Thursday, November 19, 2009
Duke's offers comfy, local flavor
TOM ANGLEBERGER Special to The Roanoke Times
A pig statue greets diners at Duke's Bar-B-Que in Wytheville.
Tom Angleberger knows what he likes. So we've asked him to eat at NRV restaurants and write about them. If you have a restaurant to recommend,
e-mail him. Tom Angleberger
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Some restaurants I've reviewed have been suggested by readers, but this is the first one that carries a presidential endorsement.
Duke's Bar-B-Que in Wytheville has a note hanging near the cash register from President George W. Bush. He calls Duke's barbecue the best he's ever tasted.
Well, he's from Texas, so his knowledge of tomato-based barbecues may be better than mine. I wasn't quite that excited. I did enjoy my sandwich, though, especially after loading it up with Duke's delicious cole slaw. That made for a great combination.
I was going to order a second sandwich with North Carolina-style barbecue, but I didn't have room after tackling the sandwich, slaw, chunky seasoned fries and brown beans that all came with the meal. My wife tried a hamburger, which she pronounced good.
Other choices on the menu include a rib-eye sandwich, a barbecue chicken sub, a few salads, wings, a fried baloney sandwich and fried chicken. Plus, there are some surprises among the side dishes and appetizers: deviled eggs and fried green beans.
Country music is on the speakers and on the walls -- dozens of old album covers are pinned up: Elvis, Freddy Fender and a compilation album called "Roll On, Mama."
There are also football jerseys, old license plates, newspaper clippings, Santa Claus, a couple of TVs and a pig statue.
All-in-all, the restaurant has a hamburger joint feel, which is good. No one needs a lot of pretension when they've come to eat barbecue. Paper towel rolls are on each table, and that's where they should be.
Bottom line: Duke's is a comfy, local spot with a presidential seal of approval.
