Cleveland is a city that isn't by any means lacking in the restaurant department. On our recent trips there Ive tried my best to do some research before hand so we weren't overwhelmed when we arrived.
On this trip, it was a MUST that we visit Michael Symon's newest venture, Mabel's BBQ.
Located on E. 4th St, Mabel's is the newest neighbor to Lola's, Symon's sleek & elegant establishment.
Modern, simple and very inviting, Mabel's offers plenty of seating both upstairs and down, including a bar area and a communal picnic table right in the center.
That is where we sat! Cozy up & make friends with your neighbors because your all their to enjoy some delicious grub!
I personally loved the menu. Simple & to the point. Everything where it should be. The hardest part was deciding what to get & estimating how much I could possibly stretch my stomach to order more then necessary.
With an impressive drink menu including beer, whiskey, bourbons & moonshine, I felt compelled to order a local draft to accompany this proper Cleveland BBQ experience.
Offering Brisket, Pork Belly, Turkey Breast & Kielbasa by the 1/2#. Slabs of Pork, Lamb & Beef Ribs as well as monster sandwiches, it was a difficult to narrow it down to what we thought was a proper order before we had to pray forgiveness for the sin of gluttony we were about to partake in.
We went with the Brisket, Big Pig Sandwich, a side of J.W. Potatoes & the Broccoli salad.
All the meats & ribs are served with local pickles, kraut & sliced white bread.
Your food is brought out together on a metal lunch tray & is just the ultimate invitation to share!
When you order the brisket, they ask if you would like a fatty or lean cut....go with the fatty. Fat is flavor..never forget that!
The Brisket was juicy, meaty & tender with a beautiful smoke ring around it but not overly smoked.
The kraut....let me tell you about this kraut!! Hands down, BEST kraut Ive ever had. It was the perfect blend of sweet, sour, soft & crunchy. There was not one tiny piece left behind!
If Mr. Symon ever decides to bottle it up for sale, I'll be ordering it by the case & eating it all year round.
The Big Pig was a massive sandwich with chopped pork, coleslaw & cracklin' on a soft roll. This was right up my alley! My favorite bbq combo is having the fatty, juicy meat paired with cool, crunchy slaw & this sandwich delivered just that! The lightly salted cracklin' on the top was just an added bonus!
J.W. Potatoes were recommend by our server since I could not make a decision between the hot greens, bakes beans, smoke beets, spaetzle, & cucumber salad.
Crispy fried and tossed in a mustard, vinegar dressing these were a new take on the standard potato salad at every other bbq joint.
The broccoli salad, oh how I fell in love with this salad. Perfectly cooked florets of broccoli mixed in a lightly creamy dressing with peanuts & dried cherries. Another treat for your palate as it had the cool, crunchy, sweet & salty combination.
A few days after we returned home & had to make this side dish for my family! It is now requested at all summer gatherings!
We normally don't oder dessert but since we were celebrating we decided to treat ourselves. Even after we ordered, we both sat wondering how in the world we were ever going to fit anymore into our bellies!
Chocolate pudding with toffee popcorn!
Served in the perfect size glass, this pudding was thick, creamy & delicious. The toffee popcorn was a great contrast & such a cute garnish!
To say we enjoyed ourselves would be an understatement. Im so happy that we were able to experience Symon's Cleveland take on bbq because he is doing it right!
Of the three restaurants we got to visit in Cleveland, this was by far our favorite!
Cheers to our next dining adventure!
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