THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 9, 1995 TAG: 9507070111
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 16 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Restaurant Review
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH
STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NAGS HEAD LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
CERTAIN RESTAURANTS are like those rare baseball players that sometimes escape notice despite solid performance. You know the type. Year-in, year-out, without flash and fanfare, they hit .285, bang 20 home runs and drive in 90 to 100 runs per year.
Sports writers call them solid, dependable, reliable.
In the restaurant game, we've found an eatery that fits the mold of a steady performer - Jockey's Ribs in Nags Head
The July 4th week was the perfect time to sample the fare at Jockey's Ribs. After all, ribs go with the Fourth like guitars with country music.
Our party of three came away with one conclusion: Jockey's Ribs is a winner.
We hit Jockey's just after eight, after much of the dinner rush was gone. We were seated quickly and the wait staff was friendly and attentive.
We opened with an appetizer of barbecue chicken wings. While one of our companions found the wings a tad too spicy, we found them excellent.
``You can taste the spices before you get the wing in your mouth,'' said one. ``That's a great chicken wing.''
Next came the salad course. The lettuce and other vegetables were cold and crisp, and the homemade dressings were a nice compliment to the salad. We highly recommend the bleu cheese dressing. Cool, creamy and flavorful, it did not overpower the taste of the garden of lettuce, tomato, cucumber and onion.
For the main course, we sought variety. I chose the whole slab of ribs ($14.95). The main course, covered in a sea of barbecue sauce, included about a dozen good-sized ribs. More important, the ribs were lean and meaty, with virtually no fat.
A lot of so-called rib restaurants try to deceive customers with large slabs of ribs that turn out to be made mostly of fat and gristle. Not so at Jockey's, where the ribs are filled with tender, lean pork.
And as for the sauce, it was spicy and flavorful, but was not too strong. Many times, sauces mask the flavor of the main course, but at Jockey's the sauce does it's job - making a great piece of meat taste even better.
I chose a side order of hash browns. The potato dish was golden brown and hot, and not greasy.
The prettier of my two dinner companions chose seafood gumbo ($14.95). A tapestry of rice, shrimp, Cajun sausage, crawfish and spices, the gumbo was an unexpected surprise. The contrasting flavors mingled well together. The shrimp and sausages were large.
Our third entree was the broasted chicken ($8.95). Four huge pieces of chicken fried golden brown covered the plate. The bird was crispy and tender, and was not greasy. The kitchen at Jockey's Ribs apparently has its act together. Three distinctly different entrees drew rave reviews all around our table.
My two friends chose baked potatoes as their side dish. The spuds were large and steaming, and our waiter provided large helpings of real butter to top the potatoes.
Along with the meal came a large basket with a variety of dinner breads, They came to the table warm and fresh from the oven. It's always been said that little things make the difference, and in the case of Jockey's Ribs, it gives attention to the little things - like warm bread and real butter.
We decided to skip dessert, but Jockey's offers a variety of freshly-made desserts daily. Dinner for three was $51.04, excluding tip.
The service was excellent. The atmosphere is unassuming, in keeping with the laid back Outer Banks attitude.
The bottom line on Jockey's Ribs is good food, and plenty of it, at a reasonable price. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW C. WILSON
Bob Roderer, owner of Jockey's Ribs barbecue in Nags Head, has put
together a menu and staff that's a winner for dining at the beach.
JOCKEY'S RIBS FAMOUS BARBECUE
Where: Milepost 13 on N.C. Route 12 (the Beach Road)
Hours:5 p.m. until 10 p.m. Dine-in and carry-out are available.
Phone: 441-1141
Features: Barbecued ribs, chicken shrimp, as well as seafood,
steak and chicken dishes. A children's menu is available
Credit Cards: MasterCard, Visa, Discover, Diner's Club
Beverages: Coffee, tea, milk, soft drinks, beer, wine, mixed
drinks.
Handicapped accessible: Yes
by CNB