Go to Town On: 3 Guys Basement Barbecue
We all know that the burgers at Murphy's on the Green are unbeatable just as they are, but why stop there? That’s what Nigel Leeming, the owner of Murphy’s, must have asked himself, because he opened 3 Guys Basement Barbecue to satisfy all our carnivorous cravings for finger-licking fare.
In the spirit of 3 Guys’ concept of sharing food, my order revolved entirely around getting a quarter-pound of each selection of meat offered on the menu with a few sides. Maybe I should have waited to go on a different day, or at least not during prime dinner hours — the place was bursting at the seams with customers. My wait for the food ended up taking nearly two hours! All I could do was sit helplessly as plates were set down near me and servers whizzed by me, leaving the smoky aroma of barbecue sauce lingering in the air. Leeming, the owner of 3 Guys, was very attentive and would occasionally check on my table to make sure our stomachs hadn’t turned inside out from hunger, to inform us that they had indeed received our order and to reassure us that food would be on the way. Our server was equally attentive, and he was a touch rueful over the fact that the place was so busy, but honestly the anticipation made the meal so much more satisfying!
You can order pork brisket, hand-pulled pork shoulder, hand-pulled chicken and cured pork belly by the pound. The pulled meats were fairly standard and exactly how I expected them, and it was the pork belly that certainly outshined the rest. The slabs of brisket were tender and lined with a trimming of fat for a scrumptious contrast in texture and flavor. However, for those really seeking dramatic interplay between textures and flavors, the pork belly is the only way to go. The pork belly’s layers of meat and fat vary delightfully in texture, chewiness and flavor. Of the sides, the potato egg salad and macaroni and cheese weren’t outstanding, but they functioned perfectly as sides and never stole the show.
Verdict: delicious, and I will definitely be going back. I hear you cannot go wrong with any of the sandwiches but what I’m really itching to try next are the turkey leg and rib rack. And did I mention, everything is made in-house with from scratch with some ingredients sourced locally? So really, there’s no excuse for me to not eat everything on the menu, right? If Hannibal Lecter had tried the meat selection at 3 Guys Basement Barbecue, his life probably would have gone down an entirely different path.