Brisket and Pulled Pork

OK meal could use some improvement

318 Forum’s always-hungry reporter often has lunch at a local restaurant and tells you about the experience.

Not all that long ago, there were only a handful — OK, maybe a few more — dentist offices in our area. You had been using the same dentist for years, and there wasn’t a reason to change.

Now, it seems like there’s a dentist’s office on every corner.

The same thing has happened with barbecue restaurants. There used to be a couple of tried-and-true places and not many others. Now, it seems new barbecue restaurants are popping up almost monthly.

One of those is Naaman’s BBQ (2157 Airline Drive, Bossier City). I’m a middle-of-the-road barbecue eater. I don’t crave it, but I don’t dislike it, either. So, on a recent Friday night, I invited a friend to join me for dinner and check out this new spot on the local barbecue scene.

We arrived at 6:35, and there were only a few spots left in the pretty sizeable parking lot. That was an indication that our meal might be good. When we walked in, the main dining room — there’s another one behind a wall — looked to be full. That wasn’t a good sign, as I was hungry and afraid we would have a long wait to eat.

However, there was one available table in the very back, to which the hostess took us.

Not long after being seated, Tammy arrived at our table, introducing herself as our server and asking for our drink order. Tammy was very friendly throughout our stay and even sat down to visit while we were eating. She told us the original Naaman’s opened in Texarkana in 2012. There’s a second location in Broken Bow, Okla., while the Bossier restaurant opened about three months ago. I’m not sure about the Oklahoma location, but Tammy said the meats are smoked in Texarkana and delivered to the Bossier store each morning.

Naaman’s menu was two-sided. One side featured three salads, 12 sandwiches and something called the “Dog N Heat.” The other side had Sharables, Tacos, Wraps and (Chicken) Strips. But the big attractions were Naaman’s Meat Plates, Signature Selections and Signature Sides.

Now, this is where the story — or at least the menu — got confusing.

Nowhere did the menu indicate that any of the three meat plates (1/3 pound, 1/2 pound, 3/4 pound) came with anything other than the meat(s) we would choose. Well, if it’s a “plate,” shouldn’t we get at least one side? Furthermore, under the Signature Meat Selections, there was no indication that we would get anything other than the meat we chose. So, what was the difference?

That’s the question my friend asked Tammy, and apparently, we weren’t the only ones. Her answer implied it wasn’t the first time she had to explain the menu. We were told the meat plates come with two sides. If you order a Signature Meat, sides are a la carte. How had Naaman’s been in business for 13 years and has three locations, yet not made that clear on their menu?

With our confusion giving way to clarity, my friend and I placed our orders. I chose the 1/2 pound meat plate ($16.89), which would allow me to have either one or two meats. I went with brisket (for an additional $1.75) and pulled pork. From my nine side choices, I selected cheesy corn and cole slaw.

My friend loves ribs, so I knew she wasn’t leaving without having some. Sure enough, she also had the 1/2-pound meat plate and chose ribs and chicken. For her sides, she picked “Meat in the Beans” and “Twice-Baked Potato.” We both had water with lemon.

At 7 p.m., 25 minutes after we arrived at a crowded restaurant on a Friday night, we were served our meal. I was impressed, as I thought it might take longer. My plate had two not particularly large slices of brisket and a so-so-sized portion of pulled pork. I trust they added up to 1/2 pound, but that’s one of my problems with barbecue. It’s not inexpensive, and you don’t always get very much.

I won’t say the two meats were cold, but I will say they weren’t hot. That was disappointing. Each was tender but didn’t have a remarkable taste. That’s where the three squeeze bottle sauces on our table came in handy. Each sauce — BBQ, Hot Stuff and Mustard — was homemade, Tammy told us. The BBQ sauce was regular, the Hot Stuff was a hotter version, and the Mustard had a bit of a kick.

I tried all three. The Hot Stuff wasn’t as hot as I expected, and the Mustard was really good.

I was more impressed with the two sides (which were served in cardboard trays) than I was with the barbecue. The cheesy corn was akin to a casserole, consisting of corn, cheese and rice. It was served hot and was very good. The slaw was thick and tasty, unlike the soaking-wet, dripping slaw you often find in some restaurants.

Ribs and Chicken

My friend knows good ribs when she eats them, and she said Naaman’s ribs (two on her plate) were very good. There was a lot of meat on the bone, and the meat was tender. Unfortunately, she said the six small slices of chicken weren’t as good, and that the chicken tasted more like turkey. I took a bite and found the chicken to be dry. She, too, enjoyed both of her sides – especially the beans. The potato didn’t look like a potato at all. In fact, I took a bite thinking it was potato salad (also a side option). It was a potato, without the skin, mashed up and seasoned a little.

The cost of our meal before tax and tip was $35.53. I appreciated the fact that Naaman’s tip suggestions were based on the subtotal and not the total after tax.

I am far from a barbecue connoisseur. I can’t tell you if Naaman’s barbecue is any better than what’s served at some of those famous places in Texas. However, we thought our meal was pretty good. I might have even said very good had my meat been hotter. So, I am giving Naaman’s Three Forks.

I would return, and with a little more eagerness than going to my six-month dentist checkup.