barbecue which I had thought to offer the best barbecue in
Arizona.
Honey Bear's has been
serving Memphis-style barbecue since 1986 when the proprietors launched
the first of three Phoenix area restaurants. In close proximity to
the airport, it's a popular destination for people flying in and out of
Phoenix--and one of the few reasons I enjoy business trips to the Land
of the Sun.
Two slogans define the secrets to the restaurant's
success: "You don't need no teeth to eat our meat" and
"Put a little south in your mouth."
The mesquite grilled
meat is fall-off-the-bone tender and served with a thin, slightly sweet,
smoke blessed and just noticeably spicy sauce that did remind me of our
Memphis barbecue indulgences. The daily menu features pork ribs,
chicken or a combination of the two. You can also have pork, beef,
chicken or hot links sandwiches.
Daily specials include other
entrees such as fried catfish and baby back ribs. If you're
fortunate enough to visit on Fridays, the day's special is burnt ends,
the Kansas City barbecue style delicacy. Burnt ends are among the
most flavorable pieces of meat on a brisket.
My introduction to
Honey Bear's came in the form of a large barbecue pork sandwich which
was easily among the best I've had outside the Deep South. The
pork impressed itself upon my olfactory memories and educes a Pavlovian
effect every time I think about it. It's the type of pork for
which you want to save the napkins you used to wipe your mouth.
Some barbecue
restaurants (Super
Smokers in Missouri comes to mind), meats are like Ivory Snow
soap--99 and 44/100% pure. You won't find any fatty or sinewy
pieces anywhere on their meats.
Honey
Bear's receives criticism in that the meat is sometimes laden with
"imperfections" and while I disdain sinew, a little bit of fat here and
there sometimes enhances the flavor of barbecue. That's the case
at Honey Bear's.
Sandwiches are
overstuffed with moist meats slathered with a vinegar based sauce with
plenty of zip and zest. It's not piquant in the style of New
Mexico chile, but will tease and tantalize your taste buds.
The hot links
sandwich is practically bursting at the seams with sliced links.
If you're used to hot links being desiccated and leathery, you'll be
happy to bite into moist and tender links replete with spiciness.
Marry those links with the tangy sauce and you may just have the very
best hot links sandwich you've ever tasted.
The beef on the
barbecue beef sandwich extends beyond the edges of the six-inch buns
on which it is piled. Similar to other sandwiches at Honey Bear's,
you'll pick off almost as much meat with your fork as you'll consume as
a sandwich.
One
word of caution about all the sandwiches at Honey Bear's--the bread just
isn't resilient enough to hold all that flavor (and sauce). Expect
for that bread to crumble and for sauce and meats to tumble onto your
plate. That's the reason the barbecue gods invented forks.
Among the standout
sides are the "Cowbro" beans. Not your typical
plain-Jane molasses based baked beans, they are emboldened with generous amounts of hot links,
brisket
and hot peppers and reside in a thin tomato sauce.
The lively
potato salad would be a standout anywhere else, but it's those Cowbro
beans that steal the show.
Dessert options include
traditional Southern favorites: peach cobbler and sweet potato pie.
In all honesty, I've never had room for them, but based on the quality
of main entrees, imagine they're probably outstanding.
The
little bit of "ambience" the restaurant has is in the form of framed
photographs of local sports icons. The "front" room includes a
counter where you place your order and a soft drink dispenser. The
dining room includes a few tables and mostly bare brick walls.
If you want ambience,
go elsewhere. If you want wonderful barbecue, go to Honey Bear's
which has been voted "Best of
Phoenix" by New Times magazine practically since the
restaurant's inception. It's a haven for sports fans who
appreciate outstanding Southern style barbecue.
