Kloby's Smokehouse

Photography by Fitz

We have been to Kloby's Smokehouse on two occasions. The first time it was fantastic, and the second time it was less than fantastic. Ever the optimist, I'm going to assume the kitchen was just having an "off-day" that second time. Located in Laurel, Maryland, Kloby's promises "great comfort food with a casual environment at an affordable price". As far as I'm concerned, you just can't beat good BBQ. There's really nothing better. And Kloby's offers just about anything that I could ask for from a BBQ joint. They've got brisket, Carolina style pulled pork, ribs, smoked wings, BBQ chicken, and made-from-scratch sides like collard greens, mac & cheese, and baked beans. All the meats are slow roasted in a wood pit, and they make their own sauces as well (which are very good). The sides, compared to the typical BBQ establishment, are definitely in the B+ range. And if you're not quite hungry enough for a big old platter, the sandwich selection at Kloby's is pretty immense.

The environment at Kloby's is indeed casual. It's got a roadhouse meets sports bar type vibe to it, and the staff is friendly and welcoming. It can feel a little crowded given the space limitations versus the number of tables. But, you know, a crowded restaurant is usually a sign that the food is good! I'm a chili freak, and I like that Kloby's makes several versions of chili. I've had two types of chili there, and both times it was meaty, nicely spiced, and overall tremendous. Tami and I are big fans of the smoked whole chicken wings, which we tried on both of our visits. The first time we went, Tami had a pork belly, lettuce, and tomato sandwich off the special menu - and she thought it was completely fantastic. I had the brisket, which I found to be well above average. And brisket, when it's not done right, can be very dry and bland. My sides - collard greens and BBQ brisket beans - were really good too. Having been so impressed with our selections, we wanted to go back and try the baby back ribs. Unfortunately, our ribs were severely overcooked to the point of being charred. They were meaty, and the flavor was quite nice. But they were just too burnt for our tastes, and not quite as tender as they should have been.

Given the totality of our Kloby's experience, we'd still give the place good marks. From an atmosphere/dining experience point of view, it's hard to find much fault. And I don't think I've ever seen a better craft beer selection at a casual restaurant. The beer list is constantly changing, but it always features lots of high quality selections from the Baltimore/D.C./Virginia region. There are so many tremendous beers being produced in the Mid-Atlantic right now, and I think it's cool that Kloby's is showcasing them.

On to the FABS scale: 

Food- I feel bad docking points for the overcooked ribs, but that is kind of a dealbreaker.
19/25

Atmosphere- I wish the place were a little less cramped, but that's a minor complaint. 22/25

Beer- This place is a beer lover's dream. 25/25

Service- The only deduction here is that we've noticed that Kloby's may be a little understaffed. The servers really hustle, and the food comes out fast. But the servers are so overworked that we sometimes got "forgotten" after our food came. And a man should never have to wait ten minutes for a beer. 20/25

Overall: 86 (out of 100) 

I would like to go back again at some point and give the ribs another shot. It would please me to revise that food score. The chili and wings are so good....

And a word of advice: if you see the Carolina pig dip on the special menu, do note that it's an appetizer. If you order this item as your meal, as my dad did, you are bound to be disappointed. Who looks over a menu full of delectable slow roasted meats and decides to order a dip?

-Josh

http://www.klobysbbq.com/

The Corner Stable

Photography by Fitz

Not to be confused with the Corner Stable in York, Pennsylvania, The Corner Stable in Cockeysville, Maryland advertises the best crab cakes and ribs in the Baltimore area. Given that Baltimore is the crab cake capital of the free world, that boast seems just a little "much". I will say, however, that their crab cakes are indeed excellent. But let's not get out of hand. Best in Baltimore? I don't know. Let's say one of the best in Baltimore, which itself is no small feat.

The baby back ribs at The Corner Stable are the stuff of legend. They import them from Denmark. That's right - Denmark! Why? Who knows? Whatever they're doing is working, though. You don't last 40 years in the ribs business if your product isn't top drawer (first and last Auntie Mame reference you'll ever see on FGO!). On the occasion of my mother's 39th birthday, we dined at The Corner Stable as a family. Present were my parents, my sister, my grandfather, and both Fitzledges. A table for six at a place like The Corner Stable can prove problematic if you're not a fan of things like restricted limb movement and getting continually bumped into by servers and patrons. The place packs in a whole lot of people into not a whole lot of space. If a crowded venue is not quite your style, I'd perhaps suggest dining at this establishment at an off-time. But you will want to go because the food is really good.

I cannot personally vouch for the ribs because I was a contrarian and ordered a burger. Come on: how was I supposed to turn down a "monster ten ounce seasoned Certified Angus Beef Burger topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, homemade onion strings, our famous stable onion sauce and BBQ sauce"? Sounds amazing, doesn't it? So how was it? Well, it was, uh, big. To be honest, it was a tad bit overcooked (maybe this is one of those places where "medium" means "medium well"). The roll was really fantastic, and the flavor of the patty was pretty nice. I'd give the burger a "B". But I must admit that I wish I'd done the sensible thing and ordered ribs. Or crab cakes. Tami had ribs and found them very flavorful and tender. Her only real complaint was that she prefers a thicker sauce, as opposed to The Corner Stable Sauce that's more like a baste. She did like the flavor of the sauce, which was spicy and sweet. These weren't necessarily the meatiest ribs we've ever had. I believe Tami and I are a little spoiled when it comes to ribs ever since we discovered JoBoy's in Manheim. Overall her take on the Corner Stable ribs: not as good as JoBoy's, but better than Famous Dave's (another favorite of ours). And for the record, my parents and grandfather thought the ribs were absolutely spectacular.

I do give The Corner Stable major points for fries. They were fresh-cut, piping hot, and absolutely delicious. Apps weren't bad - we got perfectly decent chicken wings and fried cheese nuggets that had sort of a tator tot exterior. Tami thought the shrimp was good but overseasoned with Old Bay. And rarely do you hear my wife raving about cole slaw, but she had high praise for The Corner Stable slaw. I think she appreciated that they didn't chop the shit out of it.

How did The Corner Stable fare according to our FABS scale?

Food- All in all, quite good. I have a feeling the score would be even higher if it weren't just the two of us voting. Plus I'm admitting bad judgment in not getting ribs or crab cake. 20/25
Atmosphere- The place is cozy with a neat horse racing motif in the decor. But they've got too many tables for their space. And parking spaces are scarce. 17/25
Beer- Better than expected for this kind of place. They had Harpoon IPA and Fat Tire on draught plus Samuel Adams and the typical swill. 17/25
Service- Considering the business this place does, the speed and friendliness of the service are really commendable. The staff is always on the move. High marks here. 24/25

Total Score- 78 (out of 100)

For the second time, we are also able to implement the George Scale since my father was present. He rated the place as "excellent", which surpasses his previous max rating of "pretty good". I would roughly equate that to six stars out of a possible five.

-Josh

Dogfish Head Alehouse

Photography by Fitz

Dogfish Head is without doubt one of the top five craft breweries in the United States. And since the foundation of any brew pub is great beer, I had high hopes for the Dogfish Head Alehouse in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Tami and I stopped there for lunch today after a shopping excursion to The Container Store in Rockville. We started studying the menu last night while eating at Cracker Barrel, and right away I was salivating over the chili and bratwurst. Leave it to me to be thinking about my next meal while I'm still eating my current meal. I am my father's son.

Tami and I have been to a ton of brew pubs, so we have certain expectations when we try a new one. Obviously, the beer has to be top-notch. That's a given at Dogfish Head. I had a 90 Minute I.P.A., which with good reason is considered to be one of the best I.P.A.s in America. I also had an Indian Brown Ale - a sublime blend of I.P.A., Scotch ale, and American brown. They had a lot of specialty beers on tap in addition to their year-round offerings, but I decided to stay conservative in my choices today. I have no regrets. We're two hours away from the nearest Dogfish Head location, so it's not like I get to drink a 90 Minute I.P.A. on draught every day.

Another must in our book is high quality appetizers. We ordered two of our go-to restaurant apps today: chicken wings and spinach & artichoke dip. The wings were pretty darn great. They had a really nice flavor and were cooked perfectly. They weren't as "meaty" as some wings we've had elsewhere, but that's a minor complaint. I enjoyed the spin dip, but Tami did think there was a little too much spinach in it and not enough, as she likes to put it, "gooey goodness". Tami had a burger and felt it had a very good texture and flavor. She thought it was a little too greasy - as were the fries. I had the alehouse bratwurst, and boy was that a thing of beauty! It was two wood-grilled brats served on pretzel rolls with beer seasoned banana pepper sauerkraut. It came with a side of chili and tortilla chips. I go crazy for a good chili, and this chili was everything I hoped it would be. I believe it makes my personal top ten. As for the brats, they were insane. What could be better than a grilled sausage on a soft pretzel? I really cannot imagine myself ordering anything different the next time we go down to DFA, although I am intrigued by the alehouse mac and cheese and steak bomb sandwich.

All in all, I'd rate this as one of the best brew pub experiences I've had in a while. Let's see how it does according to our FABS scale:

Food- Really good on the whole, but some of the prices seemed a little excessive. $9.50 for spin dip? $11 for a burger? But I could eat a tub of that chili. 22/25
Beer- Come on - it's Dogfish Head! 25/25
Atmosphere- A fun, casual place. Nice-looking tables, outdoor seating for those who enjoy that (not us!), big screen TVs to watch sports. Bar is separate from main dining area. 23/25
Service- All our servers were friendly and attentive, but we did have to wait a little while for our check because our main server got busy. 21/25
Total score - 91 (out of 100)
 
-Josh