Review: Grady’s BBQ a good catch near Claytor Lake
Thursday, August 1, 2013
If you fish on the New River, you’ve probably heard of The Sportsman, a gas station, convenience store and campground located right on the river below Claytor Lake Dam near Radford. But maybe you don’t know that Grady’s BBQ, a restaurant located inside the store, is a pretty nifty stop for vittles that can be eaten in a natural setting.
Neither of us is a fisherman, but we traveled to The Sportsman a couple of times recently on a hunt for good food.
Inside the log building, visitors are greeted by scores of snapshots of fishermen and hunters with their trophies. Gazing at the size of the fish in the photographs might make some folks reconsider that tubing trip on the river — there are some big fish.
Outside the store is a smoker that was cranked up every time we visited, sending up the tantalizing aroma of smoked pork.
Grady’s is a short-order affair with only two tables for inside dining. That’s OK because many would probably choose to take their meal outside and watch the New River. A big grassy bank overlooks the river, and a few picnic tables are available.
The menu board on the wall inside the open kitchen includes the usual suspects of hamburgers ($3.19), hot dogs ($1.39) and french fries ($1.55), but as we were teased by the scent of the smoker, we decided to go with the barbecue sandwich ($3.25) and a bologna burger ($3.39).
The pulled pork was tender and flavorful, and the sandwich held a generous portion. Several homemade sauces were available. The Memphis Sweet Sauce had the right amount of tang to balance the sweetness. The Texas Spicy Red was similar but with a smoky back taste and a big kick of heat; it’s not for the weak.
One important note: The barbecue is only available while it lasts, and if you arrive in the morning it may not yet be ready.
The bologna burger was a thick slab of bologna grilled and served on a bun with a choice of toppings. We chose lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. It was a neat treat — that big slab of bologna was crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle.
A visit for breakfast at Grady’s does not require an early rising because breakfast is served about any time. In true Southern style, you can have a biscuit topped with just about any breakfast ingredients . A gravy biscuit ($1.99) is served in a plastic foam tray suitable for traveling to the river or back to your campsite. The gravy is thick and well-seasoned, but it is not homemade. To its credit, it contained chunks of sausage patties and the portion was so generous we could not finish it.
That may be because we also ordered a sausage-and-egg biscuit ($2.29) and hash browns ($.79). The biscuit itself was not homemade, but overall this was superior to fast food places. We knew the toppings were fresh because we saw them fry the egg and sausage. The hash browns were cubes of potato with some onion, and though not the best we’ve eaten, they were worth the low price.
An item that was unknown to us was the chuckwagon sandwich ($3.39), so we had to try it. The breaded, fried chopped beef patty barely fit on the bun. It was a guilty pleasure we paired with lettuce and tomato, and we enjoyed every bite.
In addition to the choices already mentioned, Grady’s offers breakfast plates, 79-cent coffee, beans and cornbread ($2.50), chicken salad ($2.39), and a chef salad ($4.25).
You may not seek out the Sportsman as a place to eat, but if you are near Claytor Lake and want to watch the New River flow by while enjoying some good barbecue, we can recommend it.
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THE ROANOKE TIMES
