This week, I’ve decided to venture out of Athens and visit our neighbors in Nelsonville for a bite to eat.
While the primary focus of this series up to this point has been on restaurants in Athens, I know The Athens News has many readers in communities such as Nelsonville, Albany, Chauncey and Glouster. Besides, good food can be found in all corners of Athens County, not just in Athens.
Owing to my interest in trains and my mother’s interest in music, I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Nelsonville over the years. Indeed, the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway and Stuart’s Opera House are the two biggest attractions in Nelsonville, drawing thousands of visitors each year.
However, I’m sorry to say I haven’t had much experience with the dining scene in Nelsonville. I’ve grabbed coffee at the FullBrooks Cafe and delicious bread and pastries at Alfonso’s Italian Kitchen and Bakery, but I haven’t enjoyed many sit-down dining experiences in Nelsonville.
After entering through the main entrance of the Rocky Outdoor Gear Store and making your way through the main showroom, you’ll find Starbrick BBQ’s dining room.
The overall atmosphere at Starbrick BBQ is casual, a bit like a hunting lodge or a cabin. There are various knick-knacks, including neon signs and taxidermied heads, lining the walls. Speaking of which, the brick walls are a nice nod to both the restaurant’s name and Nelsonville’s history as a brickmaking hub.
The lighting in the main dining area is a bit subdued, but the restaurant makes up for it with ample natural lighting provided by a pair of large windows overlooking East Canal Street. This gives diners at Starbrick BBQ a good view of downtown Nelsonville and its Historic Public Square.
For my appetizer, I ordered some pretzel sticks with honey mustard sauce. All of Starbrick BBQ’s food is cooked to order, with the exception of its meats, which are slow smoked. As such, my pretzel sticks were hot and crisp right out of the oven.
I decided to order Starbrick BBQ’s brisket platter as my entree, along with a side of waffle fries and some of their pit beans. No offense to those who enjoy barbecued pork but give me a choice between pork and brisket and I will always go for the brisket.
The pit beans that came with my meal were flavorful, partially because they contained chunks of brisket in them. They were lighter and less sugary than your typical baked beans, being seasoned with a mix of brown sugar and Starbrick BBQ’s house seasoning. The beans had a slight heat to them but were not spicy.
My waffle fries were crispy and well-done, with a generous amount of seasoning on them. Starbrick BBQ cooks its fries using soy oil rather than vegetable oil or beef tallow, which meant the potato flavor of my waffle fries wasn’t overpowered. I also received three corn muffins, which had a soft, spongy texture almost like pound cake.
Before tucking into my brisket, I decided to sample the various sauces available at Starbrick BBQ. In total, the restaurant has nine sauces: Regret, Reaper, Buffalo, Spicy, Carolina Gold, Alabama White Sauce, North Carolina Vinegar and Sweet and Sticky.
For the sake of brevity, I have summarized my thoughts on each with bullet points:
- Sweet: Your typical Kansas City-style barbecue sauce. A sweet, tomato-based sauce with notes of brown sugar. Sharpens up at the end, finishing off with a tomato kick.
- Sweet and Sticky: This brown-sugar based sauce lives up to its name. It’s incredibly thick, almost like honey, with a medley of spices thrown in. This is the sauce Starbrick BBQ uses on its ribs.
- Alabama White: This mayo-based sauce is almost like a spicy ranch or a creamy salad dressing. Had a somewhat vinegary start, followed by a tangy, almost floral finish. I was informed many customers do indeed use it as salad dressing on their house salads.
- Carolina Gold: A delightful South Carolina-style sauce. Mustard-based. Not spicy in the traditional sense, more pungent and sharp.
- North Carolina Vinegar: A thin, watery sauce with a tangy, slightly sweet flavor. This sauce is most commonly used for pulled pork.
- Buffalo: A vibrant orange sauce with a strong cayenne pepper kick. Hits you with spiciness, then a strong vinegar taste.
- Reaper: Creamy, pungent and somewhat sour. You don’t think it’s going to be all that hot when you first taste it, then the spice hits you all at once. Your tongue will start to sweat and your face will tingle from the heat.
- Regret: Even more insidiously spicy than the Reaper sauce. It’s very similar to the Carolina Gold, though the mustard flavor is less pronounced. The spiciness creeps up on you slowly and it won’t hit you until the second or third bite.
My brisket had a thick, black outer crust of spices, with a warm pink layer beneath and a well-cooked inside. Fortunately, it wasn’t overly dry despite being slow smoked. I was pleasantly surprised by the melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and the intense, smoky flavor. It almost reminded me of a country ham that had been cooked over a campfire.
Not counting the tip or the extra sauces I purchased (each of which was 59 cents apiece), my meal cost $29.46.
Given its humble surroundings, the quality of the food at Starbrick BBQ far exceeded expectations. If you’re looking for a place to grab a filling meal before a hike through the Hocking Hills, Starbrick BBQ is the place for you. Just don’t forget to grab a pair of hiking boots on your way out.
Starbrick BBQ is open Tuesday-Saturday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Availability of barbecued meats is based on demand. To contact Starbrick BBQ, call 740-300-3337 or email starbrickbbq@gmail.com. For catering inquiries, call 740-591-3312.