Little Mark's Big BBQ

The HFG is not really a big fan of country music. In fact, I don't like it all, except for Johnny Cash, whom my maternal grandmother loved and always seemed to have playing on her record player when I was very little. So, in order to get me to sit somewhere for an hour and listen to cr*ppy country music (which these days is actually just bad top 40/soft rock made in Nashville, but that's another story) there has to be a really good reason.

Little Mark's Big BBQ in Vernon is a really good reason. Mrs. HFG and I have been going there off and on for a couple of years and if it isn't the best bbq place around, it can't be too far off.

We got there yesterday at about 5 PM and it was almost full (a good sign). We started with an order of gator tails ($6.95) which are, you guessed it, small chunks of alligator tail dipped in a flour-based batter and fried. If you've never had alligator, you really should try it. It is chewy (somewhere between say chicken and octopus) with a nice but not overly-strong flavor. Fried up, they are scrumptious little morsels, WHOOOO-WEE!! I had alligator many years ago when I visited a college girlfriend who was from Louisiana ("You're a purty nice fella" said her uncle in a thick accent I could barely understand, "for a Yankee") and this compares pretty well.

Mrs. HFG had the Beef Lovers Sampler ($17.95), which came with 2 beef ribs, shredded brisket, and burnt ends. You aslo get a side with the entrees and my wife had mac and cheese (which cost and extra $1). We both thought the mac and cheese was OK, but we both liked her dinner plate, though it was a just a touch dry (nothing that some bbq sauce couldn't cure) and the ribs seemed a bit over seasoned with a very spicy rub. Still, it was very good, especially the brisket, which we both loved.

I had the Pork Lovers Sampler ($17.95), which comes with a generous portion of pulled pork, 1/4 Rack and 2 Spare Ribs. I had the mashed potatoes, which are probably the best side out there (and provide a nice contrast in both flavor and texture to all the bbq). As with Mrs. HFG's dinner, we both thought the pork sampler was just a little dry (again, nothing that can't be cured with bbq sauce), though the pulled pork was very good.

Once of the best parts of Little Mark's is the selection of bbq sauces. My wife and I both prefer the hot sauce, which has a nice flavor and good heat and I think the Carolina vinegar sauce is also pretty good. We both find the sweet sauce way too sweet, however.

Also of note, Little Mark's has an extra hot sauce, which you can request on the side. That is really, really HOT! and not for the faint of heart (or stomach). It is fun to try, but I think it's a bit too much for regular consumption (and I like hot and spicy food).

The atmosphere at Little Mark's is very blue-collar and down to earth and the staff is friendly and hardworking - about what you'd expect at a bbq place. The menu is pretty extensive (at least in terms of bbq!), with many combinations of chicken, beef, pork, brisket, burnt ends, and even some catfish and shrimp.

Little Mark's isn't the best bbq place in the world, but for these parts, it's a pretty good taste of southern fare and it's a lot of fun, even if you have to listen to country music while you eat. Here's the link to Little Mark's website - http://www.littlemarksbbq.com/