Howard Station — Restaurant in Boone

In my journeys around the country I have used a lot of words to describe the good BBQ I find along the way, but Howard Station takes it to a whole new level and the only word that can sum it all up is "Sincere." I don't mean "Honest BBQ" or "True BBQ." I mean sincere as in "we are glad you are here, we want to share our love of food and friendship," it says "we have made a place where everyone can come and feel the passion and love that we put into everything that we do."

On a recent Saturday trip to Boone we were strolling King Street when we caught a whiff of something delightful and unmistakable a block away. We followed our feet and found the stylish and quirky Howard Station. Daily drink specials painted on the windows lured us in to a beautiful and welcoming space that they call a BBQ Bar.

When you visit, I hope you are lucky enough to catch Chelsea behind the bar, if you do, you must sit at the bar and let her and Pitmaster Cody take you on a BBQ journey you will long remember. Share in a shot of Casamigo's tequila, (her favorite,) the vanilla notes pair like wine with the boldness of the BBQ.

After hooking us up with the bourbon lemonade drink special, we put our BBQ fortunes in their hands and were carried along on a delightful culinary adventure. (Just ask for the "Sampler" and let them fill your plates.) Everything was amazing, and I assure you were tried almost everything. The star of the show was the brisket of course, perfectly cooked and juicy with a flavorful bark. I have sampled briskets all over the state of Texas, and Howard's is as good as the best but right here in NC. The daily special blueberry chipotle glazed ribs, the pulled pork and chicken, the fried green beans, the mac and cheese, the wings. . . Oh let me tell you about the wings. The maple bacon dry rubbed wings are in a class by themselves. They were amazing, flavorful, juicy, crispy, and while we were having our extended lunch, there was a constant parade of locals popping in next to us just to have, "A beer and some maple wings."

Chelsea and Cody didn't even ask us about our sauce preferences, they just brought us a "Sauce Flight." Let that phrase sink in for a minute. Sauce Flight.

They brought us a selection of different homemade sauces, their own special take on traditional BBQ sauces. The down east red, the western sweet, the combo sweet and spicy, all true to their namesake but with fresh and unique twists. The Sauce Du Jour, (yes they have a sauce of the day,) was a pineapple chipotle BBQ that I could have drank out of a shot glass. The most surprising for me though, was the Alabama white sauce. I have family in 'bama, and I have eaten a lot of Alabama BBQ in my life. I have NEVER understood the appeal of Alabama white sauce. To me at it's best it is watered down ranch dressing or the juice at the bottom of KFC coleslaw. When Cody brought me a sample of his own take on the Alabama white I was skeptical. It was really really good! It had the right mix of vinegar to balance the typically over the top sweetness with just the right amount of black pepper. I am not giving up my spicy sweet red quite yet, but for the first time I "got" Alabama style white sauce BBQ.

Speaking of spice, if you think you can handle it, the spicy fried cheese curds are a must with a delightful slow burn that keeps building and building on you, but you just can't stop eating them!

If Google would let me, I would go on all day. Simply put the BBQ was first rate, but NC has a tradition of good BBQ , we expect it. Sadly, there is a lot of good, but very few great. I have been all over the NC BBQ trail and this place is right up there with the best of the best. But great BBQ alone is NOT what makes Howard Station so special. Food for the soul is a bit of a cliché, but it is here in the genuineness, the simplicity, the warmth. We saw a true cross-section here, locals, tourists, young people, all welcome, relaxed, greeted by name and with a warm smile. Sincerity in food, and sincerity in love. We will...

When visiting Boone, NC, Jenni and I found the absolutely BEST BBQ we had ever eaten- it was at Howard Station. Howard Station is on Howard Street, which sits right between King and Rivers Street. We went after 5, so we were able to park just across from the restaurant, however it is an easy walk if you have to park on King or in one of the public parking areas. I loved the urban vibe of the outside of Howard Station, but that was nothing to how chic and urban the inside is. They have a main level dining, which is where the bar is located. They also have a lower level seating, which is really cool, because they have decorated it with pictures of the station from the past. Then there is the highly sought after roof top terrace- which has amazing views of Appalachian State College, downtown Boone, and the mountains. Any place you chose to sit will be fabulous! The entire place is filled with the fragrant aroma of the smoking BBQ and the cool, southern hospitality that Chelsea and Cody have showered their restaurant with. We started our meal with the fried green beans- yummy!! Chelsea also brought us a flight of their homemade sauces to try. Each sauce was unique and tantalizing to the tastebuds. It is hard to say which was my absolute favorite, because I really enjoyed them all. However, if I had pick just one it would be the Blueberry Chipotle. Jenni's top pick was the Sweet and Spicy. She says as soon as they start bottling it she has to have a case. For our entrees we had the Signature Pulled Pork Sandwich and the Off the Rail Ribs- we shared so we could enjoy two different meats. The Pulled Pork Sandwich was crazy good!! The bun was warm and soft and seemed to melt right into the pork when you bit into it. The smoke was delicate in flavor, which for me was perfect. The ribs pulled off of the bone perfectly. Again the smoke flavor was delicate and the meat was so tender. For our sides we had the funky fries, the hushpuppies (which go perfect with the Blueberry Chipotle sauce), and the Smoked Mac & Cheese (perfect blend of smoke flavor and creamy cheese). It was a perfect tasting meal. But, of course we did have to try dessert. Chelsea brought us out something she created- a smoked blueberry cobbler. OMG!!! It was delicious!! I have to tell you again, that everything we ate was absolutely incredible. We enjoyed everything about our dining experience at Howard Station. If you love BBQ- then you must make it a priority to go to Howard Station. If you think you don't like BBQ, then you have to go to Howard Station and try it, because you will decide that...

Chelsea and Cody (owners) were some of the coolest, down to earth people I have ever come to know. Chelsea wears 15 hats a day as a cook, bartender, server, manager, cleaning crew, etc. and let me just say, the level of care in everything they do here is second to none. The restaurant itself was immaculate!!! I came in on a snowboard trip from Florida, where the best known BBQ is a chain called “sonny’s” and I wanted to indulge in some fine “real” Carolina Q. LOOK NO FURTHER!!!! It’s the kinda place where they’re so warm and friendly, and just feels homey and you can actually relax and take a load off. I sat at the bar as, I was just a loner. Met a cool cat named Alex at the bar, I think his girlfriend worked there. Anyways, this was legitimately, by a mile, the best hospitality and service I have ever encountered in my life. I even tried my first hush puppy here thx to Chelsea!! I told her I’ve never had one and always thought it was a conch fritter kinda thing. Wrong!!! Probably one of the best things I’ve ever eaten in my life. If you go, do not miss them and the smoked Mac n chz is a must!!! Not a typo. That’s right! SMOKED Mac n chz!!!!! Also, try the “flight” of BBQ sauces. Such a cool idea! All 5 were so good. Don’t sleep on the Alabama white sauce too, for dipping the fried stuff and the sweet heat, oh, the sweet heat!! Just sweet and smoky upfront with a spice that tingles the palate at the end and truly leaves you going back for more and more. Also, they have a beer on tap for everyone, even me!! Had a cool local hazy style beer or two and it really complimented the meal. At that point it hit me, this was the best BBQ I have ever had in my life and I could check off another box on the bucket list. Lastly, I could only finish half my meal as even the lunch portion was huge for me. So, I brought it to go and ate it for dinner at a nearby waterfall I found. I will be back with my snowboarding crew next season and we’re gonna to be hungry and thirsty. I can almost taste it now. Thx again Chelsea and Cody!!! It was such a nice treat to dine and chat with you all in your super cool BBQ Bistro. 10 stars all the way around. So, if you at reading this give them a shot! What a hidden gem!!!!!!! See y’all...