Tonight, after my wife decided that nothing on the Dead Menu Items list for Punch Pizza would do it for her, even at only $3, we had to find some place to eat as I had absolutely nothing defrosted and ready to go. Since my wife felt bad that we didn’t do the pizza she asked if there was anywhere else I wanted to go and I decided on Baldy’s BBQ in Lakeville. This recently opened restaurant was denied a liquor license which was all over the news recently.
We walked in at about 6:45 tonight and found only two other tables in the cavernous space filled. While the place slowly filled up after we arrived, even with the great location (next to a Motel6 and a popular truck stop along I-35), it was a little too empty. It was our server’s first night and first table but we were waited on promptly and courteously. Even with that and the fact that she appeared to be in high school, she seemed like a seasoned pro.
Baldy’s menu is pretty large for a BBQ place and includes an entire back page of State Fair-like appetizers ranging from cheese curds to fried green beans. There are plenty of sandwiches, meal options, and a lot of sides to choose from. My wife and I both chose their Mixed Grill with three meats (brisket, pulled pork, pulled chicken, ham, turkey, Or Baldy’s sausage) and two sides (a very lengthy list including potato salad, coleslaw, sauteed onions, and a cheesy corn bake) which were priced at $12.
Our orders didn’t take very long to arrive at our table but the short lull gave us plenty of time to look around at the restaurant. It is painted nicely but sparsely decorated. There are a good number of tables and the restaurant offers both a take-out counter and sit-in dining. The empty beer coolers were obvious and unfortunate as this would be a really nice place to grab a beer while you eat your BBQ. Better luck next year I guess.
Our orders were up pretty quickly with our entrees being delivered a few seconds before the fried pickles. The portion sizes were awesome with plenty of meat, decent sized sides, and probably half a jar of breaded pickles. While my wife was smart enough to separate out half of her meal leaving far more than enough for lunch tomorrow, I wasn’t and ended up eating way more than I should have :-)
The four sauces offered (pictured above) are Spicy, Original, Sweet, and Gold. Obviously I started with the spicy one (it’s not really spicy but definitely has an awesome and long lasting flavor) and then moved to original, sweet, and finally gold. My least favorite was gold which was similar to a yellow mustard and honey sauce with entirely too much yellow mustard flavor. The sweet sauce was my next least favorite and while it was sweet, it was overpoweringly so (it’s important to note that this was my wife’s favorite). The original was pretty damn decent but the spicy was by far my most favorite. I tried them both with meat and without and found that I greatly preferred each (except for the gold which I found to be nearly inedible) on the meat.
My favorite part of the meal was “Baldy’s Missouri Sausage”. Served sliced in half to expose the seasonings inside, the sausage was spicy, not greasy, and full of excellent flavor. I was so impressed I asked the owner where he gets them from and he said it’s an old family recipe and they ship it up from another family store in Missouri for him. If you aren’t a fan of BBQ, this is something I highly recommend you try instead but even if you are–get it, it’s that fucking good. The brisket was also very good and while not the best I’ve ever had, definitely good enough for a return visit to have some more. My least favorite part was the pulled pork. While my wife’s pulled pork was great, I ended up with a lot of end pieces which were tough and dry. My wife also had the chicken which I felt was way too dry and flavorless and she mentioned that it just had no flavor on its own without the sauce–I agreed.
My sides (coleslaw and the cheesy corn bake) weren’t options I’d recommend. While the cheesy corn bake was edible, I was not a fan of the coleslaw at all but I’m really picky about it. My wife had french fries (which were recommended by the waitress as the only thing she had tried so far) but they reminded me of an oversized version of BK’s “new” fries which I never liked anyway and openly wish they’d do away with. She also tried their BBQ beans and she said that they were “fine, beans, *shrug*”.
We ordered the most expensive items, including a $7 appetizer, and our bill reflected that with a $33 price tag–and we only had water to drink. While a quite expensive IMHO, we did end up with three full meals so I guess it wouldn’t have been as bad if I had saved off my half too. When I go back I know what I like and I’ll stick to either brisket or sausage and let it go at that, saving me quite a few dollars.
Overall I recommend you try out Baldy’s BBQ in Lakeville. A nice restaurant with some good BBQ and great sausage! Have you eaten at Baldy’s? If so, what did you think of it? Are you a BBQ fan? If so, what other locations around town (non-chain please) do you know that are good to try? Whatever you have to say about Baldy’s BBQ in Lakeville, please comment on as I’d love to hear what you think.
Address:
Baldy’s BBQ
11276 210th St W
Suite 103
Lakeville, MN 55044
Phone:
952-469-3343
Hours:
Sunday – Thursday: 11 AM to 10 PM
Friday – Saturday: 11 AM to close
See all the pictures from Baldy’s BBQ in Lakeville on Flickr here
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October 30th, 2009 at 10:45 am
I have to go try the sausage. As a kid, I used to travel in the summers with my dad (he was a truck driver). We grew up in a small town, with no fast food places. I used to love to go to McDonalds, it was a huge treat. He took me with him to somplace in the deep south when I was 5 or 6 years old. He was dead set on taking me to this backwoods BBQ joint out in the middle of noplace, and I was a furious little brat and threw a huge fit because I was not going to get to eat at McDonalds. After a ton of fighting, he convinced me to have some kind of a sausage sandwich, which was served with some sort of a spicy sausage sliced in half length ways on some sort of bun. It was incredible, and while details like where and what have long since faded, your review brought that story back to my mind.
I do have a question about the liquor thing though. In your opinion, is this costing them business?
October 30th, 2009 at 9:45 am
Baldy’s BBQ: Lakeville, MN (http://tinyurl.com/yzhuv9q)
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
October 30th, 2009 at 10:49 am
I believe there are a couple of places nearby with booze with another coming but none within easy walking distance of the truck stop and Motel6. While I’m not sure it’s costing them business right now (they just opened), it certainly will lead to their ultimate demise especially if they don’t sell the empty beer cooloer which is doing little but to suck electricity.
October 30th, 2009 at 9:53 am
Some really great sausage here! RT @SouthMetroNews Baldy’s BBQ: Lakeville, MN (http://tinyurl.com/yzhuv9q)
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
October 30th, 2009 at 11:58 am
While I am not a fan of BBQ or sausage so likely won’t be paying them a visit, I do wish they could have been given a “probationary” liquor license or something like that. Give them a chance at least.
October 30th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
I *am* a fan of BBQ and looking forward to checking it out. The only question that usually matters: Do they smoke the meats on-site?
I’m also curious if they make the sauce themselves.
Thanks for the info Bill.
October 30th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
I wanted to speak to the owner a little more than I did but he was in and out and talking to others so I didn’t wanto monopolize too much of his time.
It smelled like they smoked their meats on site but again, don’t know for sure.
Based on the fact that te Gold sauce tasted like it did, I’d guess they at least mix them themselves but again, not sure.
I’m planning on emailing the owner today to thank him and I’ll ask then for you MSPD.
October 30th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
I never would have known that this place existed. Thanks Bill.
October 30th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Thanks Bill. You’re always going the extra mile.
October 30th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
I’ll take the compliments, even backhanded, as I need all the help I can get. BTW, I e-mailed the owner and am waiting for his reply.
October 30th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
We’ll be checking Baldy’s out this weekend. Thanks for the review and heads-up Bill.
October 30th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
I’m gonna have to go out and try this place out. I’ll drive out of my way for good BBQ in these parts, and it sounds like they do it pretty well.
October 30th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Andrew,
The problem with the Liquor License was that the owners had criminal backgrounds which they did not list on the application with the City. That was discovered during the routine background check, and the charges and the fact that they didn’t admit to it on the application was grounds for the City to deny the permit.
I have no idea if they get to try again in a year, though.
October 30th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
From the Lakeville City Council Meeting Minutes on 10/5/2009 (emphasis mine):
I took that to mean that they can come back in a year, if they make it that long–being that so many new restaurants around here do not, and try again.
October 30th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
That talks about renewals, which is an annual process, but they were denied the license, so I’m not sure if that 1-year period still applies.
October 30th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
That is what I was referring to. I don’t really want someone opening up a restaurant in Lakeville then selling cocaine out the back. But if it really was 10 or more years ago and the owner could produce the letter he says indicates the charge became a misdemeanor (which seems odd to me, but since I’ve only gotten a few speeding tickets I wouldn’t know..ha ha..) then I wish they could have given them a more restrictive license. Reviewed after 6 months or any single violation during one of those “stings” and it gets yanked, etc.
Now they will just be more likely to close and it seems hard enough for restaurants around here to stay open.
October 30th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
My guess (I couldn’t find the application) is that the application for the license asks if you have EVER been convicted of a Felony. Now there are some felony’s that will be reduced to a misdemeanor after a period of time. Usually these types of judgments are made in the cases of first time offenders. In some cases the felony can even be wiped from your record. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to check the box. If you were convicted, and it was a felony at that time, you better check the box. As when they do a background check often times it’ll show current status as Misdemeanor, but it’ll show the conviction as a felony charge.
I can see how it would confuse someone though if they’ve never had to deal with it before. Sounds like this person was pretty much self employed, or was employed with companies before they started doing regular criminal background checks like they do now.
Minnesota lets you look up public court records online. All you need is a full name. http://www.mncourts.gov/PublicAccess
October 30th, 2009 at 11:36 pm
I’ll try to get the Mr Marcos down to Baldy’s, sounds tasty!
October 31st, 2009 at 6:23 am
Boy did I have a lot of fun reliving my moving violations including passing on the shoulder (totally dumb), speeding, and driving with an expired DL (I honestly had no idea).
Thanks Minnesota for making that all publicly available and so very easy to search. This is a great party trick ;-)
October 31st, 2009 at 5:28 am
Baldy’s BBQ: Lakeville, MN | Bill Roehl: October 30th, 2009 at 12:22 pm. I *am* a fan of BBQ and looking fo.. http://bit.ly/4q05j7
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
October 31st, 2009 at 9:02 am
[...] I didn’t think that, at least not compared to last night’s “Sweet BBQ” at Baldy’s BBQ in Lakeville, they were undercooked (they needed to go at least another hour and while that’s [...]
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:19 am
I fully admit, I’ve had a lot of fun with that site. But…in a twisted sort of way, I feel so boring not having anything on there.
Maybe I could earn a bunch of cash as a “front man” for shady people wanting to get liquor licenses for restaurants. “Yes, Council Member Doe…I am excited to open….uh….(flipping through papers)….er……oh yeah….Boldy’s BBQ….huh?…what’s that??…..oh…er….I mean…Baldy’s”
November 2nd, 2009 at 12:03 pm
We got out to Baldy’s this weekend as planned. The pulled pork and chicken were both dry and flavorless, at least the portion I had. I really don’t get the chicken option at all. I don’t recall, but if they don’t have roasted or BBQ’d chicken on the bone on their menu, they should. I had the 3 meat combo with sausage, pulled pork and pulled chicken (?). I wanted the brisket but they were out. (From what I overheard there was a huge lunch rush and that was why they were out of brisket.) I had the fried pickles which were ok but I prefer fried pickle slices, the spears were a bit much. I also had the fries but should have paid more attention to Bill’s post. I hate those oddly coated fast food style fries and that’s what these were. Overall not a great first experience. We may go back to try the brisket but will call ahead to make sure it’s on the menu.
November 3rd, 2009 at 7:32 am
[...] shit. The best part? We have enough for lunches tomorrow and three more dinners after that! I think Baldy’s BBQ in Lakeville could learn a thing or two about making tender BBQ pulled pork from me [...]
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:52 am
Here’s the response from Baldy’s following MSPD’s question:
November 12th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
More from Thisweek here: http://www.thisweeklive.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13309&Itemid=2
November 12th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Thats a nice response to your email, and a nice article about the place. I hope they do well. I also hope that if they fail, the city feels some guilt about the whole liquor license thing.
November 12th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Even though I don’t like BBQ as I mentioned, I may have to go check them out. Give them some support since I don’t agree with how the city council handled the liquor license. Wait until 2012. Now that is just stupid.
Glad they are going to still try and make a go of it in Lakeville despite the license issue.
November 12th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
I guess I can’t speak to the food there, because I waited 15 minutes without being served. I ended up leaving, when I called to complain, I got “oh, gee, sorry, we’re understaffed.” There’s understaffed, and there’s focusing on to-go orders at the expense of people waiting, and that’s exactly what they did. I will not be back, and I advise you not to waste your time.
November 12th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
In a follow-up to my post, I’ll give the owner credit — he called me back to follow up, and made things right. Still can’t comment on the food, but I’ll give the place another chance; hopefully, this is just growing pains.
November 18th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
We went to Baldy’s last night and had a great meal. My boyfriend had the brisket and he said it was fabulous. He had the original sauce on it and liked that too. I ordered the turkey (they were out) so I had the chicken and the sweet potato fries. I think those can be changed and still should be on the menu. I had the sweet sauce and loved it! I think that this is for sure a work in progress, but you are off to a great start and would recommend you going.
December 2nd, 2009 at 12:52 pm
I have been to Baldy’s three times now: once very shortly after opening, once a bit later, and once just last week. I took others each time to get broader feedback than my own, and also because I love company for lunch, and the Lakeville options are frankly quite limited.
To be honest, I am quite disappointed in Baldy’s. From my perspective, everything about the place smacks of inexperienced and not ready for prime time. The first time through, the kitchen help was really quite overwhelmed and placed one of those pull down heat lamps (why do they need these exactly?) on the edge of my styrofoam to go box, melting it quite a bit. The box was replaced, but the stuff inside was transferred as is to the new box, with melted styrofoam mixed in. During that visit, they were also out of brisket, which is a frequent occurence there.
Universally, all guests I went with felt the sides were the hit. The cheesy corn bake, while fairly decadent, is very tasty and worth an order. But the stars are the french fries. My guess is they’re still cooking them in the good old oils from yesteryear – and they taste extremely yummy with great crunch. A big winner. In general, all of the sides and apps are well portioned (maybe too big) and quite tasty.
Unfortunately, when you’re a BBQ spot, you don’t want reviewers leading with sides and appetizers. The BBQ here for the most part tastes to me bland at best. I was shocked to see the owner state that the meat is smoked onsite. Where? While there is a bit of a smoky smell there, it is a dead giveaway from the lack of overwhelming aroma (that you always find in the best BBQ joints) that the meat is lacking in smoke and flavor. The brisket is thin and whispy, with little seasoning and very little smoke appeal. It’s also an alarmingly dull shade of brownish grey when it is pulled from the steam tray onto your plate. The chicken was damp and flavorless. The pulled pork came in about the same (WHY the steamtables??!!) – wet, smokeless and not all that tasty. But the sausage – when in stock – is a big hit. Flavorful, not overly greasy, full of spices and life. Unfortunately, when we visited November 20th, Baldy’s was “out of sausage” and we were informed they would remain that way until after Thanksgiving. HUH?? Baldy’s may be “sold out” each day now, but customers don’t want to wait and come back some other time for what they want. Between the brisket and the sausage, there is clearly a lack of expertise in ordering, preparation queue and planning going on in the back office.
Overall, the atomsphere is somewhat dark, open and quiet. I would probably tell the owner to pipe some music in or at least up the volume on the two small TV’s on the side wall. One of the keys to new restaurant success is to make customers feel like the place is lively and “happening” when they first visit. Unfortunately for Baldy’s, when it is full, it is dreadfully slow, and when it is empty, it feels dreadfully quiet and empty. Neither is optimal.
Simply put, the liquor license is the least of the concerns I see here. Too many cracks things are falling through, and food where the role players are the stars and the main actors are delivering uninspiring performances. A better rub, a richer smoke, and the elimination of the annoying steam tables (where good BBQ goes to die a soaking wet death) would be the next recommended steps. Better inventory ordering procedures and more prompt service (the motto is Smokin’ Fast Food after all) would follow soon thereafter. Unless and until then, I see many “one and done” visits to Baldy’s, and given its potential and the dearth of non-chain restaurants in Lakeville, that would be a crying shame.
December 2nd, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Thanks for the thorough review Jason. I wonder if the sausage is back–I really would like to try it again.
As for your comments on the brisket… When I was there it was quite thick, I’m disappointed to hear that has changed :(
December 2nd, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Has anyone ever taken Brian up on his offer from their website?
http://www.baldysbbqmn.com/
Not that it is the job of folks to tell someone how to run their business, considering the lack of places in Lakeville, if there is a potential for a good place if they’d just do…something. It wouldn’t hurt to point that out to the owner.
December 3rd, 2009 at 10:10 am
Mikeh
Having been involved in two ground up restaurant ventures previously, your point is an interesting one. Frankly, I haven’t taken Baldy up on his offer because I just noticed it in the comments right before posting my feedback.
However, I am also leery of the effectiveness of this type of approach in a start-up as a successful strategy. Namely, it will likely put the owners in a difficult spot before long as feedback rolls in and they have to decide what is worthy of change, what shouldn’t be changed (and thereby disappoint/alienate the customer(s) making the request who were promised resolution of “the problem”), and how much time they can/need to invest in responding directly. Frankly, during the first several months of operations, opening a door like this ends up becoming quite a measurable time drain and does not always produce positive results.
At the core of it is the reality that a successful restaurant venture needs to have a philosophy and personality to it that remains constant and identifiable to the customer. Especially with a narrowly themed concept like BBQ, the owners will have customers with wildly divergent tastes, expectations and priorities for satisfaction. Some will demand faster service, some will demand more attention to detail. Some will complain of a lack of spice and heat, some will proclaim the meat fine, but the sauces in need of improvement. Which of these is a “problem” needing resolution and which is simply a customer not aligning with the concept? That is tough to figure out, and the new owner who leaves it up to his/her customers to drive the entire direction of the restaurant is almost sure never to please.
In this case, Brian obviously is aware of where he can find objective feedback without someone requiring resolution. That is the point of blogs like these and reviews in papers, etc. If I got sick from the styrofoam in the food, that is the type of problem that should be directed at the owner IMHO. But to the extent people want to take him up on his offer, he has certainly rolled out the welcome mat to do so – it’s just not the forum I would choose to leave my thoughts. This is.
Bill – with respect to the brisket, I’d suspect that is the big underlying problem with this spot so far: inconsistency. I am not certain that anything necessarily changed between your brisket experience and mine – I’m guessing you could go back and get some less satisfying brisket, and I could go back and find a better experience next time. I was never really struck during my three visits that anything is quite running smoothly and consistently yet – from ordering problems, to portion sizing, to food quality, etc. That can certainly be expected in a new venture, but there is not unlimited time to fix the problems. I get the feeling these guys could REALLY use an experienced manager in the back helping expedite fixes, IMHO.
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:09 am
In response to other postings there are 4 other restraunts within walking distance that offer liquior. They are Harry’s, Rudy’s Red Eye Grill, Porterhouse Steakhouse and an upincoming pizzaria. I have eaten at Baldy’s and was less then satisfied with the service, food quality and ambiance. I also had a hard time taking my family to a restraunt, which prides itself on being family friendly, that was a few doors down from an erotic gift shop. I might visit baldy’s again in a few months when they have gotten ahold of the restraunt business. It seems that at this time the owner prides himself on “owning a restraunt without ever washing a dish in a restraunt” is showing through. Time will tell.
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:13 am
AJ,
Harry’s is not within walkin’ distance unless you are fond of dodging traffic in a non-pedestrian friendly area. I would argue the same is true with Porterhouse solely on distance. You’re probably right about Rudy’s and the future Goodfellas however.
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:46 am
I’ve taken my kids to Baldy’s. They did not even notice the “erotic gift shop.” They were curious, however, about the laundromat, not ever having experienced the inconvenience of not having laundry facilities “in house.” I took it as an opportunity to point out how fortunate they are. Perhaps they will notice the erotic gift shop next time, at which point I will probably use it as an opportunity to point out how unlucky Mr. Whit is.
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:54 am
I actually have walked to all of those locations from my house, and do it quite frequently. with the construction that was just completed the new sidewalks are great. Then again I do walk alot, and I am a Lakeville Native so I am accustomed to the traffic flow. Bottom line if you live close enought to walk to baldy’s you live close enough to walk to the other establishments. I consider anything I can see from my house walking distance.
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:56 am
AJ, You’re right again. I just mapped it out. It’s only 1/2 of a mile from Baldy’s to Harry’s and to Porterhouse. I stand corrected.
I wasn’t aware that the sidewalks had changed that much (I was just through there a week ago or so). Guess I wasn’t paying attention.
December 3rd, 2009 at 12:00 pm
The sidewalk I am referring of isnt on the 35 frontage road, that runs in front of Rudy’s it is actually about 1/2 a block behind. Which is why you may not have noticed it. It is my normal jogging route. Durring the summer my husband and I walk to harry’s, mcDonald’s subway ect. Seems to be the only way I can get him into the fresh air and away from his work sometimes.
December 3rd, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Ahhh, ok, now I understand. What I was referring to in my comment above is the distance a visitor (a trucker in particular) would have to walk to get a drink in the area to avoid a DWI or maneuvering his semi to. Now that you mention that it’s not easily noticeable for a non-native, that makes more sense. Glad that it’s there for the residents however!
January 6th, 2010 at 11:08 am
The wife and I were there last night for the first time for dinner. I remember some of the better comments from earlier and decided to give it a shot. Unfortunately, they blew it. I wanted to order their sausage and they were out. Reading comments from above, it sounds as though things on their menu are hit-and-miss as to the availability. The wife wanted ¼ bbq chicken ($7). Since they were out of the sausage, I ordered the ½ bbq chicken ($9). The chicken was awful. I’m not a picky eater, but we had to call Mr. Baldy over to the table and complain. He mentioned that they were seriously thinking of removing the chicken from their menu because they can’t keep it from drying out under the heat lamps. I’m wondering how it is other BBQ joints do it, and why, according to him, that they have to make only one batch per morning. He did attempt to make things right and offered us pulled chicken ($7 on the menu). It was served in a cardboard tray, watered down (presumably to keep it moist), and all white meat… very tasteless. The corn bake was mush, but the fries were excellent.
I feel bad for the guy. He obviously is trying hard to make a go at this place. I hope there are major improvements to keep business going, but I can’t go back.
February 1st, 2010 at 9:21 am
We ate here last night (Sunday) with the in-laws. I had the chicken wings w/ fries and cornbake stuff. My wife got the combo plate (3 meats, two sides), father in-law had the same, and mother in law had the brisket sandwhich I think? Brisket was very good (father in law and wife got it in their combos), wifey also had pulled pork which was good. I also made her get the sausage which I ate, it was good and I smothered it with the spicey sauce. I agree with your take on the sauce, Bill, the original and spicy are very good, the other two, not soo much. I think they need to make a “spicier spicy though. My wings were good, only 3 with the order, but they are pretty big. Fries were reallllly yummy, nice breading on them. All in all, pretty good food, nice alternative to Famous Dave’s, which is a favorite of my father in law’s.
On a sad note. I ate at 2 places this weekend that I read about on this website. Damn you Bill, affecting my personal life! I guess the good news is that both places had pretty good food and service and were new to us, so thats always fun!
February 1st, 2010 at 9:28 am
Blaine — what were the 2 places? And, thanks for taking the time to post your feedback.
February 1st, 2010 at 11:59 am
Baldy’s and Galxie Diner. I posted something on the Galaxie Diner thread as well. Both places were very good!
February 2nd, 2010 at 8:59 am
Blaine, glad the site steered you in the right direction. Hope it continues :)
February 7th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
I have been to Baldy’s a few times. The brisket and sausage are great.
The service, is inconsistent at best.
The last time that I was headed out there ( quite a ways out of my way ) I called ahead to get brisket for pickup to bring back to a family dinner. I was told to “hurry up because they are busy while trying to order and decided that Famous Dave’s in Apple Valley was closer.
The brisket at Baldy’s is worth the drive, but not poor service.
In the end I paid $4 more for a pound of brisket at Famous Daves because of the service.
Brian has a lot of work ahead of him but if they can bring the service up to par and focus on the things they are good at (sausage/brisket/pork) they should have no problem getting more people out there.
February 16th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
I went Saturday for my “final shot” effort at Baldy’s, a nearby BBQ joint in Lakeville that since its arrival I have been dying to see succeed. I am absolutely a nut for good BBQ, and even love to dive into mediocre stuff on more than a few occasions, and having a good BBQ place so close to home for me would be phenomenal.
In that vein, I’ve now given Baldy’s five shots after my latest visit in hopes that my need for smoked butt could be filled by something other than that “Dave place” (which nearly always now gives me an MSG headache afterwards). And in this game, five strikes and you’re out.
I do love the sausage at Baldy’s but once again was denied by the we’ve run out card. Getting over that is always tough, but a good brisket would always wipe away any sadness I’m feeling about just about anything. Unfortunately, you’re not getting it here, IMHO. As it has been before, the strips of brisket were thin and wispy, with a dull brown/grey hue and very little smoke. There is not a bit of bark or seasoning on any of Baldy’s smoked meats, and I’m still wondering what method they use to “smoke” this stuff. The pit is a big steel contraption inside, and yet not once have I gotten a strong whiff of recently smoked meat when entering…are they really smoking on site??? It seems implausible to me. As much as I’ve disliked the pork and chicken offerings during my prior visits, having the brisket underwhelm me again unfortunately means I won’t return. Oh, please, someone, fill this void down here SOON.
Still, I might duck in once in a while for some of the better fries in town – which again failed to disappoint. Send these fries Dave’s way, and you might have something. Oh well.
A sad, sad disappointment for me in the end. But nonetheless, I guess I do have a minimum threshhold for what I will settle for in BBQ, and finding that out was useful, if nothing else.
February 25th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
[...] guess the big question would be–will it succeed? We have another recently opened BBQ joint in Lakeville that seems to be trying, but missing–a lot. Will the better location (more traffic) and the [...]
February 25th, 2010 at 10:32 pm
Went there tonight for the first time. Thought that the food was quite good. The service was excellent. The ribs tasted good as did the brisket. I will agree though that the brisket could be thicker but it was nice to taste something besides Dave’s. Also had chicken wings which we also good. Overall I would recommend.
May 3rd, 2010 at 1:52 pm
I’ve been to Baldy’s several times and I would like to add a little perspective. Baldy’s has good food if you consider the value. In other words, this is not a white table cloth restaurant so don’t expect white table cloth service. If you have lived in the south for any amount of time you will see all kinds of “value” BBQ restaurants very similar to Baldy’s.
Heck, the very popular “Rudy’s” claims to be the worst BBQ in Texas and doesn’t every give you a paper plate to eat it with. They serve everything on a piece of wax paper. They weigh the meat portion and then charge you $3 bucks for every side. I’ve never gotten out of Rudy’s for lunch under $10. I might add that they are very successful too.
Baldy’s has average BBQ at a good price and above average sides. Lets face it, I would never know if my BBQ is too dry because I slather it with BBQ sauce anyway. I’ve never considered returning my brisket because the color was too grey. I had no idea that coated french fries are considered the “fast food style”. It’s a FRENCH FRY for pete sake! Aren’t all french fries in the fast food style? I found the fries to be crisp and tasty. I love the cheesy corn bake. I don’t know any other restaurant who serves it, so I found it unique and a nice change of pace. I found the side salad to be quite large considering fresh vegetables are more expensive than the starches. In contrast when I go to “Daves” the meat portions are small but the sides portions are HUGE. Yet Daves sides are terrible. The coleslaw is bland, the corn bread is always crumbly and you can never take it out of the paper cup cake holder without looking like you killed the bread man, the beans are nothing special and the fries, oh the mountian of fries you get. You would think the fries must be really popular considering how many they give you. The fries are usually soggy and lack anything close to “fast food style” quality. I’d take Micky Ds fries over Daves any day.
I think its a shame that people tear down a just opened up Mom and Pop restaurant. It’s these kinds of restaurants that can make a community unique. I’d take a Baldy’s, warts and all, over another Taco Bell.
(btw, I’d love to rant about the location not being family friendly too but alas, I’ve gone on too much already.)
May 3rd, 2010 at 2:40 pm
Mike, I’ve eaten at Rudy’s (for those reading along, Rudy’s is a north Texas chain with about 20 locations). First of all, in Texas Hill Country, it’s traditional to serve BBQ by the pound on butcher paper. When I’ve had carry-out at Rudy’s, it was in standard to-go boxes. Also, pound for pound, I would argue that Rudy’s pricing is fairly equivalent to Baldy’s. The sides are more expensive, but the ones I’ve gotten at Rudy’s have been enough for multiple people, not designed as an add-on.
But, even though it is a chain and far from the best (or worst) BBQ in north Texas, comparing Rudy’s and Baldy’s is apples and oranges. They do totally different things.
This alone speaks volumes to me about your BBQ preferences, suggests that you’ve never had eye-opening BBQ, and pretty much explains why it is so hard to get good BBQ here in the Twin Cities:
Maybe BBQ meat isn’t your passion, but for me and others that are BBQ afficianados, Baldy’s is a dud.
October 3rd, 2011 at 12:17 pm
After being denied a liquor license when they first opened you would think they’d know better than to fail a liquor compliance check now: http://www.thisweeklive.com/2011/10/03/several-lakeville-businesses-cited-for-underage-liquor-sales
October 3rd, 2011 at 12:37 pm
Morons.