Per Max's suggestion, I headed a few miles down Oxmoor until I reached Jim & Nick's Barbecue on the right. The restaurant was large and rather nice and clean compared to the other barbecue joints I was accustomed to visiting. After surveying the restaurant, I decided to take a seat at the bar and order a pint of Sweetwater 420 on draught. While I reviewed the rather expensive and expansive
menu, I asked my waitress/bartender whether Assum was in. He appeared from the back a few minutes later and we talked about barbecue and how Max had sent me his way. Assum appeared to appreciate the honor and told me that he would put together a large plate of their meats for me sample.
Pictured (Clockwise From Far Back Left): Ham, Turkey, Baby Back Ribs, Spare Ribs, Coursely Chopped Pork, and Brisket.
Ham: Extremely moist, salty, but lacked any hickory smoked flavor.
Turkey: Solid smokiness and good texture/moistness. But let's be serious, turkey isn't going to sway my opinion in any direction.
Baby Back & Spare Ribs: I liked the barbecue sauce that congealed with the juices from the ribs, but they both lacked a authentic slow cooked hickory flavor that I was hoping they would contain. Between the two, I preferred the spare ribs.
Pork: Solid smoky undertones and lean cut portions of meat. If had the appetite, this was the meat that I would have piled on a peace of bread.
Brisket: I was definitely excited to hear from an employee that the brisket was one of the best meats offered by Jim & Nick's. Once I picked up and examined a slice of the brisket, I was quickly reminded that I was still in the southeast - pork country. The entire cap was sliced off the meat, and only a little piece of each slice had any bark on it. It was fairly pathetic looking. It had a better taste than most briskets I've tried in Alabama/Georgia but was still nothing to be proud of.
I thanked the waitress and Assum for the hospitality, and headed west towards Mississippi.
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you thanked the waitress, Nice!
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