Creekside BBQ — Restaurant in Washington

They've only been open a week. There will, of course, be things to work out with staff, training, recipes, processes, etc. For only having been open a week - holy cow! I'm so happy this place is here (my wallet may not be not because they're expensive but because they're so close and tasty).

The meat: Spot on with taste and texture. Had the brisket sandwich, brilliant! There was the right amount of meat, maybe coulda done with a couple more onions to help cut the richness - but otherwise, perfect. Had the rib tips, brisket, and pulled pork on the tri plate - all the meats were great! Perfectly cooked, seasoned, and delicious. We were all doing the happy eating dance while devouring the meats.

The sides: Going to state first - most of the BBQ places we have around here struggle with sides in general. This is not unique to Creekside, at all (and Creekside has only been open a week - remember that). The sides were firmly okay, with the exception of the beans. The beans are awesome - if you like the sweeter baked bean style. There are HUGE chunks of brisket in there which could have been almost a side of meat unto itself - again, simply delicious. The slaw was meh. It needed a little more acid and salt. It wasn't bad but when measured to the perfection of the meat - it was sad to have sort of a bland side. The mac and cheese - the sauce was great, the noodles needed to be a little less cooked. This is a SUPER common problem with BBQ joint mac and cheese - the sauce is good but the noodles are too soft. The cornbread - flavor was spot on with an excellent balance of sweet and corn-y, but, it was a little dry. This feels like a super common issue at BBQ joints too! Not sure if it's because it's baked in large batches or not. You could tell that the muffin was fresh, baked that day if not within the last couple hours - it wasn't over baked - but it was dry. I think a little brush of butter on the top after it comes out would go a LONG way.

We got our food to go BUT - we did sit inside and wait. The tap selection looked good. Only 4 taps, but a good variety to cover important bases (IPA, Stout, Amber, and Hef).

Overall - this will be a place we go to frequently. We were extremely happy with all the meats. The staff was nice. The owner was there and obviously cared about his guests' experience and feedback. The ambiance of the restaurant itself was clean and welcoming. It smelled amazing (the smoke and...

It started with an early walk. I strode by the window, waving to the person preparing meat for the smoker. Hooked instantly, as I used to prepare my smoked meat in similar fashion. That was well before lunch although I did talk my mom into trying out a new place for lunch with me. This was her neighboring part of town, north of Hazel Dell, afterall!

We arrived for lunch, opened the door, and were greeted by the savory goodness of smoked brisket. Neither of us had visited this place before and had to get a brief walk through the menu choices. The person who assisted us was amazing. While she was going over the options, I was interpreting the best I could for my mother. Not that she's unable to decide, just that she prefers to discuss her thoughts before settling into a decision. We have our own relationship built from years of leaning on one another. Through tough times and simple choices, this was a walk in the park for me. She just wanted some certainty that we both would be happy with our decision. It was lunch after all, didn't seem to be that difficult.

The brisket as well as pulled pork satisfied both of our anticipated delighted pallettes. The crisp crust of the brisket giving way to supple and soft goodness underneath. It would make a meal on its own. The tender and moist pork was just what I needed to counter the smoked crust of the brisket. So good.

Then the Mac and cheese. Not anything I'd had before, it was that good. The bread crumb topped bites settled into soft and cheesey noodles with each bite. Red potato salad was creamy and savory with the potatoes cooked just as I would have. Mostly cooked through with just enough texture to remember it was a potato salad.

The cornbread, although a different review from either side of the table was good by her decision and okay from mine. Just different feelings generally about cornbread to begin with. Could have used butter and honey, we could have easily asked for some on the side, so no real issue by my book.

In the middle of everything that has been going on, I found a great place for lunch as well as an outlet to the flavors of barbeque when I need it. The sauces added their own unique touch to the well seasoned and prepared meat as well. We were thrilled to experience this impromptu lunch and certain that others there...

I went here with my Mom for a very late lunch. I asked for recommendations and tried The Garland sandwich (pulled pork, KC Sweet BBQ Sauce, homemade sour dill pickle, and shaved red onion) with baked beans. My Mom ordered ribs with potato salad. I had only eaten leftovers from here before when my husband and son had gone. The food was good but this time it was much better. The flavor was rich, The meat was tender and had just enough BBQ Sauce to give it flavor, the pickle and onion complimented the pork nicely by offering contrasting textures and flavors; Sweet, savory, a little tangy, soft and a little crunchy with the onions and pickle. I decided to add the interesting green North Carolina mustard sitting there in the condiment basket on the table, and I was not disappointed. It added more tangy goodness without too much sour. It complimented the BBQ without taking over. The beans were solid. They weren't super sweet or overly smoky. They were nice. I tried the potato salad, and I thought that it was well made. Usually, I am super picky with potato salad and prefer my families recipe to all others so far. This one was different enough not to directly compete. The flavors were very appealing. Everything tasted amazing to me. The potato salad tasted more soohisticated than one from a backyard picnic. My husband's personal review had been less stellar than my experience, I half wondered if his taste buds were dulled by his seasonal allergies. We also tried the banana pudding. This was my first time having it. The texture was very smooth. The flavor was yummy. The banana flavor wasn't overwhelming like a banana cream pie. It reminded me of bread pudding, so I would venture to say it is probably exactly what banana pudding is meant to taste like. It tasted like it was designed by a chef. The sandwhiches were designed with ingredients that go well together, not just a random little eatery with filling homemade food that is good and common. The flavor combinations are intentional. I think the one suggestion I would recommend with ordering off the meat menu is to be sure to add sides to balance the meal. Eating only off the meat menu may be almost too rich. It is best paired with complimenting side dishes, in my opinion. This lunch was definitely a treat for my tastebuds, and I...