Seth T.
Yelp
Melvin's has caused me an existential crisis.
Perhaps I should explain.
While on vacation in the Charleston area, my family and I were looking for an easy, relatively quick place to grab dinner before evening plans. Having driven up and down the main road of Mount Pleasant a few times, I had seen the sign for Melvin's. As a barbecue place it immediately had my attention.
As I stared at the menu the thought hit me. "How do I judge this place? What should I order? What kind of meat should I get?"
As a person who loves barbecue, these are more complicated questions then it might first appear.
Back home, I've learned what to get where. If I want pulled pork, I know the place that does that the best. Brisket? I know those directions by heart. Ribs? There are a couple of different options. A lot of the times I get turkey, and I can give you the name of the place that does that well, too. But faced with some place new, what do I pick to render a verdict?
Is pulled pork the definitive choice? Ribs? Brisket? Turkey? Chicken?
And what about sides? Doesn't cornbread deserve consideration? Mac'n cheese? Vegetables like green beans?
WHAT ABOUT ALL THE BARBECUE SAUCES?!
...
Sorry, I needed a minute there. I take my barbecue (too?) seriously.
Anyway, there I stood. Faced with my one opportunity to sample what Melvin's had to offer. Stomach grumbling. Paralyzed by the gravity of the choices before me.
I went with...a two-meat-two-sides plate. Yes, a three-meat would have been better. My stomach can only do so much.
I selected pulled pork and brisket with green beans, sweet potato souffle, and had cornbread as well.
The cornbread was of the sweet variety. That's just how I like it, so that was a clear winner. The sweet potato souffle was also very sweet, loaded with brown sugar. It wasn't quite dessert, but pretty close. The green beans were not sweet (which would be weird), but had the right amount of salt and seasonings.
So the sides were fine. But...nobody cares. You didn't read this review to learn about bread and vegetables. We're at a barbecue place, and whether or not you come back hinges on the meat and not the accompaniments.
I was nervous about the brisket that laid on the plate before me. This cut of meat can be difficult to cook properly so as not to end up with a burnt slice of shoe leather. I took a bite...and it was excellent. The meat was juicy, and the bias cut included some of the flavorful crust.
The pulled pork, which I thought would be the safer choice, was not up to the same quality. The flavor was perfectly fine, but my pile of shredded pig was rather fatty.
I'm not anti-pork fat, but there's a time and a place for it. Fried into a rind? Great! Almost burnt in bacon? ABSOULTELY. But globs of spongy fat mixed in with slow-cooked pork? Pass.
Now we come to the final candidates for judgment: sauces. And in this case, Melvin's already started behind with me. In fairness it's not entirely their fault.
I'm not a fan of Carolina-style, vinegar-based barbecue sauces. I want brown sugar and tomato paste. Season and spice it up with different things, sure, but start with that base and go from there.
You can understand my trepidation as I filled a dipping cup with the red sauce. Thankfully for my palate, it didn't go hard on the vinegar. I could tell it was there but was diluted enough for a northerner like me.
In contrast to my normal sauce expectations, Melvin's features their mustard-based sauce over everything else. That was a new one for me, as I've never been to a barbecue place that pushed a gold sauce above first and foremost. That's fine, I'm a fan of the yellow stuff, and it does help differentiate Melvin's from other places. It has a nice mix of mustardy tang with a more traditional barbecue sauce flavor. It was good.
The one demerit I'll give to both the yellow and the red is a thin consistency. If you're hung up on a thick, rich sauce slathered on your meat you're going to be disappointed. The Yankee in me blames the Carolina vinegar.
Having written all this, it's been therapeutic. Thoughtful review and reflection have allowed me to make peace with the deep confusion that consumed my barbecue-loving soul as I stared at the menu that day. I did what I could do in the limited time I had. My final verdict, however, is still embroiled in an internal conflict.
If I were a local, I'd keep Melvin's on my list. I would try a different meat on my next visit, pairing it with the safe choice of brisket on a two-meat plate. The mustard sauce is also a nice change of pace from what I'm used to. It would be a fine option when I was in the mood.
As someone on vacation, however, I'm not sure I would use one of my few lunch or dinner opportunities to sample local food to return. While the brisket and sides were good, the pulled pork and the sauces didn't make me want to tell everyone about the incredible barbecue I had.
It was, like I said, fine.