There has always been a lingering thought to try this broken down BBQ place on Government Street. I personally don't know anyone that has tried it even though half of my friends went to Baton Rouge High and it's only a block away from the school. I finally took a chance. The name is Sweet's BBQ. You look at the place and you automatically assume that it has to be good. Sadly, I can only say that it was for part of my meal. Luckily for me, it was the most important part. So, because people generally take the option to hear the bad news first... I'll go ahead and start with it. 
I don't know many people that enjoy coleslaw. People jump at the first chance they get to substitute it for something else, like for an extra piece of toast at Raising Cane's. Oddly enough, the name of this place mimics the taste of their slaw. Sweet. Also, what I can't stand in my coleslaw are raisins and nuts in them. Some recipes call for it but I detest the sight of it. Their coleslaw had a pretty good amount of raisins. I'm pretty sure I caught hints of vanilla in there too. I'm not positive but maybe my taste buds were playing games with me that day. All in all, this was definitely not my cup of tea.
On the bright side, the potato salad was delicious, for all you pickle / dill flavor lovers, you'll be delighted to try it. The pulled pork was very good. It had a very good smoky flavor and was surprisingly juicy. I'm sure they put some type of juice on it, but it made sure that it didn't dry out. It also came with a barbecue sauce they make in house that was pretty good as well. For a flat 7 dollars, I say the plate was worth it. I'll just be sure to avoid the coleslaw next time and get something else.
New Orleans, Louisiana
I was in the Crescent City this weekend for a bachelor party. I won't write about the amount of Bourbon pizza or Krystal burgers I mistakenly purchased. But I will openly speak about the ever so popular restaurant, Mother's. This was what I ordered. A soft shell crab po-boy with a lemon butter sauce. Each po-boy is dressed with mayo, tomato and cabbage. Yes, cabbage and not lettuce. People hear cabbage and immediately feel disgusted, but it's hardly flavorful, so I guess Mother's aims for a textural contrast.
I guess I shall start with the bad news again. The lemon butter sauce was hardly lemon flavored, I'm going to go ahead and say that they completely neglected to put it on. Also, the lack of flavor without the sauce irritated me. I do enjoy fried seafood, but thinking that I was going to receive some type of acidity only to receive none, bottled my mind. I reached for the Crystal Sauce and smothered it. It helped! What was good about it was how well the crab was fried. The legs were crispy, and the insides were soft and creamy as it should be. None of it was foul tasting which is a common mistake that some places tend to make. A common mistake is to leave the "face" of the crab on. That is generally the culprit of the terrible taste you get when biting into one.
The cost with tip was a little over 19 dollars, no beverages either. (In the picture is only half the order). As popular as Mother's is for New Orleans, I would have to say that their prices make it supremely overrated. I guess you could say you pay for the experience? Everyone knows it for their popularity with the celebs, but honestly... would you rather trust a traveling celeb or a Louisiana native. If you go, try the Ferdi. You won't find anything else like that in NOLA, that's for sure.
New Orleans, Louisiana
After eating, we took a trip over to St. Joe's Bar, uptown. It's a little hangout on Magazine Street, that's smoke free too. They're known for their mojito's so we had to try one. It was probably the best one I've ever tried, but then I've only drank about four in my lifetime. They have fresh blueberry mojito's that you can get too, but we stuck with the regular kind. I believe the price for one was about 6.50. Not bad at all.
I'm glad I got to experience a couple new places this weekend to eat/drink, but I guess I'm crazy to go back to Mother's and expect a different result on numerous occasions. I think I may be done with it.
Sweet's BBQ - 2504 Government Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Mother's Restaurant - 401 Poydras Street, New Orleans, Louisiana
St. Joe's Bar - 5535 Magazine Street, New Orleans, Louisiana
shoulda tried the blueberry mojito
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