Burk's BBQ

April: Burk's BBQ proudly displays "Voted #1 BBQ" on their front window. This is a lofty advertisement in Rock Hill, SC. I will say that after my last visit, I do not disagree.
When the restaurant first opened a few years ago we were immediately patrons for their affordable lunch special (chopped pork sandwich, hushpuppies, and drink for $5.50). I found the chopped pork very dry and in need of some serious taste. The hushpuppies are very good and the tea is almost as good as my mom's. Unfortunately, the pork was a little disappointing. When I lamented to a friend my dislike of the pork, he/she immediately said that what I needed to try was the ribs. I am not a huge fan of ribs and they are a lot more expensive than the $5.50 special! On our last visit, I decided to go for the rib plate. I was NOT disappointed in this pork! The ribs were meaty, smoky, great flavor, and downright fantastic. My only complaint is that you have to wait a little longer for the ribs after you order and all the while sit and smell them cooking! I think it just enhanced the final tasting experience. Burk's has two sauces; a tomato vingear base and a mustard base. While I am also not a fan of mustard base sauces, Burk's has a really good one. I think it has a touch of honey in it that gives it a special flavor. The ribs did not need any additional sauce, but the chopped pork is still very dry - makes a good vehicle for the tasty mustard sauce.
The restaurant itself is functional. I like the large rolls of paper towels on the tables for self dispensing. The walls are covered with stills from old TV shows. Lane and I really enjoyed quizzing each other on character names, actors, favorite episodes, etc while we waited for the food. While Burk's may not be my all time #1 favorite, it is a close second.
Lane: Since we started 100 Mile Smoke numerous people have insisted we try Burk's. I so want our loyal readers to know that we have been to Burk's many times before but there was always a newer place that warrented our perview first. I enjoyed Burk's ribs but in disagreement with April, I found their chopped pork to be very, very good. An excellent palette for their mustard sauce. The sides were your basic BBQ staple; hushpuppies and fries. Here is my theory on sides: sweet sides like your basic salads (pasta salad, potato salad, and coleslaw) work well to counter the vinegar bitter and the smoky salty tastes of the cue, but your starchy sides, (your hushpuppies and French Fries) can sometimes over load your salty taste buds. Besides, if you eat too much then it fills you up quicker sometimes before you can really enjoy your cue. This trip to Burk's, although enjoyable, left me feeling fundamentally unsatisfied. Certainly I was full of hush puppie goodness but truly too full to enjoy my main entree; the chopped pork. I recommend Burk's as your basic enjoyable BBQ restaurant loczted right smack in the middle of good old Rock Hill.

Burk's BBQ 2012 Cherry Road, Rock Hill, SC 29732 (803) 980-4444
Distance from Home: 2.7 miles