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I'm a big fan of American BBQ, specifically Texas-style. So when Dixie's BBQ opened up on East Hastings, I planned on heading out there after hockey one night. However, due to our constant late night league times on Fridays, the place closed before we could ever hope to get there. Finally, I couldn't hold on anymore and wait for an early game. Rather, I just decided to hit up the place with the family. Hey, I wanted the kids to get jacked up about BBQ as much as I do!
But before we got the festivities, I was confident that the kiddies would destroy the Frito-Pie. That they did since it was covered with a meaty chili consisting of chunks of brisket, tomato, onions and beans. The spice level was at a low-rumble and accented with a certain smokiness. Okay, the corn chips weren't Frito-Lay, but whatever, Old Dutch worked for us. I particularly loved the big chunks of tender brisket.
Seeing how we wanted to try everything, we went for The Bubba with smoked brisket, pork ribs, pulled pork, hot sausage link, fried chicken, country gravy, white bread, pickles and 2 sides for $35.00 each (for Viv and myself). Just by eyeballing the meats, we knew they were on point. The brisket was fairly moist with a rich smokiness and a flavourful bark that was peppery and purposefully salty. Served in big chunks, the pulled pork was tender and juicy on its own without the need for any sauce. The same could be said about the pork ribs as they were actually juicy while sporting a smoky and peppery bark. I thought the sausage was pretty good too being meaty and firm with a definite hit of cumin. Lastly, the fried chicken was succulent while featuring crispy rendered skin that was also peppery and lightly salty. The side of country gravy was packed with sausage, making it robust and sinfully tasty.
For our sides, we chose Tatar Tots, Brisket & Beans, Mac n' Cheese and Corn Bread (2 were part of The Bubba and we added 2 more). Of course, white bread and house-made pickles were included as well. Our favourite (especially with my son) was the mac n' cheese as it was creamy and had a nice sharp finish. The noodles were al dente too. Aggressively peppered, the tots were firmly crunchy while not super greasy. Similar to the chili but with less spice, the brisket and beans was hearty and had depth. We thought the corn bread was average not because it wasn't moist or flavourful, rather, it lacked a baked aroma. I often lament over the fact we can't get really good BBQ up in Vancity, but for me at least, Dixie's does Texas-style BBQ justice.
The Good:
- Meats were not dry
- Sides were solid
- Reasonable pricing with all things considered
The Bad:
- Corn bread was so-so
- Not the best outside surroundings, but I didn't mind it
It seems like every neighbourhood has a community centre, a supermarket, drug store, McD's, Tim's and a sushi joint. That's right, it is as common as the rest and in fact, would probably be the one constant compared to the others. That's why there are over 600 Japanese restaurants in the GVRD. Therefore, it also means that these spots are generally not Miku-killers (if we used that as one of the gold standards), but do serve a purpose where takeout is one of their biggest money-makers. Take Sushi Den for instance. With so many high rises and Rogers Arena nearby, there is rarely a time when it isn't busy. We finally decided to check it out since we were in the area.
If you ever wondered why we always seem to order Assorted Sashimi, it's not solely for Viv and myself. Rather, my daughter demands it (she will be high-maintenance in the future, I pity the boy who dates her...). Well, this plate here consisted of Atlantic salmon, sockeye salmon, tuna, tai, toro, tako, ika and amaebi. Pretty good value for $15.00 and it was more than acceptable. Then only thing I didn't particularly care for was the toro as was strangely textured. For my son, his demands was for his usual Tamago Nigiri (we added some Unagi Nigiri so there was some variety). This was rather average with inconsistently sliced egg, yet at the same time, the rice was minimal.
We asked for the most popular specialty roll and it happened to be the Out of Controll. Ah, so whimsically-named... This was only $10.00 and consisted of 12 large pieces. Why so cheap? Think of it as the "scraps" roll where anything goes including both types of salmon, tuna and tamago. Yes, the bits of fish in there were practically falling out, but if you aren't picky, it works. We found the rice to be a little dry, but okay. Another dish for my daughter was the Pork Gyoza, which was deep fried (not my personal preference). Despite that, it was actually not bad as the skin was only moderately thick while crispy. The best part was the tender and juicy pork filling which was a nice balance between meat and cabbage.
The next 2 items were attacked by my son not only because he was hungry, but also they are his favourites. The Chicken Teri-Don was a bit heavy with the rice as there was only a modest amount of tender chicken. It could've used more sear and sauce. The rice was chewy, yet again, a bit dry (and in need of the aforementioned sauce). Surprisingly, it came with tempura which was doubled-up with our order of Assorted Tempura. We found the batter to be fairly thin and crispy, albeit a touch greasy. The veggies were on point including asparagus, broccoli, yam, sweet potato and lotus root. The ebi was meaty and cold-water buttery. Overall, you can probably ascertain that the food was serviceable and with reasonable prices considering its location, Sushi Den will keep the locals coming back for more.
The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Well-portioned
- Serviceable
The Bad:
- It's okay, but of course there is much better
- A bit cramped and crowded
Posts
I'm a big fan of American BBQ, specifically Texas-style. So when Dixie's BBQ opened up on East Hastings, I planned on heading out there after hockey one night. However, due to our constant late night league times on Fridays, the place closed before we could ever hope to get there. Finally, I couldn't hold on anymore and wait for an early game. Rather, I just decided to hit up the place with the family. Hey, I wanted the kids to get jacked up about BBQ as much as I do!
But before we got the festivities, I was confident that the kiddies would destroy the Frito-Pie. That they did since it was covered with a meaty chili consisting of chunks of brisket, tomato, onions and beans. The spice level was at a low-rumble and accented with a certain smokiness. Okay, the corn chips weren't Frito-Lay, but whatever, Old Dutch worked for us. I particularly loved the big chunks of tender brisket.
Seeing how we wanted to try everything, we went for The Bubba with smoked brisket, pork ribs, pulled pork, hot sausage link, fried chicken, country gravy, white bread, pickles and 2 sides for $35.00 each (for Viv and myself). Just by eyeballing the meats, we knew they were on point. The brisket was fairly moist with a rich smokiness and a flavourful bark that was peppery and purposefully salty. Served in big chunks, the pulled pork was tender and juicy on its own without the need for any sauce. The same could be said about the pork ribs as they were actually juicy while sporting a smoky and peppery bark. I thought the sausage was pretty good too being meaty and firm with a definite hit of cumin. Lastly, the fried chicken was succulent while featuring crispy rendered skin that was also peppery and lightly salty. The side of country gravy was packed with sausage, making it robust and sinfully tasty.
For our sides, we chose Tatar Tots, Brisket & Beans, Mac n' Cheese and Corn Bread (2 were part of The Bubba and we added 2 more). Of course, white bread and house-made pickles were included as well. Our favourite (especially with my son) was the mac n' cheese as it was creamy and had a nice sharp finish. The noodles were al dente too. Aggressively peppered, the tots were firmly crunchy while not super greasy. Similar to the chili but with less spice, the brisket and beans was hearty and had depth. We thought the corn bread was average not because it wasn't moist or flavourful, rather, it lacked a baked aroma. I often lament over the fact we can't get really good BBQ up in Vancity, but for me at least, Dixie's does Texas-style BBQ justice.
