Red Bones - BBQ in Boston...

...or, I guess I should say Somerville!  In general, it takes a Groupon or a really good reputation to get me to cross the river.  In this case it was actually a meeting with a potential wedding photographer AND a Groupon AND a good restaurant.  With the appointment schedule we were off to Red Bones to indulge in a little BBQ. 

The first time I went Red Bones I was with some co-workers during a summer internship.  After we had gone to Anna's for lunch they suggested we get some dessert and off we went.  However, rather than ice cream (which was what I was expecting) we went for some micro brews - pretty good in my book.  Since then I have been to Red Bones once for a quick meal and it was great, so I was excited to go back.

It was fairly early on a Tuesday night and the place was already busy, but we were able to sit right down.  One of Red Bones' claims to fame is their extensive list of microbrews on tap.  For those who cannot make up their mind, you can let the wheel decide - spin it and whatever it lands on you drink.  Feeling less adventurous tonight and not wanting to leave it up to chance, I went with a good stand by - Pretty Things.

mmmm...beer!

Shortly after our drink orders were taken, the server brought over some corn bread.

Corn Bread

A lot of restaurants have been serving corn bread but this is definitely the most authentic tasting of them all.  Sometimes, you take the fancy out and you are left with just a yummy warm up to the rest of the meal.  Since we were indulging, I also ordered the hushpuppies (I mean, how can you not).

Hushpuppies

Hushpuppies are fried cornbread flavored with scallions and garlic and served with a vinegar sauce.  These had a lot of taste to them, which may sounds silly, but sometimes, this type of dish can end up being really greasy or just end up like lead in your stomach.  This was so not the case here - they were nice and crunchy outside and soft inside, with great flavor and texture throughout.  Even better, the sauce adds a great tang to each bite.

For dinner I had some trouble ordering - there were just so many options!  In the end I went with a combo platter.  Going in I knew I wanted some ribs, so I went with the "ribs and any BBQ item."

Rib combo platter

I got the St. Louis ribs (lean and tender) and some pulled pork.  The combo platter came with beans and coleslaw.  The food was delicious - almost as good as what you see in the south.  The ribs and BBQ are cooked well and so tender.

Rather than having the meat dictate the ordering, Nick went more for the sides, so he ordered a smaller portion of brisket with mac and cheese...

Brisket and Mac

corn pudding...

Corn Pudding

and collards.

Collards

All of his food was good and tasty.  The corn pudding was something I had never seen before, and I was even more suspect when I saw it arrive at the table, but it was delicious.  The texture and flavors were great - totally worth ordering!  The mac and cheese was rich and creamy, and the collards had a great smokey taste to them.

Red Bones is really unlike anything else we have in and around Boston.  They have the market cornered on BBQ, so when you are looking for something straight out of the deep south, just head straight to Davis Square!