| The Arkansas Cafe East Side somewhere London, UK Meat: 3 Sides: 2 Sauce: 1 Service: 4.5 Atmosphere: 4.5 Overall: 2 Reviewer's comments: My long-suffering wife is used to trying barbecue everywhere we go (she has a limit of two BBQ meals per day), so there wasn't too much fuss when I insisted that we try the Arkansas Cafe during a 25th anniversary trip to London. The place has a 21 food rating in the Zagat's London Guide, which is very high. It was not good. The meat was fine, but it had barely been smoked and all the sauces were sweeter than honey. The proprietor was very friendly and claimed to be an Arkansas, though you couldn't tell it from his accent. The place is in a big empty shell of a building near a famous flea market, and the people watching is great. Get ready to hear the owner trot out his repetoire of Americanisms ("hey big guy") to every new customer. Bottom line - interesting but the Brits haven't figured out barbecue yet. Reviewed by: Doug Herbert (dherbert@ix.netcom.com) on 12/2/98
Chicago Rib Shack
Name: Chicago Rib Shack CommentsWell friends what can i say? Those of you who knew this fine establishment will im sure, like myself, feel a serious void has been left in Londons(the US) BBQ restaurant scene. Although i write this now (May 2000), the aforementioned restaurant has been shut down since a week or so before the new millenium was ushered in. This restaurant had served as part of my childhood, haven eaten there since i was 7 (im now 24) and its demise was truly unexpected and shocking. I just wanted to leave this to all those who may be wondering what had happened to this restaurant, and while i did some probing, i oculd not acertain as to why it had closed its doors after a seemingly successful couple of decades.
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