[Trayderjoe]

We stopped by today around 4:30 for dinner and were promptly seated. The restaurant was somewhat busy, but it really started picking up (there were at least 12 people waiting when we left at around 5:40 and the tables were full).

I tried the 3 meat/3 side selection, opting for the sweet and wet ribs, the dry and spicy ribs, and the pulled pork with spicy sauce on the side. The sides were the Western Beans, Twice Baked Potatoe Casserole and the Mac N" Cheese with the garlic toast. My wife had the brisket, Twice Baked Potatoe Casserole and green beans with sweet sauce on the side, also having the corn muffin.

The ribs were meaty and the meat fell off the bone, quite literally. I picked up a rib and half of it slid off onto the plate. The sweet and wet ribs were good, as were the dry rub ribs, but they were not as spicy as I had hoped. Please note that I prefer wet ribs over dry, but wanted to check out the ribs both ways. The side dish of sauce (no charge) was nice to have since I like really wet ribs. The spicy sauce had a nice tang to it, and was not overly sweet. Stick with the sweet sauce if you don't like a little "kick". We really liked the Twice Baked Potatoe casserole, the Mac N Cheese was fair to good, and the Western Beans ok, but not as spicy as I had hoped. My pulled pork was nice and moist and the overall portion size was quite nice. My wife's brisket was a little dry and she liked the green beans, but she noted that they were heavy on the garlic. She didn't care for the corn muffin while the garlic toast was typical.

Overall, we liked our meal much more than Sonny's or Oakwood (we still have to try Burke's) and will definitely go back again. I much prefer Stockyard over the other two establishments (in fact I have passed on BBQ when down here after being so disappointed in the other two restaurants), but since personal tastes do vary, you might want to try it and see if you like it. The restaurant was clean, the service excellent, and the portion size relative to price was also good. It really comes down to your preference in the sauces and spices used. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!