Another Restaurant Dissapointment.....Pellet smoking has ruined going out!

We are in San Luis Obispo Ca for the holidays. My kids all insist that we can do whatever and wherever as long as the xmas holidays are where they grew up.

My son made resers for his inlaws (jimbo here) and my wife and I. The appies were fine but the main courses sucked.

Jimbo looked and me and said "We do so much better at home!" I said You betcha. We didnt want the rest of the table to hear us bragging...I looked over at Jimbos wife and said "whats wrong? She said "our food at home is just so much better!"

This is one of the only places where I could put this in writing and have people understand. Pelletsmoking has also ruined high end steak houses for me too.

How about you?

so, so true in all respects (especially in this is one of the only places that I am understood )

last May my husband & I went to Baltimore to visit my son at college .... we took my son & one of his friends out to dinner... they wanted to go to a place that had several "best ribs of baltimore" banners on the wall........ the ribs sucked,, I tried to not say anything but when my son's friend asked if I could do better my immediate response was "absolutely", his response was wow, no hesitation there, no hesitation I said....

if those were the best of baltimore I don't want the non-best ... they were mush, as were the sides....

found it they have an faq

How are your ribs cooked?
Our ribs are slow cooked for over 24 hours and then grilled to perfection so the meat falls off the bone.

What type of ribs do you serve?
We serve only the best pork Baby Back Ribs imported from Denmark.

and the place was packed

Fully agree. When we go out it usually is for something we don't do at home like sushi.

You hit the nail on the head! I almost NEVER order steak out anymore. In fact there is only one restaurant in our area that cooks what I consider to be a truly great steak. Their steak of choice is a thick cut Sirloin that they hand cut themselves and take great care with to season and cook it right.

But even then I just prefer steaks at home. For less that what two good steak dinners cost I can feed the whole family a truly superb steak dinner and it tastes so much better.


Don't even get me started on restaurant ribs... !

I feel your pain BP, I can't remember the last time I had ribs in a restaurant that were as good as what we can do at home. Ditto for steak and prime rib. I don't mind paying for good food but it seems like even high end steak houses aren't that great when you factor in what your paying.

We went to a Brazilian steak house a few weekends ago with a group of friends for a birthday and the place was packed, everyone was laughing at me because I was underwhelmed and they told me, "your grill has turned you into a meat snob!" I guess so, but they all agreed backyard pellet cooked was better than trendy Brazilian steak house!

I'm with Jim, the only real satisfaction I get with going out is Japanese, a couple of local Italian joints, a few Mexican restaurants, Thai, and a seafood joint or two on the central coast. There are a couple of steak houses that do a good job but it's so hit and miss at the prices you pay it's too much gambling for me when i'm hungry. I guess I am a pellet snob, oh well!

Really you are right....I think food has become so processed and also believe that there is no way all these restaurants are serving prime....impossible if only 2-4% of all beef slaughtered is prime graded. even so..I will take any of the smokers steaks here over the big houses.

Ya I will second or third or whatever we are up to we buy the rib eye loin and age a little while then hand carve myself, taste way better than any steak house I have been to, the only thing I order in a restaurant is something that I cant quite get the hang of (chicken) and that is sometime questionable if they can make it better.

Plus it cost me way less

LTS

If I go out to eat BBQ, it's because someone else wants to go. Now, since I have this Memphis Pro, there is no need to go out for steak either. If we go out, it's usually Italian, or Mexican.

Bear said:

If I go out to eat BBQ, it's because someone else wants to go. Now, since I have this Memphis Pro, there is no need to go out for steak either. If we go out, it's usually Italian, or Mexican.

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Ditto for us

Agree with all but from time to time, it's nice not to have to clean up afterwards by going out to eat Chinese, Italian, Thai etc.