UPDATE:
On October 14th, Cat and Joe announced they have parted ways with the Burning Barrel. I don’t know what the reasons were, but we are sad to hear this as we know how excited that they were with the restaurant. We wish them the best, and time will tell how the BB does without thier passion for the Q and customer service.
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In our hometown of Kamloops, like everywhere these days it seems, we are overrun by McRestaurants of every description. Chain restaurants abound everywhere, some of which are decent enough, but all seem to be generic and not really offering much originality or character. Many have a shtick of one sort of another to try and stand out, but the food is pretty much the same. Good locally owned restaurants struggle against the name brand recognition, and all too often we as consumers pass these local eateries by because we want to play it safe when spending our hard earned money on a meal out.
This really is a shame, because we tend to miss out on some amazing food. Food made with love and pride, by people who call our home town – home. It might be local fare, or food from another region that they are bringing to a new home, but it can be creative, unique and just different to what the chains offer.
A great case in point is The Burning Barrel. Cat and Joe started their adventures on the Kamloops food scene with their rockin’ black food truck serving amazing authentic southern BBQ food, the smoking done right on the truck. Many a lunch was planned by looking our office window and seeing The Pig Rig parked at 2nd and Seymour… There was always as a crowd, and the food was always excellent.
Based on the success of the Pig Rig, Cat and Joe decided to go to the next stage and open a year round brick and mortar restaurant. I had opportunity to chat with them a few times last year, as they were dreaming and planning their new baby. It was so neat to be able to see the enthusiasm and excitement as they shared bits and pieces of the plan they were nurturing.
After an unimaginable amount of work, they have brought forth their creation, The Burning Barrel Cookhouse. It opened a couple of weeks ago, and unfortunately I have been slow getting my gastric system back to normal after Meatapalooza (Ribfest) so we haven’t been able to stop to check them out until tonight.
Kathy and I stopped in for dinner on our way back from some errands. We parked and walked into the restaurant, and immediately we were enveloped by the wonderful smell of BBQ. The room is the perfect size, and every table has a great view of the Thompson River valley to the north, and tonight we even got a beautiful sunset reflecting on Mt. Paul.
Cat met us at the door, and seated us at a table right by the window. She told us we had just missed the dinner rush, so our timing was perfect. We pulled up at our table, and our drinks orders were taken. We took quite a while going over a really well put together menu, offering not just amazing BBQ, but dishes to accommodate kids and those for whom the pleasure of BBQ is lost (not going to try to convert you folks, cuz it means more Q for me!!)
Now, as previously mentioned, we are still working off of the effects of Ribfest. As a result, we chose to go with pasta based dishes, but mine still got in my BBQ fix. Kathy had Smoky Gnocchi, and I had a Pulled Pork Mac ‘n Cheese. To go along with the dishes, we went with a square of cornbread to give that a try.
Our orders were taken, and while we waited we had a nice visit with Cat. She works the front of house like a proud matriarch, making sure that everything is just right. Joe was in the kitchen making sure that things back there were just as perfect as she had things out front.
Our meals arrived in a very reasonable time, hot and looking very appetizing. We tucked in, and they didn’t disappoint.
The Gnocchi was really, really good, and the smoky tomato sauce was chunky and flavourful.
The Pulled Pork in my dish was perfectly done, mixed with elbow mac done to perfection, homemade cheese sauce and a healthy dose of melted cheeses on top. It was homey, hearty and a great way to indulge a BBQ fix without going ‘all in’. And I promise Joe, next time we are by, your ribs are on my plate. The corn bread was a great touch, and remarkably close to my own recipe. Not too cakey, not to dry, just sweet enough… just the way we like it.
At the end, we were completely satisfied, and that is going some because we had some lofty expectations based on my experience with Cat and Joe and the Pig Rig. We have nothing but kudo’s for both Cat and Joe for coming out the gate with a great product and a super experience for our dining dollar. Awesome food and great local people combine to give Kamloops a specialty eatery deserving of your dining patronage.
Please check them out, enjoy an awesome meal and let Mr. Mike McEarls know that these local restaurateurs are here to give them a solid run for our money!
Smokin’ good eats!!