Tonight we headed east on Rte-16 to Ashmore just outside of Charleston to try the Stovepipe Grill & Smokehouse at the Lincoln Springs Resort. Friends of ours had told us the food there was pretty good, and they were right. Charleston was lacking a good BBQ place, but no longer. Stovepipe Grill has a decent variety of BBQ dishes along with all the usual sides. Tonight Sarah ordered a Brisket plate and I ordered Riblets (rib tips). We both got baked potatoes and baked beans for sides. Let me say first that the sides were excellent. Very tasty baked beans and a perfectly cooked baked potato, which was surprisingly well seasoned. Nice touch there. Sarah’s brisket was moist and tender. The BBQ sauce is served on the side, so you can add as much or as little as you wish. My riblets were tasty, but as with all riblets, they tend to be more work than they’re worth. Too many small bones. I’d rather see a rack of ribs than riblets. And this is a minor point, but the food was served on a large piece of lettuce-like garnish which only served to get in the way. Save the money and skip the garnish. It’s out of place in a BBQ anyway.

The special tonight was prime rib. I was really tempted to try it, but I thought first I’d test the BBQ. Now that I know that’s good, I may try the prime rib when it’s offered again. I can see Stovepipe being packed this summer with folks heading out for a meal and a night of mini-golf. We’ll be there for sure.

UPDATE: We went back for their Sunday Brunch Buffet this weekend. It was the same good food plus some breakfast stuff and desserts. It ends up being a little pricier than dinner, but if you’re hungry and want some variety, it’s worth it. And as a side note, I was pleasantly surprised with their coffee. It was quite good.