BERNIE WHITMORE

B.T.’s Fried Chicken and BBQ
318 Park Avenue, Worcester
btschickenandbbq.com
Phone: (774) 530-6152

Pandemic precautions: at the time I’m writing this, with Massachusetts poised at peak COVID-19 levels and prior to a public vaccination campaign, B.T.’s is takeout only. On the evening we stopped in for our dinner, the staff were distanced, there was no waiting line and plentiful parking made navigation of the Park-Chandler intersection a cinch.

Barbeque is special. How special? Enough so that some people take vacations to regions that specialize in it (btw, try the Home Team in West Ashley, SC). I’ve never tried B.T.’s Smokehouse in Sturbridge, but people have long raved about it; a rumor of a new Worcester location has sparked plenty of anticipation.

Our last Worcester BBQ experience was a sorry event that still scars my memory. Hoping to remedy that, on a recent Saturday evening a friend and I decided to try B.T.’s. The place is recently renovated and, even more recently, the entrance demolished by a two-car accident.  That’s been repaired and they have reopened for business.

The B.T.’s crew happily take first-time customers through the ordering process and their range of options. The menu is far from vast, but what they offered looked very appealing – so much so that it’s easy to leave with an excessively large meal. But that’s always my problem with BBQ; ordering too much.

One of the issues with pandemic takeout has been the pile of styro-plastic waste it generates. Not so at B.T.’s. Sides are portioned into lidded paper cups and meals stowed in sturdy paper cartons. Ribs were slipped into heat retaining foil-lined bags. The only plastic used was for the BBQ sauces.

Within minutes of packing our order into the car for the ride home, the air was suffused with the smoky meaty savor of BBQ. What a way to stimulate appetite! Once in the kitchen, everything was unpacked and attractively displayed for dining.

Decision: start with the sides or proteins? Well, B.T.’s name highlights Fried Chicken, so let’s commence there. Our piece of chicken was so large I’d assumed it was a full breast. But when I split it in half for sharing, no bones! This boneless breast was a massive hunk of white meat that came apart in appealing juicy shreds. Its thick coating of golden-brown breading had, alas, lost much of its crunch in transport but none of its peppery heat.

Our thick slice of brisket was so long it had to be curled in half in order to fit in the take-home box. The black crusty-bark exterior was loaded with a tasty combination of salt and dry rub that yielded to the buttery soft interior. A fatty vein ran down it, keeping things moist and delicious. All this beefy richness contrasted perfectly with my glass of citrus-bitter-hoppy ‘Save The Robots’ East Coast IPA (by Radiant Pig Craft Beers).

When it comes to ribs, I’m used to ordering a half rack. Warning! B.T.’s ribs are full-sized (enormous) and loaded with meat – after the chicken and brisket one rib was plenty enough. These aren’t fall-off-the-bone ribs, the meat is thick and runs all the way down the bone; it’s got nice chew, a pleasing smoke ring and an exterior of B.T. ‘s dry rub. It left a smack of smoky flavor that deserved another blast of IPA.

When it came to BBQ sauces, well, things got less memorable. Had we dined in; I’d have inquired as to their composition. Based on flavor and consistency I’ll speculate that one was mostly apple cider vinegar; the other applesauce-based. Both thin. Both sweet. Both appley.

B.T.’s sides are evenly split into hot / cold offerings. It wasn’t till my first forkful that I discovered their black-eyed peas were cold. Quickly adjusting to that, I especially enjoyed the flecks of fresh green cilantro running through them. Very tasty.

Of their hot sides, I chose collard greens. Flavorful, leafy and soft, they were loaded with chunks of pork. Their mac and cheese had a thick crust of crumbled crackers, a rich cheesy sauce encased spirals of cavatappi macaroni. 

B.T.’s is valiantly in the process of establishing themselves in Worcester. The staff is enthusiastically happy to serve and the food is delicious in an authentic way. Hopefully those are ingredients for long-term success during these bleak times for the entire hospitality industry.