Captain John's Old Tyme Pit Barbecue

Historically, I don't find myself in Collierville very often. Maybe once a year. Maybe. But, now that my dad started managing the service department of a motorcycle dealership out there and the MRD set up shop at FunQuest, I seem to be making the trip all the time – twice last week as a matter of fact.

On the way out to see my baby in the roller derby Saturday night, I stopped at Captain John's Old Tyme Pit Barbecue on Highway 72. I'd noticed it several times before, but this was my first meal there. I ordered a jumbo sandwich plate with beans and fries from some very nice ladies who took good care of me. I love the South.

Skip the fries. The beans were plain but good – just BBQ beans sans any extras like onions or meat. It's difficult to critique the slaw without ordering any extra. On the sandwich, it seemed pretty standard. Although, when I lifted the bun to add some sauce, I could swear I saw some lettuce. Maybe it was parsley. Either way, that's weird.

The BBQ itself had good flavor. My sandwich had some extra crunch that I'm attributing to the presence of extra bark. Lucky me. I don't think it was heat lamp crispiness because the meat wasn't dry at all. The sauce was similar to but not as tangy as Tops. And unlike Tops, Captain John's serves ribs. I'll try those in March when the roller derby season starts back up.

On a side note, I've got to stop ordering jumbo sandwiches. Not just because I'm a little too jumbo myself and shouldn't be eating barbecue in the first place. No, it's because they are unwieldy and always seem to fall apart making a big mess. This isn't a knock on Captain John's. Every jumbo combo seems to do the same.

The final verdict? I wouldn't make any special trips to Collierville for a sandwich at Captain John's, but if you're hungry and driving down 72, stop in.