|
Serving: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Cuisine: Southern pit barbecue Prices: Entrees $5.75 - $16.50 Scoring: Our Gourmet and The Dining Companion each grade a restaurant in six categories, for a combined total score of up to 100 points. Visit the Dining section of NewHampshire.com to read previous Our Gourmet reviews listed by town. |
Ambiance 8.5/10
Our Gourmet: KC’s is a cozy, roadhouse-style restaurant with wooden tables, plank floors and guitars on the wall. There is butcher paper on the tables, empty food service-sized cans holding silverware and the various sauces set in leftover six-pack beer holders. If you’re looking for a plush dining experience, best go somewhere else — but then you’d miss some darn good ribs. Score: 4.5
The Dining Companion: KC’s has been a staple on Second Street in Manchester for many years. The décor is nothing fancy, with a very southern blues look and a touch of barn. A perfect look and feel for a barbecue place in Manchester — or anywhere else for that matter. Score: 4
Appetizer 16/20
OG: How could I pass up deep-fried pickles ($5.50)? The answer is, I couldn’t and I was glad I gave in. The quartered dill pickles were dipped in batter and deep fried until golden. It may sound strange, but the flavors actually made a nice combination. The batter offset the sour pickles; the pickles offset the richness of a batter. And the combination is a crunchy, savory little bit of heaven. Score: 9
TDC: I decided to try the smoked sausage KChunks with spicy mustard dip ($5.75). It consisted of two large sausage links that were smoked and then grilled. When I first bit into one, the taste reminded me of kielbasa with a little spicy honey mustard sauce — nothing more. Score: 7
Entree 18/20
OG: There was only one choice for me and that was ribs. KC’s serves them in third and half slabs and as part of several different combination platters. I went for a simple third of a slab ($10.95) and got four huge pork spare ribs that were dry rubbed and slow cooked. The ribs were juicy and meaty and quite filling as well. I tried a few of the different sauces and they all seemed to work pretty well with the tasty ribs. The ribs came with two sides (I chose cole slaw and baked beans) and jalapeno corn bread. The corn bread was moist with just a little bite when you get a piece of jalapeno. The cole slaw was ordinary, but the baked beans had a nice flavor. With all of that, I couldn’t finish my ribs, but they made a great lunch the next day. Score: 9
TDC: I decided that I had to try a couple of their offerings, so I went with the Boom Boom Pladda Combo ($11.50), which consisted of one of their Alice’s Restaurant chicken breasts nestled on a thick bed of pulled pork. The chicken was seasoned with their Bubba Rub #3. It had a nice smokiness to it and was plump and moist, which made me very happy. The pulled pork was moist and tasty as good barbecue should be with the right amount of smokiness. As for sides, I went with the cole slaw and the chili. The chili had nice chunks of smoked meat, beans and spices that will warm your insides on a cold winter day. The corn bread, which could have been dessert, had a nice sweetness to it along with the bite of the pepper. If I had room, I would have had another piece. Score: 9
Dessert 7/20
OG: KC’s definitely isn’t a dessert place. There are a few offerings — cheesecake, campfire s’mores, brownie sundae — but judging from what we tried, dessert just isn’t their strong point. I had the pecan pie ($4.99) and while it was a large portion, it was a kind of industrial, gloopy sort of pie that was definitely unexceptional. I can’t be too harsh, however, I doubt dessert is in big demand at KC’s. Most people are probably too full to contemplate it. Score: 4
TDC: Dessert was definitely a let down, but do you really go to a barbecue place for the dessert? I decided to have the New York-style cheesecake and although it was edible, I’d place bets that it had never had stepped foot in New York state in any way. It did nothing for me; it was a store bought rendition and nothing more. Score: 3
Service 10/10
OG: I have absolutely no complaints about the service. Our server was personable, efficient and helpful. Score: 5
TDC: Our waitress was attentive and very helpful explaining the possibilities. Score: 5
Value 18/20
OG: KC’s is a pretty good value as the prices aren’t too high, the food is good and you get plenty to eat. It definitely offers a good value. Score: 9
TDC: If what you crave is good southern barbecue in the Manchester area, KC’s is a great place to go for not a lot of money. You definitely won’t go hungry, but don’t forget to ask for that extra piece of corn bread. You’ll be glad you did. Score: 9
Total: 77.5/100
Do you have a favorite restaurant that you'd like to see reviewed? Drop us a line at lifestyles@unionleader.com.
