07/25/09

Try it for yourself

by BarefootJay

To say that one place has the best bbq over another is all a matter of taste. Is Stan's the best? That is entirely up to your BBQ upbringing. The ribs are KC style and the dry rub was great. A bit of spice and the meat pulled off the bone just the way it should. Brisket was quite lean and the outside crust was full of flavor and smoke. The hot links were great and should not be missed. Chicken was moist and is well...chicken good chicken though. The pulled pork is mild and tasty and awaits your spin and choice of sauce.

None of the meats that I had were served swimming in sauce. I like to taste the meat and dip or pour on the sauce to make different flavors. The type of bread that is used at Stan's is KC BBQ style and serves the purpose of cleansing the palate before the next bite of goodness. The side dishes are good and help to put out the fire and cleanse the palate as well. I like the BBQ beans quite tasty.

I had plenty to eat with the "Who's your Daddy" plate and the price was very reasonable for the load of meat that was delivered. Overall pricing was very reasonable for the food and quality.

I don't drink and they had plenty of good options for non alcoholic refreshments. The bar was full scale and looked to be well stocked with anything you could think of. Plenty of micros on tap and the wait staff was easy on the eyes.

If you like BBQ you should give Stan's a try. Good food, good setting, and Front Street in Issaquah is always fun to run around.

• Pros: KC, Carolinas, and Texas flavors its all good.
• Cons: none

02/15/09

If you truly love BBQ- Stan's is a must

by skichampbaker

I could smell the extraordinary aroma as soon as I stepped out of my truck, the smoker was in full swing. The bartender welcomed me before the door had a chance to shut behind me, and my experience, not my lunch, had begun. I had eaten at a chain BBQ restaurant less than two days before so my craving for BBQ was actually below average until i walked past another customer with a plate full of ribs. I ordered a whiskey sour from the full liquor bar, along with a " Who's your dady" plate. First of all, the amount of food that was brought to me was borderline ridiculous, I was already planning on a huge late night snack. As a lifelong fan of brisket, my critical palate was overwhelmed by the flavor and texture!! The ribs looked to be just normal ribs until i took the first bite and the entire piece of meat was left in my mouth. I was actually embarassed that i wasted money on ribs at a place that also serves burgers and fuit salads!!!! There is no one who loves REAL KANSAS CITY BARBEQUE that wont love Stan's even more. The best BBQ in the state of WA is no doubt at STAN'S!!

• Pros: Unbelievable BBQ- enough said
• Cons: Too good of a place to have such a small parking lot!!!

10/21/08

If you want a pile of meat and little else, this is the place for you.

by theworldaccordingtoCHRIS

After reading all of the great reviews for Stan's, I drove out to the restaurant with extremely high hopes. As someone who travels regularly, I've tried many well-reviewed restaurants over the years, some bad and some excellent. To just critique the meat and bird at Stan's, I will say that it is good, but not excellent. The pulled pork was flavorful, and probably my favorite of all the meats. There was no tri-tip, but there was a very fatty portion of brisket that was tender. The links are spicy and tasty, but the brats were just ok. The birds were cooked well, not too dry, but not extremely flavorful. The baby back ribs were the most disappointing to me... they leave something to be desired. They were dry, with very little flavor to speak of. They would do better to dry rub some spare ribs and serve them with some mop sauce. The three sauces were served in tiny dixie cups. In fact, everything came in plastic or styrofoam... so wasteful. Besides the foam containers that they came in, the sides were not good. If the corn and the beans didn't come from a can, they tasted as if they did. The restaurant also serves Lay's potato chips and low quality white bread that resembles Wonder Bread. No fresh biscuits, no braised greens, no mashed potatoes, no corn chowder, in fact, nothing that you would expect to find at a good barbecue restaurant. Perhaps a roadside stand would better suit this establishment, since they appear to not care about anything but the meat and the bar. Lazy is the only word to describe the overall approach to dining at Stan's. It seems as if someone walks in, throws the meat in the smoker, heats up some cheap sides, and slops it on to a disposable plate to order. There is just no care taken for the preparation or the presentation of the food, and this definitely counts, especially when I am dining at a restaurant and spending $40 on dinner. For those of you who get out often, trust me, there are way better places out there.

• Pros: Pulled pork.
• Cons: Lousy sides, terrible bread, bad ribs, everything served in plastic and styrofoam.