With smoky meats and savory sides, Larry J’s is grabbing that opportunity by the horns. Appetizers like Buffalo wings ($8.95), charred brisket tips called Burnt Ends ($7.95), and Fire Balls ($5.95) certainly measure up to local rivals.
The name “Fire Balls’’ is no coincidence, says Jimerson. “That’s exactly what they are.’’ A few bites of the hot pepper meatballs, with their slow burn, is followed by a fiery climax. To wash them down, the restaurant offers beer, wine, and liquor, even stocking local brews from Chelsea-based Mystic Brewery, as well as other craft beers from Brooklyn Brewery.
Two stuffed baked potatoes offer a choice of ingredients: the Blazing Saddlebag ($5.95), with chili or cowboy beans, and the Texas Saddlebag ($6.50), with pulled chicken, pulled pork, or smoked brisket. The chili is relatively mild with no beans and complements the potato nicely, proving a better combination than the pulled chicken.
A pulled chicken platter ($8.50 sandwich; $11.50 platter) is underwhelming, as is the half rack of Texas dry-rubbed ribs with a St. Louis cut ($11.95 solo; $14.95 platter). The pulled chicken has a lot of dark meat and is fairly rough, more appealing to those who prefer dark meat and heavily smoked flavor. The ribs are extremely tough and sit virtually uneaten.
But we devour a crispy catfish sandwich ($11.50). It’s a good cut of fish, lightly fried, a refreshing change from ubiquitous heavily battered fish sandwiches. The half chicken ($9.95 solo; $12.95 platter), which can be ordered as barbecue or Jamaican jerk, is permeated by smoky flavor. Jimerson smokes all his meats in-house, and this particular dish is too smoky for our taste.
