As evidence of barbecue's ballooning popularity, Scott Slagle offers this bit of anecdotal testimony: "Five years ago there were 100,000 contestants taking part in barbecue competitions across the nation," he notes. "Last year that number rose to 400,000."
Whether or not those figures are accurate is irrelevant; even the casual observer will notice the steady uptick in barbecue-themed restaurants, catering companies, and cable television shows. That doesn't surprise Slagle, who for the last decade has operated the Solon-based Now We're Cooking catering. "Barbecue is wholesome homestyle comfort food," he says.
Slagle says that over the past few years he noticed that his catering customers were ordering less and less chicken parmesan and more and more barbecue. Pig roasts, if you haven't heard, are the hottest thing in backyard blow-outs.
That was enough motivation for Slagle, who along with Walter Hyde opened Fat Casual BBQ in Macedonia. The name is a clever and fitting twist on the phrase "fast casual," as it accurately describes the operation. Though barbecue is one of the most time-consuming cooking procedures there is, it's all done ahead of time, meaning customers don't have to wait long for food.
While Slagle was running his catering company, Hyde was manning the stoves at various Cleveland restaurants, including Swingo's, Giovanni's and Crazy Horse. The pair opened their casual eatery on 10-10-10 in a plain-jane brick building reminiscent of great side-of-the-road barbecue joints. Tables are topped with paper towel dispensers, squeeze bottles of barbecue sauce, and the familiar red-and-white checked plastic. Ordering is done at the open-kitchen counter.
Because Ohio doesn't claim its own distinctive style of barbecue, Slagle says he decided to bring together in one place regional tastes from across the country. Texas is represented by beef brisket, the Carolinas by pork, the Southwest by smoked sausage, and Memphis by dry-rubbed ribs. To further complement the world tour of regional barbecue, Fat Casual offers about a half-dozen house-made sauces. Fans of Carolina-style cue will doubtless reach for the tangy mustard-based variety, while beef brisket eaters might opt for the robust and spicy Texas gravy. Memphis-style barbecue sauce is what we typically see at rib cook-offs – sweet, thick, mildly spicy. Fat Casual's house brew is mellow and sweet, featuring Ohio honey.
But don't expect your ribs – or brisket, or chicken, or pork – to come slathered in sauce. Hyde treats barbecue sauce like a chef would a demi-glaze: as a condiment rather than main component. "We don't want to hide the flavor of the meat," Hyde says. "Sauce, like smoke, is just an ingredient. The meat always has to come first." Plus, he adds, he wants diners to be able to see the pink smoke ring, a sign of barbecue done right.
With meat this good, it would be a crime to eclipse it with an overpowering sauce. After spending 12 hours in the smoker, the thin-sliced brisket is meltingly tender, profoundly beefy, and not overly smoky. Whole turkey breasts languish for eight hours in the pit, resulting in some of the finest deli meat in town. Fat Casual ignores ubiquitous pulled pork in favor of lean shaved pork loin, and diners likely won't miss a thing. Flecks of red pepper in the house-smoked beef sausage are a clue that the links have heat, but they don't portend the amazing flavor to come.
Fans of flabby fall-off-the-bone ribs may not appreciate the meaty tug of Fat Casual's St. Louis-style ribs ($9.99/half, $17.99/full). But that's only because non-barbecue restaurants have mislead diners, says Hyde. "People are used to the tenderness that comes from boiling ribs," he explains. "But that process also boils out the flavor. That's why they have to cover them up with big sauces." My only complaint with the ribs was the presence of papery silverskin on the underside of the bones.
Platters come in Snack ($6.99), Dinner ($13.99), Family ($24.99) and Pit Boss ($36.99) sizes, featuring various quantities, meat combinations, and side dishes. Sides include zesty chili, creamy mac and cheese, baked beans, cole slaw, cornbread and a delicious and unique warm sweet potato salad, with bacon and onion. Some platters include sliced mini pretzel buns that are perfect for building sandwiches with sliced meat. Fat Casual also fries up its own killer seasoned potato chips. Desserts are simple and fresh.
Like brewing beer, making wine, and caving cheese, smoking barbecue can be done at home – but the results rarely match those of the pros. That's why we need places like Fat Casual, that do it right so we don't have to.
Fat Casual BBQ
223 E. Highland Rd., Macedonia
330.748.4690
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