Billy Sunday's review

Monday night was the official opening of Billy Sunday's. They weren't doing take-out service, but a special request (which may or may not have embarrassingly included resort to BOTH "infant at home" and "I'm a blogger...") was enough to score me dinner for the road. I stopped in again last night and it appears that take-out is now part of the regular routine.

There were four of us, so we went with: 2 beef short ribs (at around a pound each); a pound of pulled pork and a half chicken (dark), as well as a large mac and cheese, a large dirty rice, a large order of collards and a small order of mashed sweet potatoes. The results were mixed.

On the plus side, the short ribs were, as advertised, big, meaty and full of good smoky flavor. They smoke their meats in house and you can really taste it in the ribs. Most of the sides were also very good. The collards were tender and had a good mix of salty/porky flavor; the mashed sweets were excellent and the dirty rice was fluffy and flavorful. Also, I picked up a couple of cheddar biscuits the next day; they were good after sitting around at my house for an hour. I suspect that they are great if you eat them hot.

On the negative side of the ledger, the pulled pork and the chicken were dry. Granted, we didn't order any of the sauces for the pork. Because it was the first night and there wasn't supposed to be takeaway service, I'll take the hit for this ... but the pork should be moist and sweet enough to make the sauces optional, and I'd say that they were necessary. As for the chicken, the smoke suffused the skin, so the skin was tasty but the meat came out dry and flavorless. This is less forgivable with the dark meat than the lean breast meat.

The final disappointment was the fried mac and cheese. The heat to fry the breading wasn't enough to get the cheese on the inside good and gooey. Instead, you get a ball of solidified cheese and cold macaroni with indistinct breading. The kitchen needs to work out the timing on this because "fried" and "cheese" should result in a winner every time.

This is by no means my final word on Billy Sunday's. It is a welcome addition to the neighborhood and I am going to be monitoring how they work out the kinks by going back pretty regularly. I also need to try the pork ribs, brisket and - eventually - pork belly.

One final note, the menu that we posted last week is no longer current. Some inconsistencies have been fixed (it no longer costs the same for a half and a whole chicken) and some other prices have been adjusted (in both directions). I'll try to pick up a current menu to replace the pre-opening version.

Comments

[carrie]

Charles, you make better collards than this place!

The mac & cheese was insanely bland, as was the chicken and pork. To me, it tasted like the meat had been boiled - totally flavorless.

I hate to be so negative - I'm delighted to have another option in the nabe - but the draw at this point is more the atmosphere/ambience than the food. Hopefully they'll work out the kinks and that will change.

[dt]

I'm not loving the "eat in a shack look"

[Midwoody]

I have never had Charles' collards, nor have I met Charles, and so I cannot speak to that comment, but I did eat at Billy Sunday's and would like to add my 2 cents.

We had pulled pork, pork ribs and most of the sides... I thought that the pulled pork was actually AMAZINGLY moist. In fact, I commented on it's "moistness" a few times, so I was surprised to hear the original review say that it was dry. I imagine it is hard to judge this food anywhere but fresh out of the kitchen.
The ribs were also moist and tasty. I agree that in general, the flavor is "subtle" and that the three sauces are a welcome part of the meal...

I will agree wholeheartedly that the mac and cheese balls were a disappointment. They were not a bitter disappointment, though, because bitter is a taste and they kind of had NO taste. Yes, indeed, any combo of "fried" and "cheese" should be a winner, something is off here... One of my dining partners put bbq sauce on them (this was a genius move) and they became something of a hit, but still there was a lonely ball sitting on the plate at the end of the meal and everything else was GONE (collards, sweet mash... amazing baked beans).

The main feeling we had eating at Billy Sunday's, though, was one of elation that we had WALKED to a new restaurant... that the decor was really well done, the beer selection impressive and the general vibe/staff seemed pleasant and relaxed... We were elated to come out of the restaurant after a very tasty meal and find ourselves on Lincoln Road!

[Jeanne]

I'm totally loving the eat-in-a-shack look. But a) I confess I do enjoy theme decor, and b) my mother is a Southerner and I went to college in Georgia so maybe I'm feeling the atmosphere more than others do. I also support use of reclaimed materials which are all over this place. I saw they have some of the tin tiles they'd pulled from the ceiling (something I witnessed months ago) fastened to the walls of the bathroom. Great solution for using some of those original elements.

I thought the pulled pork was moist and good. I never like my collards especially salty or spicey so the flavor was perfect for me and my neighbor and husband loved them too. The mashed sweet potatoes were great and I liked the biscuit. The banana pudding is awesome with its Nilla Wafers.

I just accidentally posted this question on an old thread though so I'll repeat it here: Big mystery, does anybody know their hours and when they open? We need to get an early dinner before heading out for something this evening but the hours are not on the menu, there's no website, there's no answer and there's no outgoing greeting stating their hours. I know they just opened but an informative outgoing voicemail greeting doesn't seem too much expect.

[Charles Star]

Count me in favor of the decor as well. I should have mentioned it in the review.

I should also note that I had, and really liked, the brisket last night. So far I'm happier with the cow than the pig. Color me surprised.

[GW]

I wonder if your food may have suffered from delivery time; I tried the chicken and the pork during the "free samples" period (which was awesome, by the way) and they were both moist & delicious. But I was also into the mac-and-cheese balls; I found them appropriately gooey and surprisingly light. My biggest gripe about this place so far is that the beer is kind of expensive, and they don't have high chairs. Mostly, I'm very excited to have it in the neighborhood.

[Charles Star]

It may have suffered from delivery time - that's why I mentioned that it was takeout - but the walk from Lincoln to Hawthorne isn't that far. Still, I am going to be 'rereviewing' Billy Sunday's many times in the coming months, though I am unlikely to keep writing every time I do.

I also want to note that when I was there on Tuesday to pick up the cheddar biscuits, there was a high chair in use.

[dt]

In spite of my distaste for eating in shacks we went to Billy Sunday's for dinner Friday night. We had a very good time. LOved the collard greens. pork ribs with sauce were delish! Great beer choices. The bill was surprisingly cheap. I walked out at the end of the meal excited to have another neighborhood place to become regulars at.

[Wash Jones]

We were finally able to try this place Friday night around midnight. Fantastic beer selection! I'm proud to have this new arrival in our little nabe. The shack feel is weird at first, but I soon found it oddly comforting.

[plgee]

i don't eat meat, and reports of the mac and cheese don't sound encouraging, but i do like good beer. anybody want to give specifics on the "fantastic beer selection?"

[Scott]

While I was in K-Dog I overheard why they've been open so irregularly. The Meat smoker is leaking into the apartments above the restaurant and they're trying to work out the bugs. Thats a real pain when cooking takes 8 to 12 hours for smoked meat.

[Erica]

I went to Billy Sunday's last week and I was mostly disappointed. I loved the decor and quirkiness of things like bbq sauce in beer bottles, but I thought the food was mediocre. I got the pork ribs, brisket, mac n cheese, collards and biscuits. The ribs were okay, the brisket was thin and dry. I just wasn't wowed by anything. I finished with the banana pudding, which was tasty, but so thin it was almost inedible. I hope it improves... I really wanted to like it and I am desperate for more takeout options, but if I want good bbq, I will go somewhere else.

[MIchael]

The beer selection is very good. I don't eat meat either (plgee) but I found the mac and cheese to be pretty good - although it could have used some more cheese :)

As a vegetarian, I will go here from time to time when my girlfriend wants BBQ, but enduro will remain my mainstay.

Also, it seems the name has changed to Whiskey Sunday. I'm not sure why.

[nanounanou]

our family finally tried this place on saturday - we ordered the ribs and chicken and an assortment of sides for take out. MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT. we stopped by after running errands so we were in the car and the food was hot - that was not the issue. the meat was bland, bland bland. the mac and cheese passable. the collard greens - just gross. the only thing that was okay were the cheese biscuits. i appreciate the diversity of these new restaurants are bringing in to the nabe, but this place has a long way to go.

my 7 and 9 year old sons, summed up - never order from there again!

[Jeffrey]

In one sense, there are two sorts of BBQ restaurants out there:

1) ones that serve there meats in sauce already (sometimes swimming in it)

and

2) ones that serve the meats *without* the sauce (or with very little sauce), allowing the user to select from their specialty sauces.

Whiskey Sunday falls squarely into group #2 (no/little sauce on it already, allowing customer to select), and I think a lot of people -- especially the take-out folks -- are panning it for that reason alone, calling the meats bland or without much flavor.

I took my family.

I love the "pick your own sauces concept (And Blueberry? Who knew!).

I love the place and think it's a great addition to the neighborhood.

I do see how other folks might criticize it, absent the ability to add sauce as desired in the sit-down experience, but I think they are missing a critical part of the overall picture (one that may limit take-out side, admittedly).