Rib City review- Fairfield, OH (North of Cincinnati)

[smokeywray]

I dined at Rib City Grille over the weekend. I didn't have time to do an actual smoke myself so I went for the next best thing. This place has been around for a couple years and it's in the Jungle Jims Super-Grocery plaza... If you've never heard of Jungle Jims, that's another story, but you have to visit if ever in the great city of Cincinnati.

Back to the review.

As soon as you step into the place, there's a sweet smoke aroma that fills the air. There's a large projector screen in the back, which the whole dining room can watch (The Reds were winning 6-5). Clean and comfortable. Service was nice, there were a few young hotties

Its always hard for me to order ribs because I think my ribs are the best, so I'm alway affraid to waste my money on something I won't like. So, I went for the chicken. My fiance and I split a whole, which was 8.99. Had some fries, coleslaw and garlic bread.

I was a little disappointed to see that on the menu there was NO PULLED PORK. NO PULLED PORK??? IS THIS A BBQ RESTARAUNT? There was also no brisket. They had sliced pork loin sammies and sliced eye of rump beef.

Our food (Chicken) was out in less than 5 minutes after placing the order. It was pre-cooked and warmed to order.

Now for the sauces. There was a smokey BBQ, a tangy BBQ and a Carolina Mustard. They were all very tastey. The Carolina Mustard was a little too mustardy, actually it tasted almost like straight mustard. Maybe that's how it should taste, I've never had it? There was also a ketchup bottle which I mistaked for BBQ sauce and ate with my chicken. Oops!

The chicken was pretty good. Not the greatest. My beer-can oven roasted chickens are better, mostly because of the flavor from seasonings. It was smoked, which was nice, but the smoke flavor was very faint and there was NO dry rub seasoning that I could taste. The server said they baste the chicken in BBQ sauce, no rub is used. Their chicken needs to be rubbed before being smoked in my opinion.

What the chicken lacked in seasoning, the BBQ sauce (smokey) made up for. It was excellent. Once I realized I was using ketchup to dip my chicken in and started using the BBQ I was a happy man. It was delicious! The tangy sauce was okay. I liked the smokey very much.

The coleslaw was classic. Nothing too bold or crazy. Just regular coleslaw that was really good. I don't like weird stuff in my coleslaw. Although, I was thinking the whole time how good it would be to have a nice pulled pork sammy to go with the good coleslaw. WHY NO PULLED PORK?

I do have to say that the food was really good, not great, but really good. It was also pretty cheap. We ate for about $15. Well $20 after the cheesecake. The cheesecake was excellent.

I do plan to visit again. I will try some ribs eventually, but first I'm gonna try the sliced pork to see why they choose this over pulled. Not too sure about the eye of rump though. Maybe its good. I'd much rather have brisket though at a BBQ restaurant.

Things I would change:

Rub the bird.
Add pulled pork to the menu.
Add brisket.
Hide that dang Katchup bottle!

Ratings:

Value: 10
Quality of food (this may go up after I taste the ribs): 8
Service: 7
Comfort/Cleanliness: 9

Oh yeah, $.25 draft beers on Wednessdays (limit 3) if anyone here locally is interested in meeting up for a taste test of the BBQ!

I think they're focus is ribs, hence the name "Rib City." They have spare 1/2 and Whole slabs, St. Louis Style racks, and Babies 1/2 and Whole... I'll try them if they are rubbed. I didn't ask the server about the ribs.

 

[capt dan]

Thanks for the review, you did a good job on it. I like the "hide the ketchup bottle" idea. That made me laugh!

 

[buck wheezer]

Jungle Jim's is my "Mecca." When we lived in Cincinnati, we would visit every other week. If you're looking for great produce and some foreign ingredients, it's the place to go. You can also find some pretty exotic meats as well: emu, kangaroo, rattlesnake, gator, bison, etc.; it's usually frozen, but it's there.

Top attraction for me: the hot sauce aisle. They have an actual pumper firetruck sitting on posts about 8 feet in the air. Then there are shelves of hot sauces that go down both sides. Underneath they have various chiles, chile-head products, and chile novelties. If you catch them on a Saturday, they usually have a table with a half dozen sauces ranging from mild to wild to sample (one ill-fated Saturday I sampled "Possible Side Effects," and I my wife insisted on driving home due to sudden "gastro-intestinal discomfort"; sure, you didn't want to know, but there it is).

Their "vices" aisles/areas are reportedly pretty good too--as my memory is selectively hazy in this area.... They have a huge, excellent, and diverse selection of "adult" beverages. And they stock a decent humidor.

We've been watching JJ grow over the years, and I'm thrilled to hear they've added a *tentatively* decent restaurant. We're heading to Cincy for a week in July, and JJ's is near the top of our list of destinations (Gold Star or Skyline Chili is up there as well).

Thanks for another reason to boost it toward the top of the list!

 

[blacklab]

SmokeyWray
Glad you had a good experience @ Rib City. We have one about 2 miles from the house, it's been there about 5yrs. Which I find funny since they have a sign saying best ribs for twelve years

. The wife and I ate there a couple months after they open and I for one wasn't impressed. Service and the people were great just wasn't a big fan of their food. It wasn't horable just didn't care for it. They had an array of main dishes PP, ribs, brisket, and chicken. We ate the ribs, which were fall off the bone done. Flavor was mild with no smoke ring. I beleive they are braiseing there food and adding bbq sauce and calling it BBQ but not for sure. Sorry to say were not a repeat customer, should give them a second chance but won't

 

[stfron]

Nice-! Very informative and well laid out review- I like reading reviews of other areas' offerings-

 

[smokeywray]

Buck Wheezer,

Man, you have no idea how big "The Jungle" has grown. Remember that ride at Kings Island back in the 90's, it was a safari train? He bought the ride and has in in the parking lot. He plans to use it as a trolly.

There is also a HUGE, very modern, Event Center.

Rib City is outside of the actual grocery store. Jungle Jim added a large shopping/dining plaza to his compound. There's a pet store, Cici's Pizza, Chicken Wings, Jewelers, and other small shops as well as a full garden/greenhouse.

Inside the store has grown tremendously. There are several stores inside including starbucks, cincinnati bell, Fifth Third Bank, Etc... I can't shop at the jungle because it's just too big, I get lost! I go for the fresh sushi and seafood, also the meat and produce that's about it. I also go there to find my rare store bought seasonings and spices like Adobo (It can be found in the 100 yard, double sided mexican isle) which you just can't find in Kroger or Meijer.

Blacklab,

I don't think this Rib City is a franchise but I could be wrong. It's definitely a smoke joint, but their BBQ is a little suspect. Eye of rump and pork loin sammies instead of brisket and PP is not what I'd want in a "Real BBQ" (they claim "real" on the menu)... Maybe I'm being too critical because I've learned so much here and I'm pretty stuck up when it comes to Q.

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the food. If I wouldn't have found these forums and learned the things I know now before eating there, I would've graded it a lot higher!

Check it out when your in town Buck.

 

[blacklab]

SmokeyWray

Hi,
Just to let you know it is a franchise. If you do a search you'll find a link

If remember correctly they are from florida

 

[keith54]

Just wondering if the rest of the folks here in Ohio have "City Barbeque" in there area. They started in Columbus and now have a dozen stores. I live near Toledo and we have one here. Real BBQ, They have 3 commercial smokers in a room with a glass window,when you order your food you can see the smokers. Its been a while since I've been in there, so after I go again I'll give a review.

www.cityqbbq.com

 

[buffdadjj]

My son said he has eaten at a City bbq in HYde Park not far from Xavier university(go Muskies) He said the Brisket is awesome.? I have'nt eaten there yet. Maybe I can hit him up for Fathers day.

 

[keith54]

Buffdadjj, better yet jump in there and due your own bbq. I see your new here, plenty of folks to help ya out. Just ask:)

 

[buffdadjj]

Keith54 I have been doing some for about a year.I have done pretty good with poultry and ribs. I just can't seem to master brisket and pork roasts. but going to keep trying.
I need to get more involved on the forum. I read more than I post.
Thanks.