Big Easy Bar BQ & Crabshack, Chelsea, 10/11/2009

A forum for reviews of bbq restaurants. Only mods and admins can create new topics here, but everyone else can reply. Opinions expressed here are those of the individual and are not representative of the BBBQS.

Big Easy Bar BQ & Crabshack, Chelsea, 10/11/2009

Postby British BBQ Society » 11 Nov 2009, 10:45

Big Easy Bar B Q & Crabshack
332 Kings Road Chelsea


The front of the restaurant looked very promising with a TV on the front wall flipping through images of their food alongside the menu, the menu is a varied mix including a lot of fish, Mexican and of course BBQ. They smoke the food on an “Old Hickory Pit” finishing it off on the grill, why? I have no idea.

This is the type of restaurant that requires a group to really test the menu but we went there with the intention of checking out the BBQ so we ordered a Babyback Ribs, Chicken and Shrimp combo with a side of chicken wings (we were sharing!!)

The chicken wings were the standard deep fried with a Louisiana hot sauce, basic but good, I have been to plenty of places that have managed to trash chicken wings.

Image

The main was interesting, If you were to try Big Easy I would suggest asking for the BBQ sauce on the side, as you will see the chicken and ribs were smothered and floating in it. The Ribs looked promising, charred on the edges giving the impression of meaty ribs that had indeed been cooked on the smoker. Unfortunately I was proved very wrong. The ribs were not meaty but overcooked and just plain burnt. I do not understand why they would finish the ribs off on a grill after smoking them?

Image

The Chicken had a pretty good texture and hadn’t dried out but even after scrapping off the majority of the BBQ sauce, you could not taste the chicken or smoke. A real shame. Unfortunately the shrimp were charred a little too much and had dried out with over cooking.

A real shame, Big Easy has potential, it has a decent smoker, I just think their methods need a little work. Although the BBQ experience was pretty poor I would still recommend the restaurant if you were in the Chelsea area with a group of friends, I would like to give the fish a go next time.

Toby
User avatar
British BBQ Society
Site Admin
Site Admin
 
Posts: 888
Joined: 20 Oct 2009, 11:03
Location: On the web

Re: Big Easy Bar BQ & Crabshack, Chelsea, 10/11/2009

Postby THRILLIN GRILLIN » 11 Nov 2009, 20:04

It would interesting to know if the owners of some of these restaurants know what kind of food is coming out of their restaurants. I fairly certain they wouldnt be happy with the majority of food coming out. There seems to be a common theme emerging from all this restaurant reviewing, disappointment and not reaching the customers expectation. Are these places preying on ppl who dont really know bbq or think this is how american bbq should taste like ?.
User avatar
THRILLIN GRILLIN
Got Wood!
Got Wood!
 
Posts: 28
Joined: 07 Nov 2009, 10:46
Location: Howick, New Zealand. previously tongham, farnham

Re: Big Easy Bar BQ & Crabshack, Chelsea, 10/11/2009

Postby British Bulldog BBQ » 02 Dec 2009, 16:39

I heard on the grapevine that Big Easy have stopped smoking their food onsite and buy it in, I called them today to see if they wanted to sell the smoker and was told by the young lady that answered the phone that they no longer have it and indeed they dont smoke anything onsite................ ok it was a pretty poor experience but still, is there real bbq anywhere out there?
Toby
User avatar
British Bulldog BBQ
Got Wood!
Got Wood!
 
Posts: 42
Joined: 20 Oct 2009, 13:54
Location: Tongham, Surrey

Re: Big Easy Bar BQ & Crabshack, Chelsea, 10/11/2009

Postby KamadoSimon » 10 Nov 2014, 17:22

Went this weekend as we happened to be in Covent Garden. Think they have made some big changes over the last year since these reviews. The place is very big and very commercial. But I had the bbq platter - beans were good, as was the pot of pulled pork (which was very tasty). The ribs were big & had a smoke ring but I think they could have done with more smoke IMHO. The chicken quarter wasn't great although my wife liked. The shrimps were huge - and pretty tasty. Their house ale was very tasty. I'd try another place before I went back - but I would go back.
User avatar
KamadoSimon
Rubbed and Ready
Rubbed and Ready
 
Posts: 527
Joined: 25 Mar 2012, 14:00
Location: Berkshire

Re: Big Easy Bar BQ & Crabshack, Chelsea, 10/11/2009

Postby gingerchris » 11 Nov 2014, 17:59

@KamadoSimon - you will have visited their newer branch if you were in Covent Garden - apparently it's a big step up from the original in Chelsea
gingerchris
Got Wood!
Got Wood!
 
Posts: 75
Joined: 21 Jan 2014, 15:30

Re: Big Easy Bar BQ & Crabshack, Chelsea, 10/11/2009

Postby ConorD » 11 Nov 2014, 19:20

I'm booked in to the CG site for the 18th of Dec so will see how it compares
ConorD
Rubbed and Ready
Rubbed and Ready
 
Posts: 590
Joined: 19 Apr 2012, 18:50
Location: Wokingham, Berks

Re: Big Easy Bar BQ & Crabshack, Chelsea, 10/11/2009

Postby KamadoSimon » 12 Nov 2014, 18:55

Yep - was the new place. Whilst they had charcoal grills (which looked excellent) in the basement kitchen, still didn't see or smell any evidence of smoking on site.
User avatar
KamadoSimon
Rubbed and Ready
Rubbed and Ready
 
Posts: 527
Joined: 25 Mar 2012, 14:00
Location: Berkshire

Re: Big Easy Bar BQ & Crabshack, Chelsea, 10/11/2009

Postby Artust » 27 Nov 2014, 22:02

I went to the Covent Garden branch in the first week of it opening and though the food was pretty decent and they have some good deals in the week too.

As for smoking.... Check out their Twitter feed and see the monster Myron Mixon smokers they have just had delivered. As said above, they seem serious about this now so maybe worth another look. I've asked for a tour of the new smokers when they are fully running as they look like monsters.
User avatar
Artust
Got Wood!
Got Wood!
 
Posts: 106
Joined: 23 May 2014, 06:34

Re: Big Easy Bar BQ & Crabshack, Chelsea, 10/11/2009

Postby paddyberger » 06 May 2015, 15:33

I tried this place a while back. The ribs and pulled pork were delicious. Good selection of craft ales also.
paddyberger
Got Wood!
Got Wood!
 
Posts: 11
Joined: 22 Apr 2015, 16:25


Return to Restaurant Reviews

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

cron