{"id":10072,"date":"2013-11-09T03:45:22","date_gmt":"2013-11-09T09:45:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=10072"},"modified":"2022-03-13T20:22:26","modified_gmt":"2022-03-14T02:22:26","slug":"the-cube-albuquerque-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=10072","title":{"rendered":"The Cube – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"
The Cube Restaurant, Memphis style barbecue in the University Heights area<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Timon<\/span><\/strong>: [singing] Luau. If you’re hungry for a hunk of fat and juicy meat
\nEat my buddy Pumbaa here, ’cause he’s a tasty treat
\nCome on down and dine on this tasty swine
\nAll you gotta is get in line
\nAre you achin’…
\nPumbaa<\/strong>: Yup, yup, yup.
\nTimon<\/strong>: For some bacon?
\nPumbaa<\/strong>: Yup, yup, yup.
\nTimon<\/strong>: He’s a big pig.
\nPumbaa<\/strong>: Yup, yup.
\nTimon<\/strong>: You can be a big pig, too. Oy.
\nFrom Disney’s Lion King<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Succulent swine. Porcine perfection. Bodacious baby backs. Pulchritudinous pulled pork. Every serious barbecue aficionado should go hog wild at least once in their lives and pig out in Memphis, Tennessee, indisputably one of America’s bastions of barbecue and home of the “Memphis in May World Championship BBQ Cooking Competition<\/em>.” Never mind the great gridiron gala (the championship of the National Football League), the “Superbowl of Swine” is where barbecue addicts want their fill of pigskin and Memphis is where they meat. <\/span><\/p>\n

Although Memphis prides itself on the diversity of its barbecue, traditional Memphis barbecue is primarily about “low and slow” smoked pork served one of two ways: pulled into tender, melt-in-your-mouth pieces or as meaty ribs on a slab. Those righteous ribs are available wet, dry or naked. Wet means the ribs are basted with a sweet barbecue sauce before and after smoking. Dry means a spice rub is applied before, during or immediately after they’re immersed in a smoker. Naked, of course, means the ribs have neither sauce or rub.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The cavernous Cube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In Memphis, the pulled pork, whether served on a sandwich or as an entree, is light and delicate through not what I refer to as “Ivory Snow” in that it’s not 99 and 44\/100 percent pure. On Memphis style pulled pork, you’ll find an occasional bit of fatty or sinewy meat; it’s not all white meat. Pulled pork sandwiches tend to be served with a sweet, creamy coleslaw in between hamburger buns. Madcap diners will venture far away from pulled pork purity and frequent restaurants which dare to serve pulled pork on spaghetti, nachos and pizza. All are quite good!<\/span><\/p>\n

Having lived on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for eight years, Memphis was but a scant five-hour journey away. My car practically had a built-in auto-pilot with Beale Street<\/a> hard-coded. Beale Street is not only the “home of the blues and the birthplace of rock ‘n roll,” it’s home to some of the very best barbecue restaurants in the city. It’s where I discovered and became addicted to barbecued baloney, yet another form of pork Memphis has mastered. The combination of blues and barbecue has remained in my blood ever since.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Guy<\/a>
Guy Fieri visited in September, 2013. The Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives episode featuring The Cube airs in December, 2013.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When The Cube launched in the summer of 2009, my immediate inclination was to dismiss it as an inauthentic parody, giving its claim of “Memphis-style barbecue” the same credence I give to many of Albuquerque’s pizzerias and their claim to “New York style.” For one thing, the contemporary edifice housing the newcomer looks nothing like the timeworn buildings in historical Beale Street. In fact, The Cube resides in a stand-alone building almost devoid of personality. It’s a stuccoed monolith on Central Avenue just west of the University of New Mexico.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our inaugural visit reaffirmed that a restaurant should not be judged by its outward appearance. In truth, there really is no template for what a barbecue restaurant should look like as more of them distance themselves from what used to be a bumpkinly stereotype with red and white checkered cloth tablecloths adorning oak tables, cute ceramic pig figurines on the counters and country music blaring from a tinny stereo. At the extreme end of this stereotype, you might even see bails of hay, barbed wire and steel buckets serving in some fashion as part of the \u201cambiance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
A two-meat (pulled pork and chicken) combination plate with a five-cheese macaroni and cheese, pasta salad and Texas toast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Cube is a neo-modern complex worthy of its avant-garde name. It’s a yawning establishment with concrete floors and high ceilings from which sounds reverberate to create a loud atmosphere when the restaurant is crowded. Lighting suspended from the ceiling is in the hexahedronal shape of a cube with six equal squares as faces. Cubist and contemporary art festoon the walls. Tables and chairs are more functional than they are comfortable, but they’re well-spaced for privacy.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Cube isn’t a sit-down restaurant in the sense that a hostess will seat you and the wait staff will deliver a menu to your table. Instead, you’ll place your order at a counter from which a view of a very industrious kitchen will catch your eye. The menu, including the special of the day, is scrawled by marker on several white boards and on placards on the counter. There’s a lot of read and digest which accounts for the slowness of the ordering process. The wait staff is very friendly and accommodating. They’re eager to make recommendations if you request help.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
A half-rack of ribs (served wet) with mashed sweet potatoes, baked beans and Texas toast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

18 December 2010<\/strong>: For first-time visitors eager to sample Memphis style barbecue, a best bet item is a two-meat platter with two sides. True to The Cube’s playful take on au courant styling, even the plating is contemporary. Instead of the paper plates you might expect, even barbecue is delivered on square ceramic plates, the type of which you might see at an upscale Japanese restaurant. Portions are plentiful with a two-meat platter and its two sides potentially big enough for two to share (not that you’d want to; you’ll want to hog it all for yourself). <\/span><\/p>\n

18 December 2013<\/strong>: One of those meats should definitely be pulled pork, the best we’ve had in the Duke City since the much-missed Mad Max’s<\/a>. As with all great pulled pork, this one is light on smokiness courtesy of hickory woods which impart only a subtle smokiness, just enough for optimum flavor. The pulled pork is tender and absolutely delicious. Served naked, you can add as much or as little sauce as you’d like from the squeeze bottles at your table. The sauce has almost equal pronouncements of acidity, smokiness, tanginess, sweetness and even a bit of piquancy. It’s a terrific sauce and there are two varieties of it including a hot and spicy variety.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A pterodactyl…er. turkey leg with onion rings and corn bread<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

18 December 2010<\/strong>: Our great fortune with a pulled pork reminiscent of what we experienced in Memphis was matched with the chicken. You know it’s great chicken when even the skin, impregnated with a beautiful char, is wonderful. Both the white and dark meat are excellent, with or without sauce. Frequent visitors to this blog have probably noticed just how boring I generally consider chicken, particularly on Italian entrees, but also when it’s barbecued. The Cube’s rendition is moist, tender and imbued with a light smokiness that seems to bring out its best qualities.<\/span><\/p>\n

9 November 2013<\/strong>: In two visits, we’ve had mixed results with the baby back ribs. During our inaugural visit, the Cube’s baby backs–unlike the fall-off-the-bone tender bones with which I fell in love in Memphis–appeared to have been extricated from the smoker before they were ready because they were tough and chewy. Not even a surfeit of sauce (I had them “wet”) could salvage these ribs. The second time we had the baby backs, they were terrific, an exemplar of all the qualities which make for great baby backs. The first time we had them, the baby backs were a special of the day. If they’re consistently made the way we had them our second visit, they’ll be special every day.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Cube012\"<\/a>
The Lobo Dog<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

9 November 2013<\/strong>: Among the most popular dishes available at the midway every year during the New Mexico State Fair are smoked turkey legs which have been sold there for more than a decade. With a build-in “handle” they’re easily portable. If you prefer eating turkey legs from a sitting position, The Cube has a turkey leg<\/em> you might need to be sitting down for because it’ll floor you. It’s pterodactyl sized! It’s also one of the most mouth-watering turkey legs we’ve ever had. These turkey legs are perfectly smoked so that when you peel back its outer skin, you’re greeted with a pinkish meat reminiscent of ham. With a unique flavor wholly unlike chicken, the turkey is generously endowed with tender, moist, absolutely delicious meat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sides–and there are about a dozen from which to pick–are sure to please even the most finicky diners. The five-cheese mac and cheese is some of the very best we’ve found in the Duke City. Fromage fanatics will revel in each creamy, rich bite of rotini, a perfectly cooked corkscrew pasta smothered in the cheesy blend of Gruyere, Provolone, Sharp Cheddar, Mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano. This is not your child’s Kraft macaroni and cheese dinner. It’s an adult macaroni and cheese which even kids should appreciate.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Chocolate<\/a>
Chocolate and cinnamon bread pudding<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The pasta salad, also constructed with rotini, is also quite good with cubes of mozzarella providing an excellent foil for the sweet vinaigrette and the tangy tomatoes. It’s also a nice contrast to the rich earthiness of the macaroni and cheese. While it seems sweet potato fries have become a de rigueur offering at many restaurants, few eateries offer mashed sweet potatoes (topped with butter no less). The Cube does and they’re quite good though I’m left to ponder the interesting contrast gravy would have provided (next time).<\/span><\/p>\n

The menu, scrawled in white chalk on several slate boards, is extensive, an indication that The Cube is no one-trick pony. It’s a diverse menu of traditional American summer, picnic or anytime favorites: barbecue, burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs and sausages. The hot dogs are one-hundred percent beef with natural casings. Best of all, these are not your standard mustard embellished hot dogs although a “regular” hot dog is available (with onions or sauerkraut on request). Ten over-the-edge and out-of-the-box specialty hot dogs will amaze you with their creativity; they are certainly not the hot dogs of your parents’ generation. Alas, they’re about twice as expensive as a standard hot dog, so if you’re hungry your best bet is probably the specialty or regular hot dog meals which are value priced and include a beverage and fries.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Chocolate Mudslide Cookie<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Among the specialty dogs are two which gave me hopes of reliving the fabulous Sonoran dogs<\/a> we enjoyed during a summer foray into Tucson in 2010. If you’ve ever had a Sonoran hot dog, you’ll never forget it and your quest to have another after another will never end. The Cube offers two hot dogs with some<\/em> of the ingredients you’ll find on a Sonoran hot dog, but flavor-wise, they fall short of the quintessential Tucson food. One is the Lobo dog<\/em>, a hot dog wrapped in bacon, grilled onions, green chili (sic) and pepper jack cheese. The other is the Guadalajara Dog<\/em>, a hot dog wrapped in bacon, chipotle sauce and pico de gallo. The ingredient combinations are a hit and the hot dogs are right-sized (not the gargantuan variety). They’re both quite good, but there’s nothing like the Sonoran dogs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Desserts, if you have room for them, are another winner for The Cube. If you have a 32 sweet teeth, the sweet treat sure to please is the chocolate mudslide cookie<\/em>, two brownie cookies sandwiching a cloying cream filling. For me, one bite was enough, but for my Kim who’s much sweeter, this is heavenly decadence. More my style is the chocolate and cinnamon bread pudding<\/em> made with a strong chocolate accentuated with cinnamon to give it an almost Mexican chocolate flavor. The bread pudding is topped with housemade whipped cream. It’s a top-tier bread pudding, among the five best in the city.<\/span><\/p>\n

A visit to The Cube may not be the same as a visit to Memphis, but if you close your eyes as the sound system plays the blues and you’re luxuriating in each fluffy, feather-light bite of pulled pork, you just might imagine a taste of Memphis has come to Albuquerque. That’s the Cube bringing the ‘cue to the Q (former mayor Martin Chavez’s unpopular appellation for Albuquerque).<\/span><\/p>\n

The Cube<\/strong>
\n1520 Central Avenue, S.E.
\nAlbuquerque, New Mexico<\/strong>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 9 November 2013
\n1st VISIT<\/strong>: 18 December 2010
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 3
\nRATING:<\/strong> 20
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Chocolate and Cinnamon Bread Pudding, Strawberry Lemonade, Pulled Pork, Chicken, Macaroni and Cheese, Pasta Salad, Baked Beans, Baby Back Ribs, Creamed Corn, Turkey Leg <\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Timon: [singing] Luau. If you’re hungry for a hunk of fat and juicy meat Eat my buddy Pumbaa here, ’cause he’s a tasty treat Come on down and dine on this tasty swine All you gotta is get in line Are you achin’… Pumbaa: Yup, yup, yup. Timon: For some bacon? Pumbaa: Yup, yup, yup. Timon: He’s a big pig. Pumbaa: Yup, yup. Timon: You can be a big pig, too. Oy. From Disney’s Lion King Succulent swine. Porcine perfection. Bodacious baby backs. Pulchritudinous pulled pork. Every serious barbecue aficionado should go hog wild at least once in their lives and pig out in Memphis, Tennessee, indisputably one of America’s bastions of barbecue and home of the “Memphis in May…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29059,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[440,8,699,1762,544,262,141],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albuquerque","category-barbecue","category-closed-in-2017","category-diners-drive-ins-and-dives","category-food-network-eats-new-mexico","category-closed","category-new-mexico"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Cube - Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED) - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=10072\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Cube - Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED) - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Timon: [singing] Luau. If you’re hungry for a hunk of fat and juicy meat Eat my buddy Pumbaa here, ’cause he’s a tasty treat Come on down and dine on this tasty swine All you gotta is get in line Are you achin’… Pumbaa: Yup, yup, yup. Timon: For some bacon? Pumbaa: Yup, yup, yup. Timon: He’s a big pig. Pumbaa: Yup, yup. Timon: You can be a big pig, too. Oy. From Disney’s Lion King Succulent swine. Porcine perfection. Bodacious baby backs. Pulchritudinous pulled pork. 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If you’re hungry for a hunk of fat and juicy meat Eat my buddy Pumbaa here, ’cause he’s a tasty treat Come on down and dine on this tasty swine All you gotta is get in line Are you achin’… Pumbaa: Yup, yup, yup. Timon: For some bacon? Pumbaa: Yup, yup, yup. Timon: He’s a big pig. Pumbaa: Yup, yup. Timon: You can be a big pig, too. Oy. From Disney’s Lion King Succulent swine. Porcine perfection. Bodacious baby backs. Pulchritudinous pulled pork. 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