Big Bob Gibson's in Monroe, NC: CLOSED!!!

[Smokin Mike]

Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q
1507 W. Roosevelt Blvd.
Monroe, NC 28110
704-289-5102

http://bigbobgibson.com/

Map to the Monroe Location

The Restaurant:
I went on Saturday 7/26/14 at around 12:30. There was a sparse crowd, only a handful of people there at that time. The first thing I noticed was that delectable smell that you get when you walk into a smokehouse style restaurant. The place was very clean and tidy as well as the bathroom. The only irritating thing that I noticed was the lighting at each table. There were some small fixtures coming out of the wall, over each table, with cone shaped translucent glass light shades. The light was about 6" over the table and the bulb was way too bright for the location. It was very annoying and glaring.

The Staff:
There were only two wait staff and I think one of them was the hostess as well. I noticed that when the male staff member tried to seat some people the female quickly took over. Both were young, probably late teens or early twenties. I had the female as my waitress. She was professional but lacked in personality and seemed to be in a hurry. My attempts at small talk or complementing her on the food were met with an acknowledgement and a quick "Can I get you anything else" response. Remember, they were not busy at that time.

The Food:
I ordered a pulled pork sandwich, fries, slaw, and an iced tea. There were two kinds of slaw offered; a cream style and a vinegar style. I ordered the vinegar style. The fries I believe were hand cut and fresh and resembled what I cook in my kitchen, They were good. The pork was juicy and tender and had a good flavor but lacked in smokiness. I didn't see any bark in my sandwich. Slaw is slaw is slaw, or at least that's what I thought. I am so use to the traditional red slaw that's offered in every other barbecue joint here in the Carolinas, that this took me by surprise. The bite of the vinegar was compensated with the sweetness of sugar. It wasn't complicated... just cabbage and a simple dressing. It was very good IMO but if you don't like sweet slaw then it might not be for you. All in all the portions were ample.

The Summary:
I was a member of the clean plate club this day. I enjoyed the food and the dining experience and will definitely revisit this place. It was a little pricy though. a total of $10.58 before tax for the meal I mentioned above. I would like to sample the ribs and brisket on my return. I would definitely recommend this place.
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My current cookers: 80 gallon vertical tank
The Ultimate New Braunfels Makeover

[Smokin Mike]

Here's an update. I had to travel near Monroe today (2/10/15) and thought I'd pop in to Big Bob Gibson's for some lunch. The parking lot was empty and there was a big For Sale sign in the window.

Oh well, another one bites the dust.
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My current cookers: 80 gallon vertical tank
The Ultimate New Braunfels Makeover

[SHELLFISH]

One of my favorite BBQ joints in NC was Black Mountain BBQ.They were always busy and their Q was great!
They also closed for unknown reasons. Too bad!
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Shellfish, Q and beer! My trilogy!