TC’s Rib Crib
Sliced Brisket, Pulled Pork, Spare Ribs, Cornbread
Spare Rib Close-Up
Mac n’ Cheese
Sweet Potato Fries
Biscuit
“New Orleans” French Toast with Sliced Bananas
Banana Pudding
Red Velvet Cake
Praline
Located near Norm’s Eggs Café in a strip mall off South Durango and featuring “World Famous” ribs with awards in 2007 and 2010 for the city’s best barbeque it was with tempered expectations that I entered TC’s Rib Crib and although I will say the Motown soundtrack and service were quite pleasant as I watched the Buckeyes obliterate Kent State, little else of my experience was even remotely good – a small, buttery biscuit and a jumbo praline the lone exception. Obviously the sort of place willing to cut corners as condiments include Aunt Jemima and ‘honey’ cut with glucose syrup and starch it was in a wide selection of meats, sides, and sweets that I invested and although costs were quite low for most items, so too was the quality – the ribs clearly parboiled without a note of smoke while thinly sliced brisket and pulled pork were nearly indistinguishable beneath artificially saccharine sauce. Mostly ignoring bland elbow noodles from which I consumed only a few bites and fries that arrived almost at meal’s end as well as the $4.50 French Toast was flat and flavorless even with the $1.50 banana and whipped cream upgrade…the latter not supplied as they were apparently ‘out’…and moving on to dessert, suffice it to say that the boxed vanilla pudding with only a hint of banana beneath ‘nilla wafers is not worth $5.99 and although the frosting on a tiny sliver of red velvet cake was tangy and smooth the cake was so dry it literally crumbled to fork pressure – the majority of it joining nearly half the rest of my order in a waste basket when servers were otherwise occupied so as not to offend.
ONE AND A HALF STARS: Literally the only patron present just past noon on a Saturday it is shocking to me that a business like TC’s can sustain and as much as I try to support locals I cannot fathom a reason to return, particularly given a pricepoint higher than Rollin’ Smoke despite quality on par with Famous Dave’s.
RECOMMENDED: Biscuit, Praline…maybe the ribs, though the taste more closely resembles slow cooker than barbeque.
AVOID: Everything else I ordered, particularly the pulled pork, red velvet cake, and absurdly priced banana pudding.
TIP: Offering a $20 certificate for $10 on Yelp! the cost was slightly less appalling after the discount, but even then entirely not worth it – not when $25 will net you all the quality ‘cue you can eat up at Rollin’ Smoke.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor
