Alex Bar-B-Q (Shell Beach)

Alex Bar-B-Q
853 Shell Beach Road
Shell Beach California

I first ate at Alex about a dozen years ago, but I didn't have barbecue. Those were my teenage years when I mostly ate chicken fingers and fried cheese (and still only carried 150 pounds on my 6'2" frame, dammit) and barbecue was far too fancy a cuisine for me.

But not long ago I was on my way up to Monterey and I figured why not stop in and try their barbecue. The smell of oak smoke in the parking lot was amazing, although when I walked in there were only about three tables occupied, all with much older people. Of course, this was about 2 PM, so they might have been eating dinner.

I had the pulled pork sandwich with fries and slaw. I prefer shoestring fries to steak fries, because usually steak fries aren't cooked long enough. But these were done perfectly and were some of the best I've ever had. The slaw tasted like it came out of a Smart & Final container, but that's never a big deal. The pulled pork was very good. I had been suspicious when the menu claimed it came with a chipotle barbecue sauce. I love chipotle, but seriously? If you're so proud of your "oak smoked" meat, why would you put a flavored sauce on it? But... it was damn good. I actually got a side of it for my fries.

I used to frequently stop at a seafood restaurant in Pismo Beach whenever I drove up or down the coast, but over the years I have watched the prices at this particular restaurant go way up and the portions go way down (anyone who knows Pismo Beach knows exactly where I am talking about.) From now on I think I will make Alex Bar-B-Q my lunch stop.