Commonwealth Barbecue in Wrentham, Mass., Serves Authentic BBQ Cuisine



Ancient New England proverb: when it comes to barbecue food, it's better to have slow cook food than food from a slow cook.

The Boston, Mass., area offers several great places for well-prepared slow cook barbecue foods (definition: utilizing less heat than grilling over a longer period of time), including Blue Ribbon BBQ in Arlington and Newton, Redbone's in Somerville, Mass., and Firefly's in Marlborough. All these dining spots have chefs that clearly know what they are doing, which is great given that there's also a good number of local barbecue restaurants that miss the mark. Real barbecue cuisine does not equate to rotisserie! Often, we can do better on our own with some high quality barbecue sauce and meats bought from the local butcher and proper use of the grill.

It's nice, however, when someone else with a virtual PhD in barbecue cooking does all the work for you. Thankfully, a newcomer to the Boston area barbecue dining scene, brings perhaps the best barbecue foods to this area: Commonwealth Barbecue in Wrentham, Mass. It's located about a mile from beautiful downtown Wrentham and the Wrentham Premium Shopping Outlets.

Employing a south of the Mason Dixon line roadside shack look, this order-at-the-window barbecue joint shows amazing promise from the start with the aroma of smoked barbecue meats permeating the air the minute you step out of the car. Those aromas were born out of a lengthy process: the smoked meats are cooked for several hours over hard woods and that translates into "real" barbecue foods in the form of ribs, pulled pork or chicken, beef brisket and sausage. Another plus is that you can adjust the amount of BBQ sauce you want on your meal as there are large containers of sauces of varying spiciness at the counter. Sides like "cowboy beans," corn bread and southern fried pickles drenched in buttermilk add additional southern food ambiance to this unpretentious, outdoor dining scene at the picnic tables under the pavilion. Yesterday, I had some mouthwatering pulled pork that was just out-of-this-world good -- tender, flavorful and plentiful!

Although it's not a southern staple, soft serve ice cream is a dessert highlight with very low prices and huge portions served for small, medium and large. It's a nice way to end a satisfying, full-bodied barbecue dining experience at this "south" of Boston mom and pop drive-in!

Commonwealth Barbecue is open for lunch and dinner and is located at 659 South St. (Route 1A), Wrentham MA. Tel. (508) 384-9676.


Pulled pork, cowboy beans and butternut squash from Commonwealth Barbecue (photo by Eric)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Good Eeeevening!: A Perspective on New Hampshire Meteorologist Al Kaprielian

Article by Eric H., at VisitingNewEngland.com Somewhere in the 1980s, my esteemed Arlington High School journalism teacher Len Tammaro tipped me off about a New Hampshire television weatherman that he called "Crazy Al Kaprielian." That night, I couldn't believe what I saw: this nerdy-looking guy with a high-pitched voice flailing his arms all over the weather map, contorting his face in every direction, and squealing, "Good Eeeevening!" and "HIGH PRESSURE!" (his future trademark phrases)." All that boundless energy and the myriad antics left the viewer laughing, yet enervated at the same time. In this world of slick, Ken and Barbie television meteorologists, Al Kaprielian has been the antidote to the standard, unctuous television personality. Twenty-five years later, Al is still going strong on MyTV New England with his unique style --perhaps validation that he really loves his job. No doubt, Al has always been an unconventional, unique-looking a
Read more

Visiting My Grandmother Had That Antiques in Wrentham, Mass.

Image
My Grandmother Had That...Antiques  in Wrentham, Mass., is one of those "hidden gem" antique stores that is jam-packed with antiques, collectibles and other items from the past. Located in a charming, two-story old red barn at 446 South St. (Route 1A), My Grandmother Had That...Antiques certainly lives up to its name. You'll find furniture, lamps, desks, chairs, plant holders, fine China sets and just about everything your grandma had, and also didn't have -- like a web address, Facebook fan page or any hint on the Internet that this place exists! Unless you're a Wrentham native, one familiar with the antiques industry, have driven by the red barn on South St., or somebody that just reads maps of Wrentham all day, My Grandmother Had That...Antiques is as hard to find as the rarest antique. You won't even find the name, "My Grandmother Had That," on the building, just a sign that states "Antiques." The My Grandmother Had That name is on
Read more

Where To Live In Connecticut That Has A Small Town Feel?

Image
Noank, Conn. Editor's note: We recently received an email from one of our readers looking to possibly move to Connecticut. Here is her inquiry, followed by our response... Hi, my name is Courtney and I found your website completely truthful and helpful. I talked to my cousin who lives in the northern part of the east coast and she described exactly what you did! I am currently in Orange County, California, and don't like the "ingenuinity" (we're assuming the word is"disingenuous") and mindset of the people. I have found that Connecticut is a place with great weather and has a lot if cities with a small town feel. I was wondering if there was any way that you could help me specify my search in CT? I would like a city with a small town feel where your neighbors are sweet, but it still has a high quality of life. Essex and Stonington caught my eye, but I've never been so I can't say! Thank you for your time. Thank-you for your inquiry. We d
Read more