Rating: A+
Barbecue is a fixture in the southern parts of the U.S., but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be found in other places. Luckily, three men from Alabama were able to deliver to Maine some finger-licking-good pulled pork and smoked chicken sandwiches.
According to Moe’s Original BBQ’s website, the magic happened when Ben Gilbert, Mike Fernandez and Jeff Kennedy all met at the University of Alabama. They had a lot of similar interests in things of the south such as whiskey, blues music and, most importantly, sweet southern barbecue. Fernandez learned the art of smoking meat from Moses Day in Tuscaloosa and soon enough, the boys relocated to Vali, Colo., where they learned and refined more of their cooking skills.
They soon realized that the recipe they finally settled on was a hit and made it public. Moe’s Original BBQ meats are fresh and smoked daily and the side dishes are all southern-style recipes passed down to the boys for generations. The boys opened their first barbecue joint in the summer of 2001 and from there it skyrocketed. Their small dream of opening a barbecue place of their own turned from one store to 39 in just 14 years. Along with the 39 barbecue joints, Moe’s Original BBQ also has four other restaurants opening in New Orleans, Wilmington, N.C., and Johnson City and Knoxville, Tenn.
The Moe’s in Bangor opened in the spring of 2012 and the owner, Dewey Hasbrouck, was more than ecstatic to be able to bring this delicious Alabama-style barbecue spot to his hometown. The inside of the little restaurant has a rustic, southern look with a heavenly, smoky smell that wafts through the in and outside of the building.
The most popular item on the menu is the pulled pork sandwich. It comes with an option of coleslaw and pickles on the sandwich and two side choices. The pulled pork is like no other; smoked to perfection and soggy with barbecue sauce, it is the perfect mixture of spicy, sweet and tangy. The creamy and zesty coleslaw on top of the pork with the sweet pickles makes it the best barbecue sandwich around the northern parts of the state.
A small, yet substantial side of mac and cheese and green bean casserole was added to the order as well. And that was no mistake. There is no such thing as too much cheese and Moe’s obviously believes the same thing. Soft macaroni with mounds of cheese is the perfect side to go with this sandwich. Moe’s also makes a homemade vinegar-based barbecue sauce that tastes fantastic with the mac and cheese.
The green bean casserole is the absolute best — creamy and with sauteed onions and fresh green beans throughout the whole casserole. Crispy onion strings peppered on top were a crunchy addition that tied the entire dish together. The whole meal was completely scrumptious, an A+, as it should be in everyone’s book.
Moe’s Original BBQ is located on 650 Broadway Street in Bangor and is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Come on out for some Alabama heat in the Maine cold.
