The Restaurant Examiner: The Great American BBQ Co. Returns for 2015 Season

Restaurant-goers pursuing delicious barbecue will find many appealing attractions at The Great American BBQ Co. in White Plains, an eatery and a full-service catering organization.

The entrée list at the restaurant includes a sampler dish with an array of barbecue favorites: grilled salmon, sliced filet mignon and a pig roast for 15 or more patrons that requires 48-hour advance notice ($32.95 per person).

The off-premise catering function has separate menus; however, some of the dishes on the restaurant menu are also offered on the catering menu. Catering for 20 to 3,000 people can be accommodated.

The Great American BBQ Co., which reopened for the summer Monday, is the next-door neighbor of sister restaurant Sam’s of Gedney Way. A seasonal operation, it returns each June and remains open through Labor Day.

“We modified the menu for this season a bit, adding shakes, burgers, salads and vegetarian options,” said Executive Chef Joseph Sasso. “Most importantly, our barbecue sauce is now gluten-free, so now instead of needing two sauces, we are going to use just one. Same great taste without the gluten.”

The Taste it All Sampler is listed at the top of the restaurant’s entrée list and includes four taste-pleasing main portions, each of which is also available individually as an entrée. They are dry-rubbed St. Louis ribs, braised beef brisket, Carolina pulled pork and barbecue chicken. The platter also includes locally grown buttered corn on the cob, cole slaw and house biscuit ($23.95).

Barbecue dishes are gently smoked for a short time but long enough to obtain a mild smoked flavor and then roasted. The pork, beef and chicken are brined (soaked in seasoned water overnight), rubbed with a blend of seasonings and spices, smoked lightly for two to three hours and roasted slowly at a low temperature, ranging in time for 12 hours for pork, eight hours for beef and two hours for chicken.

The menu includes barbecued shrimp tacos ($8.95), dry-rubbed wings ($9.95), chopped salad ($8.95), brisket sandwich ($14.95), burgers with wedge-cut fries (starting at $15) and ice cream sundaes ($5.95). Beverages include vanilla, chocolate or strawberry shakes ($7.50), shakes spiked with bourbon ($9.50), draft and craft beer, wine by the glass or bottle, nonalcoholic root beer and a Bootlegger 21 Vodka lemon grapefruit juice drink ($8).

Texas corn bites (local corn tossed with lime, cilantro, red chili flakes and grated cheese) is available as a side dish at $5.95. Sweet corn pudding is offered for $3.

The pig roast dinner includes an appetizer, dessert and a beverage and is served table-side with corn pudding, cole slaw, house biscuits, corn bread, tortillas, salsa verde and pico di gallo. Beverages include coffee, tea, lemonade and soft drinks. A 20 percent service charge is added to the bill.

A sampler version of the pig roast dinner with a different main course instead of roast pig is available for $32.95 with no minimum number of diners required. Patrons choose any three of the following items–St. Louis ribs, pulled pork, brisket, barbecued chicken and blackened salmon.

The items that are made in-house include barbecue sauce, cornbread, sweet corn pudding, baked beans, biscuits, chili, guacamole and wings.

A children’s menu is available with all-inclusive meals (entrée, dessert, soft drink) priced at $10.95. The entrée choices include a cheeseburger, all-beef hot dog, chicken fingers and pasta.

The following recipes were provided by Sasso.

 

Corn bread (mini)

Yield: Two quarts

 

Ingredients:

Corn muffin mix, 1 quart

Shredded cheddar cheese, 1 pint

Heavy cream, 1/2 pint

Jalapeno, no seed, minced (1)

Chopped cilantro, 8 ounces

Poppy seed (sprinkle over mix), 2 teaspoons

Instructions: Mix all ingredients. Use small corn molds. Heat molds first, spray pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. If you don’t have small corn molds, use any type of pan, but spray first.

Mango coleslaw

Yield: Two quarts

Step 1

Cabbage head (2)

Large shredded carrots (2)

Sugar, 1.5 quarts

Vinegar, salt and pepper

 

Step 2

Celery salt, 1 tablespoon

Celery seed, 3 tablespoons

Mayonnaise, 1 quart

Mango, 1 pint

Red pepper, julienne, 1 pint

Chopped parsley, 1/3 pint.

Instructions: Marinate cabbage for more than six hours. Squeeze out remaining liquid. Fold in mayonnaise, add mango, julienne red pepper and fresh parsley.

For catering information, contact Karen Herrero at 914-949-0978. A pig roast station is available at catered events.

The Great American BBQ Co. is open Monday through Saturday from 12 to 9 p.m. and on Sundays from 4 to 9 p.m. It is located at 52 Gedney Way in White Plains. For more information, call 914-686-2277.