There’s not much barbecue in northern Kentucky other than chains like Smokey Bones and Famous Dave’s. I ate at four barbecue places in this region, and only one made the cut, Tina’s in Carrollton. Two places didn’t make my highly subjective good list because they serve a heavily sauced sloppy joe–style pork sandwich. The other place that didn’t pass muster served way-saucy ribs that tasted old, along with beans and potato salad right out of food-service jugs. Now, if I had world enough and time, I’d return to these places and sample other things on the menu. It’s highly possible they have good ribs or chicken, for instance. If I’d known at the time of visiting that mom-and-pop barbecue of any kind is such a rare find in the upper counties of the Commonwealth, I’d have stuck around longer and worked harder to find something good. On the other hand, why should one have to work so hard to find good barbecue? It’s all over Louisville and in the central and western parts of the state, and Lexington is now home to several good barbecue restaurants.
Tina Stephenson recently closed her restaurant’s doors after nearly twenty years, but she’s still catering. Her home catering business is located just four miles from Kentucky Speedway in Sparta. She said to call ahead if you want some barbecue.
As homage to Tina, the smart-talking pit boss of the Northlands (of Kentucky), I include this original review from summer 2009.
I nearly screwed up majorly when, after a full day of barbecue touring I pulled into Tina’s parking lot, looked at the nondescript metal building next door to a fitness center and hair salon, didn’t see a woodpile, didn’t smell any smoke, and almost drove on down the road. Oh, but that would have been a mistake, especially since Tina’s offers about the only nonfranchised barbecue you can find in this part of the world, and Tina knows how to make meats tender and flavorful, period.
I specifically asked for bark, so my real good pulled-pork sandwich had a lot of tasty outer meat between two garlic-buttered and grilled pieces of Texas toast. The mustard slaw on the side had cabbage and pickle in it, and the first bite reminded me of good sauerkraut. I wouldn’t want it on my sandwich, though. The sauces include an extra-hot that’s very vinegary with a lot of pepper in it, just the way I like it. (Tina said the man who makes the hot vinegar sauce is from Glasgow, and that when that sauce was gone, maybe it’s gone for good. Glasgow is my hometown. No wonder my taste buds were so fond of the vinegar-pepper sauce). The mild sauce is tomato based. The baby back ribs had a good smokiness and a tasty dry rub added to the flavor. The spicy, smoky brisket was sliced paper thin like roast beef (much different than the thicker sliced brisket I’ve eaten in Texas). Tina prefers her brisket moderately cooked. I asked her what is the advantage of preparing brisket this way (thin sliced, less time on the smoker) compared to the long-smoked and thick-sliced way, and Tina said simply, “I like it better this way, so that’s the way I cook it.” Her substantial sandwich list includes a smoked turkey Reuben and “Beef-N-Swiss” served with “horsey mayo.” Sound familiar? When I tasted the thinly sliced brisket, this menu item made sense, since the meat could be easily layered on a sandwich like those available at the franchise roast beef places. But Tina’s gives you beef that actually looks, tastes, and smells like beef. What a concept!
After eating I went up to speak with Tina at the counter. She was busy serving people and getting things ready for the dinner crowd, but she answered my questions while bustling around. When I praised the tenderness and barkiness of the pork, she said, “You requested bark? They don’t know what that is here,” and I said, “Well, I told them to give me the blackened meat on the edges,” and she busted out laughing.
I asked, “Where did you get your barbecue ways? How did you learn your trade?” and Tina described her learning methods: “Stick it in there and see what comes out.”
Tina, who comes from a family of butchers and meat smokers, has been barbecuing for sixteen years. She operates a Southern Pride rotisserie cooker, using hickory and red oak. She smokes butts for eighteen hours, and the briskets average about eight hours. She uses dry rub on the ribs, and the butts go on the smoker without any seasonings. When she first started, she rolled the butts in a dry rub and the folks up there in northern Kentucky (Tina debated with me about the geography, saying she lives in “central” Kentucky and that “northern” doesn’t start until you reach the Boone County line) said it was too spicy, so she cut back, and cut back, and finally just put them on without seasonings and never got any more complaints from the locals.
Tina has a sassy wit and ready laugh. Her fluorescent green menu shouts in bold letters at the top: “We do not have burgers or French fries.” Describing her meats on the menu, she notes that the smoked turkey is “shaved,” the beef brisket is “shaved and spicy,” and the pulled pork—and this really makes me chuckle—is “pork pulled apart.” I’m guessing this description is for the folks stopping in off Interstate 71 who just might not be familiar with barbecue lingo.
ADDENDUM: As noted above, Tina still does barbecue catering. If you want to try some smoked meats from northern Kentucky (sorry, Tina, but I’m calling the geographical boundaries here), give Tina a call for a catering job.
Tina Stephenson: 859-567-5887