Review: Neely's Bar-B-Que

I heart the Food Network.
I think those Neely's are cute as little buttons!

We ran across their BBQ joint a few weeks ago when we went to StrongBonds. We didn't have time that day, but it made the short list of things to do in Nashville, TN real fast.

So this past weekend when we went meandering through the Music City this past weekend we decided to try it out.

It's real easy to miss. It's just tucked back into a very quiet and unassuming strip mall and is really almost hidden...except for all the cars in the parking lot.

Sorry about the picture quality, I took it on my phone.

I kind of expected something fancy for a couple of Food Network stars, but it was a BBQ joint.

Wood floors, writing on the walls and smoke in the air. It was fantastic, the place that makes you think you're going to get great food.

You step right up to the counter and order. They don't have a huge menu with lots of complicated things. It's just down home bbq-esque food and fixin's.

Research and Development went with the Rib Tips, BBQ Beans and *gasp* BBQ Spaghetti.

He loved them. (which was rather evident when he shoved an entire one in his mouth...). The meat was extra tender, and the sauce is fantastic. The beans were delicious and I am totally intrigued by this BBQ Spaghetti concept.

It was great. It was rather strange to have BBQ sauce and noodles but it's a fantastic idea.

I had a brisket sandwich and fries. I ordered mac and cheese but ended up with fries, I really wish I had said something and got the mac and cheese.

BUT the brisket was amazing. No kidding, it was one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth. I must admit that this is the first time I've had anything Memphis style, and one of the few times I've had brisket. It was a Hallelujah singing moment for me. The meat was so tender and tasty. The sauce was outrageous. Sweet, but not too sweet. Not too tangy and just a teeny bit of heat.

I will soooo be going back.

OH Die Junge!

That's German talk for OH BOY!
I cannot wait to tell you about this one!
Tonight Research and Development took me out on a surprise date!
The date was to Edelweiss Cafe for our very first taste to German food!
It was such a great time! The people there were so nice (because it was pretty obvious it was our first time).
I had such a great time with the hubs, and the folks there at Edelweiss and of course, with the food.
Please excuse the picture quality, they were taken with my phone!

This is a German Salad. The carrots and green beans are pickled like the beet and for the dressing it tasted like the juices that they were all picked in. It was really quite delicious. It was not heavy (like ranch dressing) and it really let you taste all the elements of the salad. PLUS, I really love beets!

Husband got Jager Schnitzel. It's Jager because it's a big piece, and it's Schnitzel because it's a cutlet of pork breaded and fried. This Schnitzel is drowned in a brown mushroom sauce. The side item is Spatzle. It's a home made egg noodle. DELICIOUS!

I had the boiled Pierogi, and I am in love...

Inside of this delicious and delicate dough is the most de.li.c.ious mashed potatoes ever! There are apparently many ways to stuff a Pierogi, but mine were cheese and potato! You can also get them fried. So this was most definately a comfort food, but it also had a flavor just different enough to not be traditional mashed potatoes. They were so good! In fact I'm pretty sure I'm going to have the left overs for breakfast...yep, that good.

And finally, I vowed to have dessert. It was so good, I was almost done before I remembered to take the picture...oops!

This delight is called a Paradise. It starts with a vanilla cake on the bottom, on top of that is a chocolate mousse, on top of that chocolate cake and topping it all off a vanilla mousse. I am a big fan of mousse. I love it, it's so light and punches so much flavor. This stuff was as homemade as you get. They do not pull a cake out of the freezer, they make it all.

This is our new favorite place here in Clarksville. I can't wait to try some other things that I've never tried before.

Ending quote from the husband...

"I ate too much German Schnitzel"

Frank's Hamburgers

This is Frank's:

I've been wanting a cheese burger, a delicious, delicious cheeseburger.

Research and Development got right on it. He found the top 3 burger joints in Clarksville.

Frank's and Frank himself are both cute as little buttons!

There was this big newspaper write up on the wall from back when Frank's had to pick up the pieces after the place was destroyed in the great tornado of '99. They added a whopping 2 barstools and 2 two top tables. See, cute!

I know I've said before how great the people in Clarksville are. Every where we turn, and of course at Frank's. As we were walking in it occured to us that this might be one of those delightful places that doesn't take a card. We walked in and asked and Frank's son told us not to worry about it. He said, there's an ATM across the street and that we should eat first, get the money later.

Frank, who is apparently the oldest fry cook in Clarksville, TN is darling. He cooked our burgers in between hits off of his oxygen machine. How much dedication is that? That man loves his job.

I had a cheese burger and Research and Development had a "Buster Burger," which was explained to him and "A great big burger."

It wasn't the most to-die-for cheeseburger I've ever had, but it was great.

The toppings were all fresh and delicious. The fries were made from real live potatoes! (gasp)

The place was precious, the staff was fantastic and it was a good, cheap burger. I had a fantastic time at Frank's and I know it will become a regular haunt for us.

If you're here, and you haven't go to Downtown Clarksville. It's so great. I love it there.

Excell BBQ

Doesn't look like much huh?

When you are going to try barbecue and you can smell it when you enter the general area and the whole neighborhood is smoky like this:

You, my friend are in the right place.

In fact this little building is where they actually Hickory smoke their barbecue.

We walk in and there is a notebook paper sign pointing the way to "Order BBQ." It was precious, I must say. The outside was just a store, nothing special. But our research and development department (Ahem, the husband) found this nifty joint last weekend so we had to try it.

Now keep in mind during this review that I am an Eastern N.C. girl, therefore I'm an Eastern NC BBQ fan. As is the research and development department. In fact one of the first questions he asks someone that he meets is "What's your barbecue like?" So, I must admit that the standards for BBQ are set pretty high.

There are three things on the menu at Excell. Barbecue, Whole Chickens and Slabs O' Meat Ribs.

I went with the Barbecue Sandwich and DH went with the Barbecue Plate.

It was a teeny bit salty for my taste, but it was just about the freshest most tender pork I've ever had. Usually I'm a barbecue and slaw sandwich kind of girl, but this did not need any slaw. It had a few flavors that were different, but not bad different. There was no vinegar to be found, but it was ok without it. We believe we taste a bit of paprika, and it was a bit spicy, so I'm thinking it was smoked paprika.

It was in no way dry, which really surprised me. I thought that without the vinegar it was going to be dry and chewy, but this was not the case.

Overall, I liked it. I missed my Eastern NC BBQ, but it definately took care of my pork craving. I would have been ecstatic if they had eased off the salt a bit, but it wasn't enough to completely turn me off.

We finished off with a My Oh My Fried Pie Peach Turnover Fried Pie.

Research and Development's opinion on this treat was "This is FREAKIN' AWESOME!"

It was really tasty! It was something like a Peach filled Krispie Kreme Doughnut. It should have been too sweet (especially for me), but somehow it was not. It had just the right balance of sweet.

In conclusion!

For a hole in the wall place it is definately our Clarksville, TN place for BBQ even the Fort Campbell Courier thinks so!