805.212.4240
6100 Telegraph Rd Ste F, Ventura, 93003, CA
When I started this blog, I had a few rules in my mind of what I was going to write about. I was going to write about being in Ventura and things to do there. I was going to avoid writing about national chains, figuring that they had their own publicity and didn't need anything from me. Ventura is filled with places that aren't part of some national chain, and I'd have ample places to write about.
But I've never seen a Dickey's Barbecue Pit before. Walking by the storefront in the Von's Plaza (corner of Telegraph and Victoria) on my way to Starbucks (Sorry Simones and Caffe 101), I noticed the smell of good barbecue and poked my nose in. It smelled good and the prices seemed reasonable. I picked up a menu, and a manager walked over to make sure that I had the right one in a very friendly fashion.
A bit of internet research revealed a national chain out hustling for local franchisers. Still, they aren't Subway with a place on every corner, so I made a mental note to go in the next time my son had a track meet at Buena. This last Saturday, we made it.
The first thing my son noticed walking in was the "Free Ice Cream," sign over the soft serve machine by the soda fountain. My son and I, being related, immediately had the same thought-Ice Cream Sodas!
Checking the "Deal of the Day" board, I saw a brisket sandwich, with two sides and a drink for $8.99. That worked for me and the boy, so that's what we ordered. For our sides, I went with the creamy cole slaw and fried onion tanglers. My boy opted for caesar salad and waffle fries.
When we got the front of the line, the guy slicing the brisket said it was really good. He said that he'd been there a week, and that he was liking everything that he tried. He cut the brisket and made our sandwiches. The sides came right up, and using "the big yellow cup," I made myself a Dr. Pepper Float.
There were three types of barbecue sauce, original, sweet and hot. I tried the original and the sweet, and both weren't bad, tangy, with brown sugar and a bit of spice. I added more to my sandwich and alternated them for my onion tanglers, thinly sliced onion rings with a light breading. The cole slaw was creamy, but not too much and also good. My son's caesar looked caesar-ish, and the waffle fries were pretty good, but nothing special.
All of the staff was very friendly, asking how we liked things, and clearing the trash from our table. At one point, a gentleman came out of the back and asked how we liked our brisket. I said that it was pretty good, thanks, and he said that's good, that he was the cook and wanted to make sure that we were enjoying our food.
The problem that I generally have with barbecue places is that servings are so large that I leave feeling really fat. These portions weren't monsterously large, but certainly filling.
And then there was the free ice cream. Free ice cream can go a long way as to how I view a place, and the idea that I could stand around making myself as many ice cream sodas as I could drink really worked for me, and as I contemplated my third, I thought maybe I should slow down and skipped it. My son, of course, did not.
I signed up for the 'big yellow cup' fan club, and I've already gotten two mailers for free drinks in a week.
We're planning on eating there again, and as an added plus, kids eat free on Sunday!
I'll post after our next visit.
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