Boalsburg BBQ

Faithful readers, we happened to stumble upon a small and satisfying eatery this afternoon, the Boalsburg Griddle, which serves breakfast and lunch, but also whips up some mean barbeque on Friday and Saturday nights. We got a chance to interview Dustin Brown, the Griddle's co-owner about the barbeque business and Boalsburg (see above).

Most importantly, we got to eat there, and we recommend you do the same. Here's what we thought:

1. Location: The Boalsburg Griddle is located on South Atherton Street near PA-45 and US-322. We took US-322 to North Atherton Street through State College, for reasons that will be divulged in due course.
2. Décor: Before you walk into the Griddle, you are greeted by an impressive-looking barbeque smoker, reassuring to any barbeque fan. The interior is tastefully decorated and there are several tables and chairs. A long counter separates the seating area from the prep area. They also had highchairs, a definite perk. Mostly nothing fancy, but nice.
3. Service: Lightning-speed, very friendly, courteous and helpful. Obviously the employees are busy, but are also willing to take time with each customer (even the ones that pull out a video camera). Also, I almost forgot, our toddlers left a mess at the table, at which they never blinked an eye. Sorry, guys!
4. Menu: We only saw the barbeque menu, but that was more than adequate for our purposes. Pulled pork sandwiches by themselves, with coleslaw or pickles, ribs, chicken, and the usual sides. In the adjoining room, there seemed to be a good selection of beer and other hard drinks, which we did not sample (although the Aquafina bottled water was top-notch).
5. Price: Our sandwiches were $5.00 (pulled pork sandwich) and $6.50 (pulled pork with pickles), and the sides were $2.00 apiece. Drinks were $1.00 apiece. We've eaten for less, but then again, this food is a far cry from Long John Silver's. The portions were sufficient.
6. The Food: The Griddle obviously knows where to concentrate their energies. We had pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw and baked beans, and all were excellent. The rolls were delicious, the pork was real pulled pork, shredded so that it made a perfect sandwich, and both the baked beans and the coleslaw were great (mind you, Grandma Henry’s baked beans are still the best, but these were also delicious). But the thing that needs its own category is...
7. The Barbeque Sauce: This sauce was utterly fantastic. If Dustin and the guys bottled this stuff, they could easily sell it as the cure for the common barbeque. Upon first blush, it was the perfect blend of Arby’s sauce and Sweet Baby Ray’s (neither of which are small compliments coming from us), but after some reflection, we had to admit it was better than either. In some ways, it was a perfect blending of the two, but its two distinctions were a tartness and a definite smoky flavor. We soon realized our foolishness at having even tried to compare this stuff to store-bought sauce or--horrors!--fast-food fare.
8. Cleanliness: I definitely took note of a housefly at our table, but other than that, it seems like they run a tight ship.

Overall, we give the Boalsburg Griddle 4/5 stars. Again, we were only there for the barbeque, but if you're in Boalsburg some Friday afternoon (from 3-7) we recommend you give them a try.