AJ's On Main — Restaurant in Grapevine

This one is hard to write as it was very much a mixed bag. I think that it shouldn't be advertised as a primary restaurant but rather as a bar with some bbq on the side. TLDR: Pricey and the Q is mediocre at best. Cocktails and service are great though.

So let's start with the positives. Pros: -Great service. The server was kind and patient. The orders were done right and the server was great about asking about refills. -Cocktails. I had the Manhattan and my friend had the Old Fashioned. We're both snobs when it comes to drinks, and neither of us had a single complaint on the cocktail. Well balanced and mixed. -Fried okra. It was exceptional. The lightest cornmeal based batter I have ever tasted. It was almost as light and crispy as tempura. It was perfectly seasoned with salt, a bit of black pepper, and a hint of garlic powder. The okra was cooked until done but not overcooked and squishy on the inside like is often done. -Alcohol selection both spirits and drafts. Well stocked bar. -"Hog wings". A bbq pork rib, fried, and then tossed with a dry rub. Delicious. (A bit pricey at $4 a piece but delicious nonetheless).

Cons: -The prices. It was 15 for a chopped brisket sandwich and a side. 14 for pulled pork. I can pay that much for a half pound of bbq at a top notch joint, and I'd be shocked if either myself (brisket) or my friend (pulled pork) had 1/4 lb in our sandwiches. That gets compounded by the actual bbq itself which I will be discussing below. The cocktail was a bit expensive as well, but, for the quality, it wasn't bad. -The bbq. Sadly it was just not good. I wouldn't go so far as to say it was outright bad, but it was definitely sub-par. It was fully cooked, but it just didn't have much flavor. There was very little smoke ring, and the texture of the meat was also middling and a bit stringy. Almost more like it was baked or roasted rather than slow cooked in a smoker. Which is not good as when I go for BBQ, I am there mostly for the meat. It's a huge bonus when sides or drinks are awesome, but the whole point of bbq is the meat. And they have a beautiful huge smoker outside the building so they had the equipment to do it right. They just chose not to. Also the quantity of the meat being served was also lacking. The amount of meat we got was 1/2 inch high and slightly less wide than a standard piece of white bread. There was no overspill. The sauce was ok and unfortunately very much needed. Tasted like a mix of East Texas style with a bit of St Louis. Considering the amount of good reviews, the bbq was a massive letdown. -Unsweet tea. Yeah mine tasted like it had sat up and began that first stage of souring before fermentation starts. Then again ordering unsweet tea in a bbq restaurant is generally not a good idea so that one is kind of on me. However the server replaced it with a soft drink at no charge. No not a big deal. Just don't order it.

Overall, the service and cocktails save this from being a complete bomb. As a BBQ joint, it deserves a 1.5. However, as a bar that could serve snacks like the fried okra and hog wings alongside great cocktails and beer, it deserves a solid 4.0. If I lived in the area, I might use it as an event nightcap as it was a bit more casual and less crowded than many of the other...

(Updated from 12/9/21) This is going to be fun....Thanks for the response from the owner - A) the review was from 10 months ago - where "inflation hadn't hit yet" so yes, it was expensive. B) We're from 2 blocks away C) At this rate you would get 1 star for being a jerk with the response back. D) Our local pick is Bartley's BBQ, where two people can each have a 2-meat plate with 2 sides for less than $50.00. (lunch or dinner)

But since you are asking about "educating myself on the market", you might want to be careful because I am educated - writing a book actually about BBQ.. Let's start with the following: All of the places listed below served not a sandwich but actually a plated dinner with 2 meats and sides for under $50.00. (all listed is for two people) KANSAS CITY: Joe's Kansas City - excellent (50.00 for 2 people (and not a sandwich) and well worth it) Jack Stack - excellent (50.00 for 2 people and well worth it - this was an experience in dining - steakhouse nice) Q39 - excellent ribs Arthur Bryant's - medium Porky's Blazin - medium Gates - not so good OKLAHOMA: Swadley's BBQ - medium Rib Crib - not so good **Shall I go on??? TEXAS: Betty Roses - good Pecan Lodge - not a recommend (was on the Top 10 Texas but has fallen from grace) Lockhart - expensive but good Dave's BBQ - good Meat You Anywhere (right up the street) - really good and worth the money Salt Lick - good Road side spot in Hico - excellent TENNESSEE: Martins BBQ - excellent and worth the money The Rendezvous - Not my favorite, it's a different style of BBQ Central BBQ - great There are more, but you get the point. So, for $50 you can get more. AJ's location is cool, very unique. And the food quality was fine. The only issue in my comments was price point. And I'll stick to my original thoughts.

My husband and I went here for lunch. The BBQ was fine, but we were astonished at the $50.00 price tag...for lunch and sandwiches?!? $13.00 each for chopped brisket with fries (or orka) $8.00 for jalapeño poppers, and $3.50 for two drinks (tea/coke). That's right 41.00, then add the 20% for tip. So the food was fine. Maybe it's me, but that seems pretty expensive...

Edit 2: for someone who enjoys using terms like “coward” to describe writers of bad reviews the owner seems to have deleted his response. 🤔

Edit: the owner himself has replied and apparently the mental giant did not care to notice that I never stepped foot in his location or said issues would have also been addressed in person at the time. He also apparently cannot seem to grasp the concept of this being the modern town square and I am very clearly using my “voice” to denounce his product. If I ever find myself in that area I may pop my head in to say hello, but I’d hate to give such a lovely, levelheaded individual the foot traffic on Google maps.

A buddy of mine was in town for some work (we are next door in Arlington) and against all advice went here for lunch. I had suggested Weinbergers Deli (top notch), but of course that fell upon deaf ears. Nevertheless, I am not one to spurn free food even if it’s apparently cooked by an over the hill boomer prone to fits of online mania. As I opened the container, imagine my surprise when I was hit with a wave of nostalgia to the beef jerky chew from my childhood corner store, you know the kind that came in the little snuff cans. That’s about where the good ended. This “brisket” is enough to turn a Texan vegan. It’s dry enough to start a natural disaster on the west coast and about as flavorful as chewing on a stick. In fact that’s insulting the stick. I looked online and saw a beautiful smoker outside that apparently is not being used because if smoke even touched this it was from the candle being burned for sinners soul who concocted such a monstrosity of meat. Perhaps it could be used as a blasting media but beyond industrial purposes I see no reason for it to exist. Let alone for the price (gee, prices sure haven’t come down have they?). Oh and the sauce is like baby ray’s but if baby ray was in a terrible accident and had to relearn how to make his sauce and this was the first iteration.

In conclusion, worst dried meat product ever hustled as brisket and they should be shutdown for misrepresentation and publicly shamed for making a mockery of Texas barbecue.

Go Navy...