Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Back to Perdue's

After my last trip to Perdue's, in July, I wanted to make it back soon and try their chopped beef sandwich. I'd loved both the pork sandwich I'd eaten and the brisket that my mom ordered, so I was anxious to try the chopped beef. Of course, things happen, new restaurants open, and once summer ends I don't crave barbecue quite as much. So it took me three months to make it back. 

I walked in at about 12:30 in the afternoon and I was the only person there. I stayed for about 35 minutes and the whole time I remained the only customer. I hope they are doing OK, because once again I had a fantastic meal and I would hate for this place to disappear while Barn Burner marches on, serving up mediocre food at high prices in a marketing consultant's vision of what a barbecue joint should look like.

The chopped beef sandwich was on the menu for $2.99. That is not a misprint. I ordered that with some fries, cole slaw and a Diet Coke. The total was nine dollars. I cannot remember the last time I got a barbecue sandwich for three bucks. Maybe at the River Market on President Clinton Ave. in Little Rock. 

The sandwich was great. There was hardly any fat on the meat and it melted in my mouth. The bun was just a plain white hamburger bun. In other words, exactly what you want with good barbecue. I again ordered the "hot" barbecue sauce and it was again really hot. I put some of my cole slaw in the sandwich to cool it down.

The fries were great, too - freshly cut and battered potatoes. These blow the Popeye's "cajun battered fries" out of the water. 

I'm going to go back soon and try their pastrami sandwich and write about it on the other blog. I am pretty sure it will not take me three months to make it back.

6 comments:

KWM said...

You went without me? Next time I will go too. Did you see you first blog on the wall?

Anonymous said...

Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!

JustinM said...

Thanks. My older posts were started a year and a half ago just for friends - they wanted to see all my pictures of barbecue so I just did it for them. I didn't realize how many people would enjoy it, though, so now I take more care with the photos and writing. (Plus, a lot of the old digital photos I couldn't find so I had to scan them in and they're not good quality.)

I don't eat barbecue as much in the fall and winter, but now that we're past the winter solstice the days will be getting longer for many months and I imagine more barbecue will be in the future.

Petrea Burchard said...

I went to Perdue's tonight thanks to Ben Wideman, who went there thanks to you. So I'm here to thank you, too. It's a find. They told us they're doing well. They ought to be--what a great place.

JustinM said...

Hey, great to hear. I'm happy to be The Guy Behind The Guy on this one. Ben's blog is great and undoubtedly has more readers than I do.

Perdue's is fantastic and I'm happy to hear they're doing well. Reasonable prices and honest food. I ate there with my parents for lunch Friday: three sandwiches, fries and two drinks = $21. And there were only two other tables occupied. That evening, driving home, I passed Barn Burner. The place was completely packed. I will never understand what diners want in Pasadena.

Petrea Burchard said...

I think they don't know about Perdue's. I've lived half a mile from there all this time and never even saw it until Ben blogged about it. Publicity, man! I'm going to shout it out. Advertising is expensive and Barn Burner does a lot of it. But there's nothing like word of mouth.