City Barbeque’s flavorful mashup has become a force to be reckoned with
By Patricia Nugent
At the newly opened City Barbeque in Fairlawn, a fortuitous amalgam of deliciousness blends the best styles of barbecue—Texas, Kansas City and North Carolina—into a hybrid.
Founded in Columbus, the charming eatery is the first in northern Ohio and joins 39 other barbecue joints in the nation that serve up genuine down-home barbecue fare with backyard hospitality.
The restaurants harken back to 1999, when a national award-winning barbecue team sought to bring its closely guarded secret recipes and techniques, along with only the highest quality meats, to the masses.
Staying True to “Low and Slow”
As science tells us, the fibers in meat actually change their molecular makeup at around 190 degrees, becoming softer and more tender. And smoking meat at a very low temperature for upwards of 18 hours through indirect heat in gigantic smokers is the optimum formula for creating the most tender, flavorful, juiciest cuts.
Here’s how pit masters translate that— “low and slow is the way to go.”
“Authentic barbecue is our specialty, slowly smoking meats such as pork, beef brisket, ribs, chicken, turkey and Texas sausage over locally harvested shagbark hickory wood to provide a longer burn and produce a denser, smokier flavor,” says Senior General Manager Scott St. Clair.
“Everything here is made from scratch. And our pit masters are trained for several weeks in the exacting techniques to produce the most authentic barbecue.”
For the full backyard experience, the restaurant’s décor is classic farmhouse, with loads of barn wood, concrete floors, and butcher block tables inside and on the patio.
Accolades, Accolades
All the dishes are based on beloved family recipes, and many have won national acclaim, such as the “More Cowbell,” which was voted as a finalist in the country’s best sandwich by Restaurant Hospitality magazine.
Don’t miss the Family Pack, which includes all the meats and sides to feed a family for only $24.99. It comes with the six signature sauces, ranging from hot (BrushFire) to vinegary (Swine Wine) to sweet and mustardy.
Side dishes swing classic southern as well, from hand-dipped hush puppies and cornbread to baked beans, corn pudding, mac & cheese and, of course, sweet vinegar slaw.
Desserts also get their sweet share, and Scott mentions their legendary Banana Pudding was voted in the Ten to Try by Paula Deen Magazine. The decadent dish starts with a layer of caramel that’s topped with homemade banana pudding, layered with crushed vanilla wafers, then drizzled with more caramel.
Tantalizing Tailgating Fare
The Browns kick off their regular season in just a few weeks, against that team from PA, on Sunday, September 9. Why not take your tailgating or watch parties up a notch with a smorgasbord of meats? City Barbeque offers Party Packs serving four to 24 that allow you to pick two meats and two sides.
They cater, too, for events from 20 to 5,000, delivering all the food and setting it up.
The Consensus Is In
True confession: I have raised an exuberant pack of carnivores who relish their place at the tippity top of the food chain. So my kids were ecstatic when I texted them that I was bringing home pulled pork and a slab of ribs from the photo shoot.
As they polished off the heavenly, melt-in-your-mouth meats, there was no talking, just the low hum of mmms. And I had to agree with their consensus. This was the best barbecue we’ve ever tasted.
City Barbeque is located at 2870 West Market Street in Fairlawn. Call 330-800-2532 or visit CityBBQ.com for more information. Check the Facebook page for specials and schedule of live music. For catering inquiries, call 330-769-6025.