Tommy Gunns American Barbeque

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Jeff's Take:
I’ve heard of Kansas City-style barbecue. Ditto with Texas-style and Memphis-style barbecue. But I’ve never heard of Philly-style barbecue. And I don’t think I’m alone. But Tommy Gunns, a tiny joint in Manayunk, claims that it has The City of Brotherly Love’s unique variant of the American classic. Well, at least for spare ribs. What makes “Philly-style” spare ribs unique, according to the website, is that while other styles trim more meat off the bone in order to achieve a uniform rib size, Tommy Gunns eschews size uniformity, and therefore leaves more meat on the bone. In addition, while most places serve their ribs right out of the smoker, Tommy Gunns throws them on the grill quickly before they’re plated.

In the flavor department, the spare ribs here are excellent. The meat has a nice smoky flavor that’s complemented well with the dry rub Tommy Gunns uses. The accompanying barbecue sauce is also solid—tangy with just the right amount of heat. The texture of the meat itself, however, leaves a little to be desired. While I wouldn’t characterize the meat as tough, these aren’t fall-off-the-bone ribs. In addition, they were a little too fatty for my liking. Tommy Gunns clearly prides itself on leaving more meat on their ribs, but when a good portion of that is fat, it’s nothing to brag about. However, I did like the fact that the ribs are finished off on the grill, as it left the exterior nice and crispy.

The barbecued chicken is by far the most disappointing option. It’s surprising that Tommy Gunns only uses boneless chicken breast, because it tends to dry out much easier than bone-in chicken. Here, it’s no different. Even the tasty barbecue sauce can’t save Tommy Gunns' barbecued chicken—it’s much too dry.

As for sides, the deep fried macaroni and cheese was too tempting to resist. This is essentially a hockey puck-sized portion of macaroni and cheese covered in fine bread crumbs, herbs and spices, and deep fried. The contrast in textures between the crisp outside and gooey inside is great. However, the cheese was a little too bland. If a sharper cheddar were used instead, the deep fried macaroni and cheese would taste as good as it sounds.

Tommy Gunns is nowhere near the best barbecue I’ve had, but if you’re looking for decent barbecue in Philly, or as they call it, “Philly-style barbecue,” it’s not a bad option.




4901 Ridge Ave
Philadelphia, PA19128
(215) 508-1030
http://www.tommygunns.net/

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