When Jenkins and I heard that the Re-Up BBQ street cart was stationed near the Vancouver Art Gallery, we decided to give it a try one weekend. Stationed in the courtyard right next to the Olympic countdown clock, it was located in a pretty sweet spot and could be seen by all the foot traffic that went past that location. Even though it was a sunny day and during the prime lunch hour on a weekend, there was only one person in front of us so we did not have to wait long to order.

Re-Up BBQ keeps things short and simple. Along with a few drinks on their menu, the star of the show is their pulled pork sandwiches. Nestled between a fresh bun from Calabria Bakery, the pulled pork is super tender, yet juicy and packed full of flavour. There was a generous dollop of BBQ sauce that provided a hint of tanginess and sweetness but did not drench the meat. There was also just enough freshly made, crunchy coleslaw on top that provided the requisite crunch.

As you can see from the pictures, there is quite a generous amount of pork in the sandwich. Because the bun was not toasted, it soaked up all the delicious juices from the pork and sauce so everything came together in a delicious fashion.

For our drink, Jenkins and I decided to sample some of Re-Up BBQ’s homemade watermelon soda. The watermelon flavour was light but still very refreshing and there was a hint of carbonation from either the club soda or sparkling water that was used.

Jenkins noted that because we weren’t super hungry that day, the pulled pork sandwich was filling enough for him but he wasn’t sure if he would need something to supplement his lunch if he had been hungrier. I found it to be a good size for lunch…and also provided me with the opportunity to add a small snack later in the day. The sandwiches at Re-Up BBQ are one of the best I’ve had in Vancouver and is definitely something for you to check out. They told me they are open at 11:30AM on weekdays, 12PM on Saturdays, and closed on Sundays.

Details:
700 Hornby Street, Vancouver (by the fountain at the Art Gallery)
Tel: 604-724-0894

Summary:
Food: 4 out of 5 stars
Service: n/a
Price: $

Pick and I took Grick out for dinner last week for his birthday. Since I was going for dinner with two guys, what better place to go to than Memphis Blues BBQ House? Although the Memphis Blues restaurants have been in Vancouver for a while, I have never been here previously. It was time to see what was in store for us. We went to the one at Granville & Broadway.

We decided on the Memphis Feast, which is supposed to serve a group of three. I had to put my foot down and prevent Grick from ordering the Elvis Platter, which is supposed to be for six people. :p The Memphis Feast has a good sampling of all the meats offered at Memphis Blues: pulled pork, beef brisket, pork ribs, rib ends, Cornish game hen, and smoked sausage. As if that wasn’t enough already, it also comes with cornbread, coleslaw, bbq beans, potato salad, and fries. Oh, and I forgot to mention that you also get a big bowl of bbq sauce to dip everything in.

My favourite meat items in the platter were the pulled pork, beef brisket, and rib ends. The pulled pork was smoky and soft…kind of like pork floss that you can get in Asian grocery stores. The beef brisket was also very tasty. It fell apart when you poked it with your fork and all the fat had been cooked away but it wasn’t dry at all. The rib ends did not seem to have as much fat as the regular pork ribs but still had the same great taste.

All this meat also went great with the cornbread and fries. I wish the platter came with more cornbread than fries though. At least it gave the semblance of being healthy. Other than that, I was not too impressed with the other non-meat items.

In all, Memphis Blues is a great place to go with a small group of friends (i.e. 4 people or less). Because the restaurant space is quite small, it would be quite difficult to fit too many people around the small booths and tables. You order your food at the counter and it gets brought to your table quite quickly. The servers were also very friendly and the restaurant as a whole had a laid back and casual atmosphere. Our meal for 3 cost $39 before tips and tax. Not bad for an extremely filling dinner!

Details:
1465 W. Broadway, Vancouver
Tel: 604-738-6806

Summary:
Food: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Service: 3 out of 5 stars
Price: $