We just published a sneak peek of Michael Symon’s long-anticipated Cleveland restaurant Mabel’s BBQ last week, complete with the first photos of the gorgeous interior, but a few recent developments have motivated us to offer up an exciting update.
For starters, Symon and company have announced the official opening date, which is slated for Monday, April 11. After years of delays, that surely is music to the ears of barbecue fans far and wide.
Second, we had an opportunity to see, smell and taste some of the very first items to exit the massive wood-fired smokers during a recent menu test. Let’s just say that the results were better than we could have hoped for. And we were not the only ones who were more than a little encouraged by the results.
“It was even better than I hoped,” Symon beamed. “It is totally outrageous.”
Though the team has had precious little time to tinker and experiment, the first batches of beef brisket, pork ribs and “giant beef ribs” are as good as or better than those being prepared at famous barbecue joints decades old. We can’t imagine the food getting much better than it already is, but we’re sure it will continue to improve with time and experience.
We’ll see you all at the grand opening.
