As we approach the one month mark, since our hometown implemented the “Stay At Home” rule, we find ourselves adapting to this new reality. While we all hope it is temporary, we know that there is the possibility that it will remain around, in some form, for many months. In the meantime, we are working at finding ways to incorporate our local small businesses into everyday life. Shopping is pretty much out the window unless you need groceries, toiletries or lumber. There is still the opportunity to eat dinner prepared outside of our kitchen, but it requires being willing to pursue creative carryout options. Since I am always in the mood for barbecue, it was just a matter of time before we ventured out to Woodyard Bar-B-Que for some dinner.
Empty Places
We called to make sure they were open, which is a wise thing to do these days. Once we confirmed, we were on our way. Make note that our visit occurred on a late Saturday afternoon and we were the only car in the parking lot. While we are concerned about the well being of our local small businesses, we also love that these days we have little to no wait. Popping inside, we found the now common plexiglass shield hanging between us and the staff. This is no concern to us as we want everyone to be cautious. We felt like it was a good time to get a larger than average order, which would provide leftovers for a couple of lunches.
…and Empty Spaces
After ringing us up, we made our way out to the patio area to wait for our food. This gave us a chance to spritz on some hand sanitizer, which is part of the new regiment that us earthlings have had to adopt. It is still a little unnerving to us to see places devoid of activity. Even a short run to a store feels unusual when we see less than a quarter of the vehicles we would normally experience. While standing in the shade we could count the cars that passed on one hand. In hardly any time our order was ready and we made our way back to our home shelter.
Getting Home with the Goods
As we piloted our way back home, we did notice that more people seem to be getting out into their yards these days. Perhaps it is the return of springlike weather or just a need to break free from the bonds of enclosure even if only for a bit. Whatever the reason it was nice to see other humans. Once we made it home, it was time for the big unveiling of dinner. In the past, you would have seen us showcase the plated presentations in the restaurant’s dining area. (Like we did at this KC burger joint.) These days we are relinquished to dinner at home. We did discuss the approach we would use for our articles at this time and decided to show you just how they came packed from Woodyard Bar-B-Que.
Sliding into the Sides
When we eat BBQ, a good selection of side dishes is a must. We found our creative carryout was well packed with each dish protected from spillage. That was good news for us since we would have hated to see anything bad happen to our crunchy Onion Rings. Even just getting a small order gave us a good taste. The small order of Cheesy Corn was another hit with the two of us. This is a side we had not sampled at Woodyard, but we are glad we added it to our order.
Trying Their Eastern Eats
Woodyard Bar-B-Que is a bit of an anomaly for us. It sits close to our home, yet we have only dined here once before this visit. I guess there are just so many other places that have occupied our attention. Well, now we can say we have rectified this oversight and included an article to boot. While we didn’t have a chance to discuss the restaurant’s basic principles with anyone, the menu lends itself to be showcasing a variety of barbecue styles found across the United States.
One that jumped out at us was the Carolina sandwich. The combination of pulled pork and creamy Cole slaw tastes as though it came right out of the Appalachian Mountains. We will warn you that this sammie suffers a little when presented as creative carryout since the slaw tends to weep during the ride home. Maybe we will ask for an extra piece of bread next time to place under the bun. Of course, Crystal solved it by eating this dish with a fork, which allowed her to enjoy this tasty dish without the mess.
Perhaps a Little Texas Dry Rub
While Crystal dined on that Eastern delicacy, I was heading down south for a little Texas dry rub. The Spare Ribs, at Woodyard Bar-B-Que, are not what you expect of most KC barbecue joints. Using this time-tested method of cooking takes a tremendous amount of skill. If you don’t pay close attention to the weather the result can leave a slightly tougher bite. While the slab I ordered was just below perfect in the tenderness category, it rocked out for flavor. It wasn’t until I took some for leftovers that I even tested out their sauce, which added another layer of flavor to the dish.
I noticed that they even sell some Jumbo-Size Hot Wings, so I decided to toss one on for good measure. It’s hard to tell by the photo, but these are not the standard size chicken wing. I would say they fall somewhere between that and a turkey wing size. The flavor of it was spot-on delicious and I decided on our next visit to pick up a half-dozen more.
Enjoying Creative Carryout
As you can see, Woodyard Bar-B-Que is doing creative carryout right. The food was well packaged for travel and the flavors all stayed to themselves. We may be missing out on the normal interactions that we are used to when blogging, but those days will return. In the meantime, we will continue to do what we can to support our local small businesses. Hopefully, some of the ones we highlight will spark an interest in you to do a little creative carryout of your own. Stay safe and we will see you on the other side.
