Food and service make Hardwood BBQ an easy choice | Grub Scout

Barbecue is often regarded as a summertime staple, but there’s no law that says one can’t enjoy his or her favorite smoked meats in the dead of winter. So The Grub Spouse and I threw caution to the wind and trekked out Governor John Sevier Highway to HardWood BBQ. Google reviewers had given the restaurant 4.9 stars based on more than 400 reviews, so The Spouse and I were optimistic about what lay ahead.

I actually had to meet The Spouse there, and I arrived early, which gave me time to peruse HardWood’s double-sided, laminated menu. The main smoked meats are pulled pork, beef brisket, smoked bologna, chicken quarters, smoked sausage and baby back ribs. The menu showcases these goodies in a series of barbecue plates that include two sides. A sandwich option is available as well, though it’s not mentioned on the menu.

The Spouse ordered a small pulled-pork platter ($9.35), choosing green beans and mac and cheese as the sides. I went for a half-rack of ribs ($19.99) and went with baked beans and potato salad as my accompaniments. Other side options are roasted corn, coleslaw and a bag of chips.

The menu lays out meal possibilities for feeding bigger appetites and groups of patrons. The Whole Lotta Meat meal features four meats and three cups of sides, while the Big Meat Treat dishes out full servings of all six meats and four sides.

HardWood’s Pit Party Platters can feed anywhere from 15 to 40 people, and meats are generally doled out by the pound. You UT fans should appreciate that these meals are named after Peyton Manning, Phillip Fulmer and General Neyland, respectively.

The sides chosen with this small pulled-pork platter at HardWood BBQ are green beans and mac and cheese.

Other menu options include the Big Back Potato (loaded with your choice of meat), meat-only quantities to go and family packs that come with three sides and cookies. Rounding out the menu are a selection of kids’ meals and a trio of desserts — cookies, brownies and banana pudding.

My interaction with the staff was strong from the get-go. While I was waiting for The Spouse, a gentleman I presumed was the proprietor asked if he could get me something to drink while I waited. Then later, when I went to the counter to fetch our two-tray order, he stepped in to help me carry the load back to our table in the rear dining room. He later followed up to inquire about the quality of our meal.

I’m happy to report that the food was as good as the service and that the Google reviews were generally on the mark. The pulled pork was moist and flavorful, but I was astounded by the size of my half-rack of ribs, which was roughly the size of an NBA player’s hand. The meat on this six-bone slab was abundant, delicious and fall-off tender — no knives necessary.

This half-rack of ribs at HardWood BBQ in South Knoxville is served with the options of baked beans and potato salad.

I didn’t find the sides in general to be quite as impressive as the smoked meats, but they were still all worth the inclusion. The baked beans were bursting with flavor, the mayo-based potato salad carried a distinctive dill flavor, and the green beans had a strong country-style essence. The mac and cheese was the weak link in the lot; I felt the pasta could have been a little cheesier, but I still had no major complaints about it.

For dessert, we both went for the banana pudding ($4 each). I gave a big-thumbs up to the ratio of ingredients in this recipe, which included a preponderance of pudding and whipped cream and a minimal number of banana slices. The vanilla wafers were inserted into the pudding around the perimeter of the Styrofoam serving cup, making it easy to include them if you like or fish them out if you don’t.

Off the top of my head, I’m not aware of an abundance of good barbecue joints serving the southeast quadrant of the Knoxville area, but whether they exist or not, HardWood BBQ is a solid choice — one that can certainly stand on its own merits. To paraphrase The Bard, now there’s the rub …

HardWood BBQ

Food: 4

Service: 4.25

Atmosphere: 3.75

Overall: 4

Address: 2014 W. Governor John Sevier Highway

Phone: 865-573-7675

No alcohol service

Kids’ menu

Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

Bottom line: If you’re craving delicious fresh-off-the-smoker barbecue and tasty sides and desserts, you may want to “‘cue” up to visit this roadside eatery in South Knoxville.