Southern Style Barbecue with a twist

So yesterday after I got done with my class where I learned how to score the WAIS-III intelligence assessment and taking apart my stopwatch to remove the beep for when I actually have to do the testing; Kristyn finished a conference call that her boss was doing and asked where we should go eat. Now, I have been searching for a great barbecue place here in Seattle that has good food for not alot of money. We've been to two other places and one was decent the other looked like it had been just converted from a Chinese restaurant and still kept the same staff with predictable results...so I found one place that had great reviews overall so I suggested we try it. After forgetting that Greenwood Ave is on the opposite side of Aurora Ave than I had thought and getting Kristyn mad at me for "taking the scenic route" we arrived at the restaurant. I knew by the exterior that it had to be some good food, because it looked about 3 days from being shut down by the Health Department! We arrived and I had to walk in front of the building to see if we should actually go inside and I saw an empty place with just a big ol black dude sitting at a table. I go back and tell Kristyn we should go inside and so we park the car and walk to the restaurant. As we walk up I remembered reading that it's cash only so we need to go to the ATM at the Walgreen's next door when the guy walks out and says "I keep seeing y'all walk past...do you want to eat here?" Now bear in mind this guy has no front teeth with his big toothless grin and MASSIVE gut hanging out. It was truly love at first sight....that and the delicious aroma of some frickin huge steaks out being barbecued on his outdoor grill! They were seriously an inch thick and looked fabulous. So we get inside and the place truly is a dive, but Otis (the owner) is a real gem and took a fancy to Aiden. I ordered the "Hook up" named for when regulars walk in and tell Otis to "Hook me up" I normally has 3 rib racks, a bunch of chicken and some Louisiana hot links. Kristyn ordered the ribs when Otis came out and said that today he was making steaks instead of the ribs because the Safeway across the street had a good deal on them and when that happens he "passes the saving right onto my customers!" With the price being 13 dollars for the meal, Kristyn mentioned how it seemed a little expensive, that was when we saw all the food they brought out...my goodness. You could feed a small army with the beans and rice and hush puppies Otis brought out. Plus the steak. The steak was absolutely fabulous. Let's just say that there is still 3 piece of the BBQ chicken in our fridge along with some of the steak pieces and the hot links, and some more beans and rice and this is after both Kristyn and I ate more of the steak last night. The man knows how to pile it on...plus he gave me another hot link free "because if you're having a beer, you'll need another hot link" as Otis put it. The man is a charmer, the food was massive and pretty good. I think I have found a special place for when the Bore Boys come to town...

PS A thought for today about one way I have blessed: I am very fortunate to be able to have great classmates in school, I get along with pretty much all of them and I know I have made some lifelong friends here!