Dan's Papers - August 3, 2007 - Townline BBQ Has Arrived

As a farewell to summer splurging, I took myself out to the Townline BBQ on Townline Road in Sagaponack last Thursday for an all-I-could-eat blowout lunch. I have never really enjoyed eating BBQ above the Mason-Dixon line (except for two memorable experiences in Colorado) so I wasn't expecting much from this upper-crusty try at an old favorite. However, I was pleasantly surprised.

Although the red sauces were predictably mediocre, with a distinctive aftertaste of calamari sauce and very little heat, the vinegar-based sauce was the best I've had, next to my favorite vinegar-based sauce, which I sampled at a roadside BBQ pit in Jacksonville Florida after a 20-hour road trip from Upstate New York. If they have any available, I would suggest buying a bottle of this sauce and carrying it around to every poolside barbecue you attend this summer - it's that good.

As for the meat, I was only able to sample the beef ribs, pork ribs, burnt ends and pulled pork, so if you want a preview of the pulled chicken or the brisket, you'll have to eat them yourself. The beef ribs are a nice size, although they were over-salted and a bit heavy on the grease for my taste. The pork ribs, however, are lovely. They are milder than other pork ribs and the meat falls right off the bone. For true rib fanatics, this is not a good sign, but it does make them easier to eat than the truly Southern, tough-meated ribs from other parts of the country. They're not the best ribs on earth, but they might be the best ribs in the state and they're definitely worth a taste. The pulled pork has a very similar taste to the ribs, but it's leaner - a better choice for picky eaters or those watching their calories. The pulled pork sandwich, served on a soft roll with sweet pickled peppers and a dab of fresh coleslaw, is a perfect summer lunch.

And now for the star of the meal - the burnt ends. Since burnt ends are usually drenched in sauce and salt from lying on the bottom of the smoker, I ordered mine in sandwich form. However, once I wrapped my lips around the succulent meat, I ripped off the bun and fixings and polished off every bit, with only a dousing of vinegar-based sauce to dress it. Unlike other burnt ends, these were obviously not actually scraped off the bottom of the ribs' drip pan. These burnt ends were made to be eaten au natural, with no bun or drowning of red sauce necessary. Their flavor is perfect and their consistency is uniformly crisp on the outside and moist on the inside. If you only eat one thing at Townline BBQ, the burnt ends should be it.

To sop up all of that delicious vinegar sauce, I ordered corn bread and collard greens. The corn bread was crumbly and dry, but the sweet tea made it all go down smoothly. I don't think it would be possible to eat the whole chunk in one sitting though, because it is so dense. It could have been a little bit softer, but it was great to crumble into my burnt ends for some texture contrast. The collard greens were also quite nice, with a hint of sweetness and chunks of bacon to add some flavor and a bit of natural salt.

Although those huge metal sinks that we were all anticipating from the preliminary plans were nowhere to be found, the small steel sinks near the trash bins were a welcomed sight after all that sauce and meat. When all was said and done, only one rib of each kind was left and I wouldn't be hungry again until the next day. No, the Townline BBQ will not make you forget all about your favorite BBQ joint down South. However, if you need good meat and you need it now, the burnt ends and pulled pork at the Townline will certainly satiate you and leave you grinning from ear to ear.