Yesterday, I decided the time had come for me to eat at the restaurant, which usually closes early on Sundays, but the mention on the Walt Bodine Show brought in so much business over the weekend that Loehr was ignoring her own closing times. "If we're busy," she told me, "I stay open."
The joint was packed, but after ordering at the counter, my friend Bob and I found a little table where we could watch the muted TV monitors and eat 'que: a sampler plate with brisket and babyback ribs for him and a Carolina-styled pulled pork sandwich for me. The ribs were great and so was my pulled pork, topped with a hefty spoonful cole slaw, especially after I doused it with Adam's Rib signature sauce, a molasses-heavy number with a surprisingly fiery aftertaste. I liked it. In addition to the typical side dishes, like fries, baked beans and onion rings (which aren't hand-breaded but are really good), Loehr offers a creamy mac-and-cheese -- a nice counterpoint to the smoky meats -- and cheesy cornbread with honey butter.
Adam's Rib serves desserts too, including fried apple fritters heavily dusted with cinnamon sugar. They're big, about the size of a small Macintosh apple. Like the fruit that got Adam and his rib-turned-love interest, Eve, in so much trouble.
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I tried this place for lunch this week (ok, I admit, after I couldn't find a place to park at the Olathe Oklahoma Joe's). I was expecting a letdown since I planned to go to OJ's, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Adam's Rib has $5.99 lunch specials that are an excellent value. I had a brisket sandwich, beans and tea. The brisket was smoky and tender (sliced on a machine), but there was plenty of it. The sandwich came smothered in their sauce. If you like sweet sauce that is fine, but my tastes run toward the spicier side. I recommend you order no sauce or sauce on the side. The meat really didn't need sauce, but I tried their hot and spicy sauce too. At first, I wasn't that impressed, but the heat built slowly, and about halfway through the sandwich I had a nice spicy glow in my mouth.
The beans were good, but somewhat ordinary (like regular pork and beans with some bbq sauce mixed in - they weren't no Jack Stack beans). They had a few chunks of brisket in them and could have used more. But the serving size was huge. It was a regular bowl, not the skimpy cup you get at most joints.
Service was excellent. My server came around three times. Almost unheard of in a "self serve" bbq place. Also the owner Hope came over, asked how everything was, and profusely thanked me for coming in.
They have a birthday club listed on their comment card that gets you a free meal on your birthday. And they really do want your comments. I took some time filling mine out. I recommended more meat in the beans, and a smaller serving size. I also recommended they put lemon wedges near the tea. Those minor issues aside, I highly recommend this place!
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