Roadside Barbecue Found Year Round at Pick A Bone

Roadside food stands are a rarity today unless you’re traveling down 141 near the Highway 21 interchange where Pick a Bone BBQ pitches it tent year round from Thursday through Sunday on the Pink Elephant’s (Gas n Stuff) parking lot.  Under the tent you’ll find a doublewide, charcoal fueled ironclad barbecue operated by pit masters Marion and Jody Brown. The specialties: full cut spareribs, thick-cut pork steaks, pulled pork and chicken. 

“Our specialty is our ribs but we have pork steaks, pulled pork and chicken. And I think we’re the only place in Jefferson County that has rib tips,” said Marion as he adjusted the coals for a batch of burgers, brats and hot dogs.

While I checked out the menu a regular in line remarked how you can throw a dart at that menu and always hit something good.

“When customers ask what’s good we’re always happy to give a sample, except for the chicken because those are a half chickens and hard to sample out,” said Jody.

Pick a Bone menu strategy is simple, offering smoked meats, dinner plates and sandwiches.  Ribs are sold by the half or full 12-14 bone slab. Smoked chickens are sold in halves and pork steaks are cut 1 1/2-inches thick. The Brown's award winning White Chili, a seasonal offering, is now available sized as an entrée or a side.

Dinner plates include two sides; choice of potato salad, baked beans, cole slaw, corn or white chili. Look for the cucumber salad, another seasonal side Pick A Bone makes when cucumbers are plentiful on the market. If prechance you want more than two sides - order up, sides are bare bone priced at $1.20 each.

Everything is wrapped to go. Dining-in translates to cozying down at the nearby picnic table. Prices are fair, ranging from $16.70 for a full rib slab to $4.50 for the pulled pork sandwich. Best buy: The full slab dinner with four sides for $19.70 and the dollar hot dog.