SLOW & LOW BAR-B-QUE
by T. Bennison

Everyone and their grandmother has an opinion on barbecue. Few cuisines inspire such fervent debate among connoisseurs; proponents of Kansas City style barbecue will argue violently with St. Louis adherents about how long the meat should be cooked; Texas-style fans get itchy trigger fingers when Alabamans request a spoonful more vinegar in their sauce; Memphis and Nashville cooks espouse hickory smoke one day and mesquite the next, and North and South Carolina folks can't even agree on how to spell the damn stuff. To top it off, when you take a friend to your favorite joint and ask his opinion on the meal, he always wipes his mouth with a napkin and claims that some "little shack" near a lonely state road run by a crusty old character which is open 2 hours a week and only reachable by boat happens to serve the best barbecue he's ever eaten. Tell me, who in their right mind would deign to open a new barbecue place knowing these frightening obstacles?

With a combined 15 years of experience in barbecueing, Slow & Low owners Joel and Nicole Smith know that it isn't for timid restaurateurs, and the main ingredient of their overwhelming success must surely be their confidence. By the time they opened their doors on September 1st, 2004, they'd gathered a loyal core staff, agreed on cooking and smoking techniques, sauce recipes, rub mixtures, and preparation times honed from their spell at Charlie and Jake's and numerous taste-testing travels throughout the country, yet soon learned that was only half the battle. Hurricane Frances was on the way, Ivan was forming behind her, and Nicole had recently given birth to their daughter, Haley Coral. They'd just purchased the old Alma's building and were feeling anxious about being able to keep the large establishment full on a regular basis, but they were up to the challenge - and it's paid off. Locals came to Slow & Low in droves, drawn by its outdoor bar and dining area and hungry for a different beachside dining option. Frankly, few expected the food would turn out to be as tasty and consistent as it's become. Barbecue lovers from the area learned to set their expectations low, which is roughly the temparature at which the Smiths cook their delicious meat, fortunately enough.

As the restaurant's name suggests, Joel found that barbecue tastes best when smoked over hickory wood and cooked at a low temperature for longer periods of time. After being covered in Joel's secret dry rub for 24 hours, choice ribs, pork, beef and poultry go into either of Slow & Low's two smokers (one holds 1,000 lbs. of meat, the other 500 lbs.) before going into the rotisserie pit and misted periodically with a special meat spray. Only two trusted people apart from Joel supervise the process, which gives the food its consistent quality and succulence. If for whatever reason all the cooked meat sells out during the day, no one will throw extra orders in the pit for less than the alotted time. They'd rather run out than serve a sub-par meal.

The pulled pork, hand-pulled after a 12 hour smoking session, is the reigning favorite, but the enormous turkey leg (a bargain at $3.95), which comes straight off a 30 lb. smoked turkey after being cooked for 14 hours and fried, is our new love, if only for the accompanying white sauce. Any Slow & Low plate should start out looking like a painter's palette: splash one of each of their four special sauces (mild, sweet, hot, and mustard) around the edge and dip in your incredible Babyback ribs or juicy chicken. Heaping sandwiches (pork, chicken, sliced beef or turkey) are served on your choice of garlic toast or bun, but the specialty sandwiches are the way to go. The "Low Down and Dirty" is the Smiths' tastier take on the "Sloppy Joe" and the "Pucker'n Pig," a twist on the North Carolina-style barbecue sandwich, mixes their stellar pork with spicy vinegar cole slaw. With all this concentration and effort put into the entrees, you'd expect the side dishes to be given short shrift, yet everything from the beer battered onion rings to the green beans (generously flavored with pork) and sweet potatoes round out an excellent feast.

With all the confusing furor over what constitutes "true" barbecue, the Smiths have managed to keep even the most persnickety aficionados happy and coming back for more. People from all over the country have heaped praise on Slow & Low's version; several enthusiasts even offered to franchise the place. But the story of one unsatisfied customer speaks volumes about their food. Incredibly enough, this guy complained that "where he came from," people preferred to "tear" the meat off barbecued ribs - Slow & Low's simply slipped off the bone too easily for his liking. The punchline? His plate was completely clean. Now chew on that one.

Slow & Low Bar-B-Que is located at 306 N. Orlando Ave. in Cocoa Beach. Their dining area is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Noon to 10 p.m. on Sundays. Their bar area is open till Midnight Monday through Thursday, but may stay open later if there's a substantial crowd. On Saturdays they serve drinks until 1:30 a.m. and provide a special late-night menu. Each Monday is "Hospitality Night" hosted by a popular DJ with $3 shots and $3 margaritas during the evening. Every Tuesday is "Tini Tuesday" with $1 off all martinis from 6 p.m. to close, while Wednesdays are "Happy Hump Days" with Happy Hour prices all day. Thursday's "Ladies Night" features $1 drafts from 8 p.m. to close. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays host outdoor live music from 6 to 9 p.m. and 2-for-1 drink specials on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Regular Happy Hour is from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily and Early Bird specials are available each day as well. Stay tuned to the Resident for details on Slow & Low's First Anniversary Party to be held this September 1st. They'll be hosting a huge street party in conjunction with 104.1 FM. Call 783-6199 for more information on Slow & Low events and other information. Take out is available, call orders ahead.