Iron Oak New American BBQ
4 out of 5 stars
917 11th St., Palm Harbor. Appetizers: $5-$14; entrees: $10-$24; desserts: $6-$7; beer, cocktails & wines by the glass: $4-$10. 727-754-7337. ironoakbbq.com.
What happens when the chef and proprietors of one of the Bay area’s best classic, high-end restaurants — The Black Pearl in Dunedin — decide to turn their considerable talents to the down-home subject of American barbecue?
Will it be Texas-style brisket? St. Louis ribs? Bratwurst? How about Carolina pulled pork? Maybe some smoked wings? Will the house sauce lean toward tomato or vinegar? Or perhaps golden mustard or mayo-based Alabama white?
Could chef Christopher Artrip sneak in elevated fusion flavors like truffle or Korean gochujang? How about the sourcing of the meat? Will they spring for Meyer Natural Angus brisket or premium Duroc pork from Vande Rose Farms?
The joyous answer at Palm Harbor’s Iron Oak New American Barbecue is all of the above.
Restaurateurs Zach and Christina Feinstein aren’t afraid to make big claims. The Iron Oak website states that they serve the “best barbecue in Tampa.” They’re young and confident, but such brash claims soften if you can deliver. There’s attention to every detail — beginning with Clifford the Iron Dog, the affectionate name for their J&R oyler pit; Model 1300, which the recently opened downtown restaurant splurged on, can hold up to 1,800 pounds of meat.
This smoker is the Rolls-Royce of barbecue, featuring “‘ferris wheel’ rotisserie action” to provide constant basting. In essence, massaging the meat as it revolves through different temperature zones. One-of-a-kind controls also allow Artrip to tweak the mix of air, smoke and humidity to produce the most perfect, mouthwatering result.
He doesn’t stop there, though. The chef has upgraded four sauces in squeeze bottles in the middle of every table: sweet maple rye, South Carolina mustard, vinegar-based as favored in eastern North Carolina, and tomato-based from the Piedmont region of western NC. Each is balanced and nuanced, a superb example of its kind.
But Artrip, like many creative cooks, is obviously an inveterate tinkerer. Why settle for four delicious sauces when you can conjure up six more? The barbecue-obsessed among you may wish to spring for Iron Oak’s Sauce Boss, a collection of additional creations from the chef. They are white Alabama, ancho chile bacon mayo, house-made ranch, honey mustard, black garlic gochujang (Korean red chili), and the “grim reaper” (for you asbestos-mouthed diners). I’m glad I tasted them, but the standard sauces are so good that they’ll suffice on my next visit.
We start with the house-bottled Gramps Old Fashioned and a refreshing coconut mojito, served in a tall glass lined with mint leaves. Both are superb. They help us through the six deviled egg halves, which vary depending on the day. Ours are a traditional trio more firm than creamy and three more drizzled with smooth blue cheese that’s noted but doesn’t overwhelm the other flavors.
While our burnt ends queso is missing the brisket end chunks pictured on the website, the five-cheese sauce (white Cheddar, Gorgonzola, Parmesan, smoked Gouda, Cheddar Jack) is a creamy and delightful amalgam with the mound of fresh tortilla chips.
Rocky reef amberjack spread features hickory smoked local fish with house-pickled veggies, jalapeños, carrots and cucumber, plus both Ritz and saltine crackers. The smoke doesn’t overwhelm the fish, which has large enough pieces to add texture, yet it’s still creamy enough to dip or spread.
A great way to sample the restaurant’s smoked goodness is to order The Cycle. It’s a platter with one sausage (a coarse, rustic affair cured with an extra pinch of pink salt to render it dark red), a tender slice of Texas brisket, a juicy mound of pulled pork, two tender and meaty St. Louis ribs, and two four-hour-smoked wings — very different than the typical fried drumettes you’d find at a chicken wing chain.
If you crave some fish in place of meat, the local grouper tacos deliver. You may choose between fried or pan-seared fish, brought alive on fresh flour tortillas with crunchy house slaw, punchy salsa verde, and that ancho chile bacon mayo.
Most of the Iron Oak dishes feature a side or two, reflecting the deft touch of a chef with a clear vision of what he wants to do and the technique to deliver. Hand-cut fries are crisp and golden. The ham bone collards will make your Southern aunt smile. The five-cheese mac is creamy and complex. The loaded beans mix white and dark legumes with shreds of meat in a surprisingly flavorful gravy. And the scrumptious truffle bacon potato salad keeps its flavors in balance — they caress your palate, rather than bully. This is no small feat with a couple of aggressive ingredients that too often shout when a whisper will do.
Desserts are carefully designed, too. The caramelized apple empanada is piping hot; slices of Granny Smith apples still have resistance, and they’re swathed in sweet brown sugar enrobed in a flaky crust shimmering with granulated sugar. Perhaps even better is a surprising ramekin of bread pudding laced with white chocolate and dotted with sautéed bits of tart mango and sweet peaches. It’s a sigh-inducing way to end a triumph of American regional cuisine.
CL Food Critic Jon Palmer Claridge dines anonymously when reviewing. Check out the explanation of his rating system, or email him at [email protected].