Daisy Duke's

Decent Southern Smokehouse food in a sports bar atmosphere--that's how I'd sum up my visit with a friend to Daisy Duke's recently. We arrived on a pleasant Friday evening and were promptly greeted and seated by one of several waitresses. All were dressed in "Daisy Dukes"--short-shorts. Makes sense, I guess.

We ordered an onion ring appetizer. It arrived hot and crunchy. The onion rings were very good. The crunch was about the best ever that I've had for an onion ring and they arrived hot but not at all greasy. They were served with a delicious mesquite diping sauce which seemed to be ranch based--it was very tasty with just a hint of mesquite. Overall, I'd say the onion rings were excellent.

My friend ordered a cheesesteak sandwich: the Works Philly sandwich--stuffed with tender chicken, mozzarella cheese, green peppers, onions, and mushrooms. It was delicious if a bit messy to eat--but then again, what Philly cheesesteak isn't messy? I think this would be a great lunch item. Note to self: "go there for lunch some day."

I ordered a side salad to begin with, and a "Hog Platter" for my entree: the Hog Ribs Platter with sides of coleslaw and BBQ beans. Yumm. The side salad was good and an ample portion--nice fresh romaine with all the accompaniments. It was a good side salad and hit the spot.

My Hog Ribs Platter consisted of a half rack of St. Louis Style Ribs and Pulled Pork. I asked our waitress what made the ribs St. Louis Style. I was wondering if it referred to the cut of meat or the preparation--or both. Poor thing, I believe my question stymied her. I think they hire their waitresses based on their ability to fit well in Daisy Dukes, not their food savvy. Oh well....

My food arrive hot and flavorful. The ribs appeared to be a St. Louis cut but not style as they did have some sauce on them. Still, they were wonderful, tender, and juicy--very good ribs, no doubt. The pulled pork was also very good, but typical of pulled pork in many a restaurant when it's done well. I added some of the house BBQ sauce which seemed to be a "one fits all" concotion--fairly sweet, just a touch of heat, just a touch of smoke. It was good, but not great.

The beans were, unfortunately, just ordinary. Nothing really popped. Now they were certainly steps above the stuff you get out of a can, but they could have benefitted from some slow cooking with a bit of the pork bark. They were good, just not great. The coleslaw was as good as most coleslaw is. Nothing to write home about, but i did finish it all and it was tasty.

Overall, we had a good meal. The atmosphere is definitely a sports bar. It was not very crowded for a Friday night. Then again, maybe the colleges were beginning a Thanksgiving break. Daisy Duke's is located right by the International Speedway too, so I imagine they do a good business during race weeks.

Would I eat here again? Yes, definitely. The food was good if somewhat predictable. It would be a fun place to have a few drinks with friends, too. I'll recommend Daisy Dukes, give it a try!