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Take a boneless thigh and tenderize the hell out of it

That Boy Good, Southern BBQ in Oceanside

That Boy Good
That Boy Good
Place

That Boy Good

207 N. Coast Highway, Oceanside

Being hungry in Oceanside is a good move these days. Restaurants have been popping up all over the Coast Highway, and a lot of what I’m seeing is a step in the right direction (rumors that Tilted Kilt wants to open in Oceanside aside). Urge Gastropub and Swami’s Café have opened a location, Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub has overcome its horrible name to net mostly rave reviews, and a little shop called Panca Peruvian has proved one of my favorites of 2016 so far.

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And yet, with mounting choices, I couldn’t help but be lured by a simple message painted large in brown letters on daffodil yellow paint: “BBQ & Cold Beer.”

When you can’t decide on one thing, try a lot of things.

That Boy Good reads like a rustic dive bar with a soul-food fetish. Eating alone, I set myself up at the bar and started looking over the menu. Ten minutes later I was still looking. It’s not long, and it’s not complicated, but it was tough to choose. Cornmeal-crusted catfish sounded like a good option, but only if I were willing to ignore words such as “brisket” and “ribs” further down the page. Or chicken and waffles.

Unable to pick one entrée, I decided to spread out my cravings with two appetizers: a single serving of fried chicken and waffle for $6.50 plus a $3 order of ribs by the bone. Another ten minutes, and I finally decided on a pair of side dishes. With apologies to coleslaw and collard greens, smoked beans and mac-and-cheese sounded too good to pass up. $3 each for a small serving.

It added up to a little more than I like to spend at lunch, but the smell coming out of the kitchen was fantastic, and I couldn’t leave without trying as much as possible. I have no regrets.

The smoked beans weren’t overtly smoky and were balanced nicely against the sweetness common in a pork-and-beans dish. The occasional bit of tender pork or garlic clove dressed it up. The mac boasted a delightful creamy sauce with a hint of jalapeño, delivering both comfort and kick. I only wish there had been a little more of each.

That Boy’s fried chicken recipe takes a boneless thigh and tenderizes the hell out of it, coating the flattened fowl with buttermilk and paprika-laden batter, just an inch shy of being too salty. So satisfying.

But those ribs. These guys produce a pair of house sauces made with Coke, ketchup, Worcestershire, and mild or hot-spice blends. It sounds kooky and doesn’t result in my favorite-ever BBQ slather. But it doesn’t matter — a dry rub and smoker added all the flavor this tender rib meat needed. Succulent, savory, and every other adjective I’d hoped for on a great portion for the price. If I hadn’t eaten that waffle, I would have ordered more rib. That Boy is indeed good.

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That Boy Good
That Boy Good
Place

That Boy Good

207 N. Coast Highway, Oceanside

Being hungry in Oceanside is a good move these days. Restaurants have been popping up all over the Coast Highway, and a lot of what I’m seeing is a step in the right direction (rumors that Tilted Kilt wants to open in Oceanside aside). Urge Gastropub and Swami’s Café have opened a location, Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub has overcome its horrible name to net mostly rave reviews, and a little shop called Panca Peruvian has proved one of my favorites of 2016 so far.

Sponsored
Sponsored

And yet, with mounting choices, I couldn’t help but be lured by a simple message painted large in brown letters on daffodil yellow paint: “BBQ & Cold Beer.”

When you can’t decide on one thing, try a lot of things.

That Boy Good reads like a rustic dive bar with a soul-food fetish. Eating alone, I set myself up at the bar and started looking over the menu. Ten minutes later I was still looking. It’s not long, and it’s not complicated, but it was tough to choose. Cornmeal-crusted catfish sounded like a good option, but only if I were willing to ignore words such as “brisket” and “ribs” further down the page. Or chicken and waffles.

Unable to pick one entrée, I decided to spread out my cravings with two appetizers: a single serving of fried chicken and waffle for $6.50 plus a $3 order of ribs by the bone. Another ten minutes, and I finally decided on a pair of side dishes. With apologies to coleslaw and collard greens, smoked beans and mac-and-cheese sounded too good to pass up. $3 each for a small serving.

It added up to a little more than I like to spend at lunch, but the smell coming out of the kitchen was fantastic, and I couldn’t leave without trying as much as possible. I have no regrets.

The smoked beans weren’t overtly smoky and were balanced nicely against the sweetness common in a pork-and-beans dish. The occasional bit of tender pork or garlic clove dressed it up. The mac boasted a delightful creamy sauce with a hint of jalapeño, delivering both comfort and kick. I only wish there had been a little more of each.

That Boy’s fried chicken recipe takes a boneless thigh and tenderizes the hell out of it, coating the flattened fowl with buttermilk and paprika-laden batter, just an inch shy of being too salty. So satisfying.

But those ribs. These guys produce a pair of house sauces made with Coke, ketchup, Worcestershire, and mild or hot-spice blends. It sounds kooky and doesn’t result in my favorite-ever BBQ slather. But it doesn’t matter — a dry rub and smoker added all the flavor this tender rib meat needed. Succulent, savory, and every other adjective I’d hoped for on a great portion for the price. If I hadn’t eaten that waffle, I would have ordered more rib. That Boy is indeed good.

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The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

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