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T-Bo's House of BBQ, 19403 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country, (661) 250-2100. Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 11:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 11:30 a.m.-10 a.m. and Sunday 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Closed Mondays. Be warned, because of the long smoking times of T-Bo's meats, occasionally the restaurant may run out of more popular items. For more information and complete menu visit www.tbosbbq.com.
Foodie
mbuttelman@the-signal.com
Posted: June 25, 2009 2:58 p.m.
It's a location with a long history of great barbecue. The corner of White's Canyon and Soledad Canyon Roads (Canyon Center) in Canyon Country previously housed a Santa Clarita Valley institution, Rattler's, for more than 20 years. Now, that venerated location is home to T-Bo's House of BBQ.
Frankly, T-Bo's is one of the five best restaurants in the Santa Clarita Valley. Not only is the barbeque authentic, it is barbeque done right. I'm a huge fan of BBQ, I've patronized every BBQ eatery in the 30-plus years I've lived in the SCV and I hesitate to even write about T-Bo's for fear that I shall have to endure long, long waits to get in after the residents of the SCV discover this family-friendly Mecca to the kind of barbeque I've only dreamed about.
Among the many things that make T-Bo's unique is the commitment to give guests their choice of five distinctive barbecue styles. Texas, Kansas City, Alabama, North Carolina and Santa Maria styles are offered in a variety of preparations.
For first time visitors the T-Bo's "Road Trip" ($19.99) is a sampler of the five types of barbecue cooked up at T-Bo's.
Included in your "Road Trip:"
Texas brisket. This brisket is smoked for 16 hours over hickory-apple wood. Only amateurs smoke Texas brisket over mesquite. This is a wonderful, authentic Texas brisket experience and oh so smoky and tender.
North Carolina pulled pork. A pork shoulder rubbed with T-Bo's BBQ spices and smoked for 12 hours over hickory-apple wood then pulled, chopped and served with Kansas City style or Alabama White BBQ sauce.
Santa Maria Tri-tip. At T-Bo's this California classic is basted with garlic oil and red wine vinegar, flame grilled over real Santa Maria red oak and sliced thin.
Kansas City style ribs. Baby back port ribs are hickory-apple wood smoked for four hours then finished with sweet and tangy Kansas City BBQ sauce.
Alabama white sauce. If you've never tried Alabama white sauce, give your taste buds a treat. The Road Trip offers up a pile of shredded, barbecued chicken smothered in Alabama white sauce.
The platter also includes cole slaw (fresh and light... a nice palate cleanser) as well as your choice of two sides.
Guests can choose from garlic smashed red potatoes, BBQ beans (placed in the smoker where juices from the brisket can drip into the beans for added flavor), mashed sweet potato, onion rings "black and tan," deep South mac 'n' cheese, corn bread stuffing, French fries, sweet potato fries and one-half corn on the cob.
All the meats in the "Road Trip" are available in full orders in addition to Texas boneless BBQ beef short ribs ($13.99) and a BBQ smoked one-half chicken ($11.99).
T-Bo's also offers a host of light and healthy eating options including spectacular salads available in half and full orders. All salads are served with house made garlic bread.
Salads available in half ($7.50) and full ($10.50) orders include BBQ Chop, Infused Strawberry, Chicken Caesar and "Raspberry, Baby!" Spinach.
A Filet Mignon Steak salad ($9.50 half and $12.50 full) and a California Orange salad ($8.50 half and $11.50 full) simply rock the house!
A "light and healthy" flame-grilled salmon ($13.99) and "light and healthy" flame-grilled chicken ($11.99) are also offered.
This is seriously good barbecue in a truly family setting. There is something for everyone at T-Bo's. Even steak. A flame-grilled Angus choice rib eye, basted Santa Maria style ($24.99) is on the menu as is an 8 oz. filet mignon ($22.99).
For a unique dining experience try Bubba Luigi's BBQ spaghetti ($11.99). BBQ spaghetti? The chef takes pasta and tosses with sautéed peppers and onions, then with T-Bo's house BBQ cream sauce and topped with your choice of smoked chicken, roasted chicken, pulled pork, house-made ground sausage, hot links or brisket and cheddar cheese. Yum.
The appetizers are well worth ordering, especially the "Heart of Dixie" Pickle Chips ($6.50). I was a little skeptical, but once I tried one I couldn't stop eating them. I love dill pickles... and dill pickles DEEP FRIED? Well... I imagine it is something that one eats in heaven. I ate so many I almost ruined my appetite for lunch.
T-Bo's is welcoming, comfortable and offers fast, friendly service. Sit for a minute in that lovely warn leather couch in the entry.
Sigh...
There is much in T-Bo's décor that is fun and light-hearted, but this is serious, serious BBQ. Owners Tim and Donna Borruel have much to be proud of at T-Bo's. Hat's off to General Manager Robert Hancock and Executive Chefs Kyle Swanson and Cameron McClean.
Do NOT leave T-Bo's without dessert. From the T-Bo's S'more ($6.99) to the Alabama Carrot Cake at $5.99 a slice, ( and made, I understand, from an authentic Southern Belle's recipe), T'Bo's offers unique and wonderful desserts that are the perfect complement to the unique and wonderful food.
The secret to T-Bo's fantastic barbecue is "Fast Eddie" - the whimsical name for the restaurant's smoker. Brisket, pork, ribs, chicken, salmon, beans - and even cheese - are smoked behind the shiny aluminum doors of "Fast Eddie."
A large sign inside T-Bo's explains Fast Eddie's barbecue philosophy - "It's not barbeque if it didn't take all night."
Amen.
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