Curtis' All American Bar-Be-Que — Restaurant in Putney

Before I get started here, I'll acknowledge that many of the "right-on" details are outlined in the positive reviews and therefore I'll refrain from waxing philosophically on areas that are already covered. The negative reviews (ranging from 1 to 2.5) that concern quality of service or layout of the establishment itself are clearly written by folks that may not be all too familiar with the outlets across the U.S. that produce the finest barbeques. In my experience, those outlets are generally in trailers (or, at the very least, roadside/humble structures) and frequently, (if you're lucky) you're walking right by "Operations" (i.e., the owner, watching over the meats) on your way to/from ordering the meal.

(Disclaimer - my favorite barbeque is from Eastern North Carolina (whole hog reigns supreme), and specifically from Pete Jones' Skylight Inn barbeque. If you google-map that, you'll see that it is tremendously inconvenient to get to - from pretty much anywhere - but yet it's worth the trip. I only mention this by way of establishing my 'Q credentials...)

Curtis's Bar-B-Q offers Vermont and New England at-large an experience generally seen in inconvenient locations in the south. Curtis's reminds me of a good number of barbeque places in Eastern North Carolina for that matter.

I've always enjoyed Curtis' ribs dry, with the sauce on the side. I find that the ribs stand on their own merit and don't need extra.

You're going to eat outside. You're going to get your fingers sticky. You might even need to wipe the bench off (is that a lot to ask?). No one ever said eating barbeque was pretty.

That's very likely why you don't see Barbeque on either the Main Dining Menu or the Lounge Menu of Le Bernardin... ;)

p.s., many thanks to my good friend Ben Guerrero for having introduced me to Mr. Tuff's 9th wonder...

Curtis' All American BBQ while a local destination with good reviews isn't worth the stop from this reviewers perspective. BBQ is an art not just throwing meat or chicken on a grill. Everything is cooked on a open flame at Curtis'. Where are the smokers? Any good BBQ joint uses smoke to infuse the meat with that unforgettable taste.

First lets cover the location and appearance. I've been to BBQ establishments across the country including Lewis BBQ in Charleston, SC; Smokin' Pig in Anderson, SC; and Joe's Kansas BBQ in KC to name a few. They all stick to the traditional smokers and slow cooking recipe. Plus these establishments are a destination with classic art, great music and a fun atmosphere. Curtis' is a couple of old run down school buses they use for an order window and storage. It's hard to tell how they meet health codes. There are also old children's toys littering the grounds. There are picnic tables and one area has a covered area in case it rains.

I ordered "The Combo" which consists of 2 ribs and a 1/4 chicken. The ribs were very inconsistent. One was under cooked and almost raw at one end, very chewy and a battle to get off the bone. The other was dry and definitely no smoke flavor. The chicken was just plain dry. The BBQ sauce if you can call it that was basically red hot sauce mixed with what seemed to be ketchup. No KC sweet, vinegar or smokey type sauces were available. The coleslaw wasn't chopped fine enough and was heavy on mayo.

Finding good BBQ in New England is a challenge, but finding poor is easier. Sadly, Curtis' doesn't live up...

I've been here about 6 times over the years, and i am add to see this place fall from grace. The first time I went, was in a whim because we needed gas next door and figured lets get an early dinner. That first time we took them to go and i had a transcendent experience. The ribs were tender, flavorful and melted off the bone. The sides were equally great on a concise classic menu. Definitely an 11 on a scale of 10, and for a number of years they kept the quality. 2 years ago i felt a little disappointed but it was still good. This last time i went on memorial day, eager to introduce some more of our friends to curtis bbq. Was it terrible? No. Was it good? No. The only redeeming notes were the collard greens and bbq sauce, but the meat (ribs and pulled pork) fell flat. The sauce was ok, but no flavor cooked into the meat. Further the meat was a little dry and very fatty. It just wasn't the same. And on top of it all the price was way too high for such lackluster quality. I'm not sure what changed. Could it be the staff i had not previously encountered, the absence of Curtis's daughter in the operations, or a great man with great food losing the passion for it?? Whatever it is, I hope Curtis figures it out, and makes the necessary changes to bring back the all American bbq magic that put him on the map. Back when you couldn't find them on Google but tried your best to remember which gas station was next door to bbq...