The Corner Stable Restaurant (9942 York Road)

Here we go, boys and girls, for one of the mac daddies of GoodEats. If you like finger-licking-good barbecue, I have quite the restaurant for you. The Corner Stable Restaurant is located right off of York Road in Cockeysville, Md. It would be nearly impossible to miss the reddish barn-like restaurant with a blackish-gray roof. Plastered on the roof in huge capital white letters is the slogan, “Baltimore’s Best Ribs,” and they aren’t kidding.

The décor is nothing that special – a long bar located on the far left side of the restaurant and an array of booths and tables filling up the rest of the space. Televisions with sporting events and keno numbers round it out.

The restaurant is almost always packed – I guess that’s the tell-all about the food. You should expect huge portions and reasonable prices.

Enough babble, the food is the true showstopper. The menu is backed by baby back ribs, barbecue chicken, and colossal hand packed crab cakes. Make sure you ask your server about the specials, each day has a featured menu item at a discounted price (for those wanting big flavors, but not big prices).

I went to The Corner Stable with three of my friends on a weeknight for dinner. We had a small wait, so we had a seat at the bar to kill the time. It was about 6 p.m. so we indulged in a beer as we waited. Lucky for us it was happy hour and all of the beers were discounted, which was a great start to our night. After a short ten minute wait we were finally seated.

The menu may be overwhelming to those who have never been here before. Take my advice and go for the barbecue food. The proof is truly in the cooking. If you are utterly against barbecue, than be adventurous. I have had some seafood and a few sandwiches off of the menu and they are pretty good – not as good as the barbecue, but still very good.

My friends and I started off with the onion bloomer, which is just like Outback Steakhouse’s Bloomin’ Onion, just a little better. Also, please, please, please order the cornbread. You will not find it on the menu so you have to explicitly ask your server. It’s amazing.

Ok, now for the main course. I always get ribs here. It isn’t even a question anymore of what to get. They are exceptionally good. The Corner Stable’s baby back ribs just fall off the bone and have the most wonderful, slightly sweet, homemade barbecue sauce. Now, if you’re feeling up for it, go for the “Showstopper,” which is a half pound jumbo lump crab cake plus a full rack of ribs and your choice of two homemade sides. Average entrée price ranges from about $15 up to $30 for the Showstopper.

This brings me to our next order of business: the sides. A few of my favorites are: the stable fries, macaroni and cheese, and the onion rings. You’ll have to let me know about some of the others, as I don’t usually venture past those three go-to items.

If you are looking for a restaurant that you’ll leave with a belly full of good food and fingers still sticky from the tantalizing sauce, this is your place!

Until next time. I wish you GoodEats.

Can’t get enough of GoodEats? Follow us on Twitter at: @GoodEatsMD

Half Rack of the Baby Back Ribs

Crab Cake served along side stable fries and homemade mac and cheese

 

Edited by Jared Kurlander.

Chaps Charcoal Restaurant (5801 Pulaski Hwy)

Hopefully by now you have all tried or at least thought of going to one of my recommended GoodEats. If you haven’t, I have the perfect restaurant for you all to give a try: Chaps Charcoal Restaurant. This shack of a restaurant is a dream come true for those who adore barbecue food. Located right off of Pulaski Highway in Baltimore, you have to keep your eyes open or you’ll miss this food paradise.

Once your car is in park, you are overwhelmed with this beautiful symphony of smells. You open the door to small shack which comprises this award winning restaurant and are immediately met by a line of people all waiting for that same glorious smoked food.  As you wait in line, you are overwhelmed by the countless pictures of celebrities enjoying Chap placed throughout the restaurant.

The menu is long and extensive, full of flavorful combinations. Everything on the menu is sure to take you to flavor town. My recommendation is to go with any of the combination sandwiches, more meat for you to enjoy! The subs with the original names are sure to leave you wanting more. Don’t hesitate to order any of the classic barbecue sides, which are all made in house.

Finally, you get up to line and are greeted by someone from the one of the friendliest staffs I’ve come across. You place your order, but all thats going through your mind is the heavenly sights and smells.

Your number is called and you’re one step closer to this masterpiece. But be sure not to forget to get a healthy amount of homemade barbecue sauce and Tiger Sauce (a creamy horseradish sauce), both incredible. The only thing left to do is find an empty table and start feasting. The tastes and flavors are an explosion in your mouth.

If this isn’t enough to get you out of your homes and driving right to Chaps, than the countless awards and food celebrity reviews should put you over the edge. The City Paper has been raving about Chaps since 1991. Guy Fieri of The Food Networks Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and Adam Richman of Travel Channel have both included Chaps in their hit television shows.

Until next time. I wish you GoodEats!

The Richwich (named after Adam Richman) including corned beef, beef, turkey, and sausage.

The Raven including beef, corned beef, and turkey.

Edited by Jared Kurlander

Charcoal Deli (22 Church Lane)

The next undiscovered restaurant on the list of GoodEats is Charcoal Deli.  This barbecue hot spot is located right off of York Road past Cranbrook Road.  A simple shack and renovated pool house is all that comprises this amazing restaurant.

As you wait on the open porch for your food to be made, all you can think about is the unbelievable barbecue being prepared. The food is nicely wrapped in tin foil as to seal in all the juices, then you proceed to take your food to either one of the outside benches or to the renovated pool house.

The food is highlighted by the award-winning pit beef, dubbed “Baltimore’s Best”, served in “regular” and “colossal” sizes. The pit turkey and pit ham are also to die for.  Charcoal Deli also features a wide array of barbecue favorites including burgers, barbecue chicken and pork baby back ribs.

If you aren’t feeling a sandwich or something listed previously, then I have to recommend the wings.  They are absolutely amazing.  They are hand smoked and then finished on the grill. The wings are served in a variety of sauces including spicy buffalo, cajun and my absolute favorite, the Old Bay wings.  Also, all of the sides are made fresh in house.  The hand cut fries are on a completely different level, both crispy and salty. They are unbelievable.

Please enjoy. Charcoal Deli does barbecue justice!

Until next time.  I wish you GoodEats!

Pit turkey served on a huge kaiser roll.

Old Bay wings served with Bleu Cheese dressing.

Baltimore’s Best pit beef