Tag: ribs

Party of Five: Montana’s Rib & Chop House!

“We are fortunate to have been in Pennsylvania since November 9, 2009” – Montana’s Rib & Chop House

No, Montana’s, we are fortunate to have you!  With two booming locations in Pennsylvania, Charlie Bish decided to open a third in Southpointe’s Town Center block. The Pittsburgh suburb’s business district needed a great steakhouse and Montana’s Rib & Chop House is the perfect addition!

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The location has a casual feel with a huge bar area surrounded by big booth seating.  The main dining room is a large open room with white tableclothed tables , and the best seating in the house are the private rooms down the back hallway. Perfect for a private party or business meeting, these rooms provide privacy as well as a comfortable atmosphere.  There is a $300 food minimum for private room booking, but that is easy to do with a party of five or six and wine! If you are like me, you will want to order everything on the menu, and Montana’s is one place you will want to leave lots of room for dessert!!

OK, let’s start at the very beginning..appetizers.

Most popular! Fried Green tomatoes with blue cheese, lump crab meat, and a balsamic reduction. I can totally see why it is the most popular app, majorly delish a  must try!
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Calamari- deep fried calamari.  The star of this dish was the garlic aioli.  I love a smooth garlic aioli!!
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Soup course!  Montana’s Gumbo, offered everyday, a delicious chunky gumbo with both chicken and sausage! I don’t know why, but I thought it was strange that the Midwestern steakhouse’s soup was gumbo?? It might be odd, but I could not stop eating it!
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After a traditional house salad was the steak and rib course…All steaks are served on a 400 degree plate with butter. I kept saying everything reminded me of Ruth Chris (My favorite of the age old Morton’s- Capital Grille- Ruth Chris debate.) We tasted the baseball cut top sirloin, the famous filet.  All were a perfect medium rare and soooo tender.
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The Babyback Ribs were incredible.  Just enough char with a light BBQ glaze.  Just how I like them!
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Lamb Chops- Delciious! Sometimes I like to order out the few things I don’t make often at home.  This is your dish! Totally yummy!
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And the Seafood Course…

Seared Ahi Tuna- I am a humungous seared ahi tuna fan.  However, the crust on this tuna is “blackened” spices and it is very peppery.  Too much for me.  Next time I will ask for no seasoning.  It was perfection and one of the most beautiful platings.
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Cedar Plank Salmon – Montana’s Cedar Plank Salmon comes in two preparations.  One being a traditional lemon and the other …wait for it….Jamaican brown sugar glaze! What?! This salmon was ridiculously good.  Cooked to perfection meaning a bit undercooked and was delivered on a flaming plank! My favorite seafood dish of the night!
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Shrimp – The shrimp were delicious.  I can’t wait to try them in the Jambalaya next time!
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The delciious and totally affordable sides, which never ever is the case at a steakhouse, rocked.  Like spot on, carrot soufflé a take on the sweet potato version knocked our socks off.  Also, the garlic mushrooms and sausage stuffing were awesome additions!
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I needed a dolly to wheel me out and it was dessert time! We tried one of each! Not your typical steakhouse carrot cake bigger than our head, Montana’s desserts are exactly what I wanted after eating a heavy dinner.  Choices contained creamy, light, delicious bites.  Exactly what I needed for a little sweetness.

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Best Creme Brûlée ever!!  I know, huge statement.  Not kidding.
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Pecan Meltaway, Cheesecake, Ice-Cream Brownie Sandwich, Satin Pie, and Apple Cobbler all were amazing! Nothing will disappoint!

The house wines are delicious and affordable- good, but bad.  We were lucky enough to land a bottle of Mollydooker Enchanted Path.  A new favorite! They have their own shake. The Mollydooker shake! Montana’s Southpointe is hoping to do a wine dinner with Mollydooker soon!

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Montana’s Rib & Chop House blew all of us away. Yep our entire party of five and that never happens!

Ciao!

Montana’s Rib & Chop House Southpointe
1900 Main Street
Canonsburg, PA 15317
724-514-7153

Pittsburgh Food Trucks: On Board The South Side BBQ Truck!

Is Pittsburgh finally catching up to the food truck boom? There is something trendy, hipster, and totally sexy about getting great food from a mobile truck! The latest trend? Hiring food trucks for wedding receptions, after parties, and corporate events to supply the hottest gourmet grub.

I can remember only a few Indian and Middle Eastern trucks feeding students and faculty at Pitt library. They are still there with long standing permits and no air in their tires. Other trucks are mobile babies born from successful restaurants, to talented cooks looking to build a brand with little overhead. My first stop on the food truck roundup is the South Side BBQ truck!

You can't miss this truck!
You can’t miss this truck!

When I met up with South Side BBQ, it was lunch hour outside the Pittsburgh Public Market in the Strip.
Brothers Mike and Pat Joyce took their BBQ to a truck about 8 months ago. The two have extensive restaurant and food service backgrounds which has helped make them successful. Not to mention, they totally thought of everything!!

Extremely knowledgeable and talented. Pat owns the 17th Street Cafe now turned South Side BBQ Company restaurant and Mike spent his career working with Big Burrito company!
Extremely knowledgeable and talented. Pat owns the 17th Street Cafe now turned South Side BBQ Company restaurant and Mike spent his career working with Big Burrito company!

With a Stump Smoker right on board and a large grill, these two did their homework.

Hot or Not Sauce to the menu item names. This is one cool truck!
Hot or Not Sauce to the menu item names, South Side BBQ is one cool truck!

Mike and Pat took a trip to Memphis in May for the biggest food truck convention in the country to learn tips and tricks from the best.
Pat says, “They’ll laugh you outta there if your ribs fall off the bone. Means they were cooked way too long!”
I must admit I never knew that?? and I cook mine too long. Oops!

As we were talking customers lined up, mostly first timers. Beautiful, juicy pulled pork and creamy mac ‘n cheese were in every order. In my opinion this would be the hardest part, to keep the food hot, juicy and not let it dry out. Mike said, “You learn your time and temps to keep everything perfect.”
Wings and ribs are made to order on the South Side BBQ truck.

The most popular item? The BarBCone. A fresh waffle cone filled with creamy mac’n cheese a big scoop of juicy pulled pork pork, a squirt of house-made BBQ sauce, and topped with a crunchy vinegar based coleslaw.

BarBCone!!
BarBCone!!

New for Fall is the goBBlerQ!
Mac’n cheese or stuffing, smoked turkey, and cranberry coleslaw!
I am definitely going back to try it! Gobble Gobble!

Pat (left) and Mike are the real deal when it comes to BBQ! Stop in, say Howdy, grab a BarBCone, and tell them I sent you! Pat (left) and Mike are the real deal when it comes to BBQ! Stop in, say Howdy, grab a BarBCone, and tell them I sent you!

Find out where the South Side BBQ truck will be and when!
Pittsburgh Food Trucks
@PghTrux
Follow South Side BBQ on twitter and Facebook!

Ciao!