Snap Judgment: The Workshop

[Welcome to Snap Judgment, a new regular Blogtown feature wherein I’ll be dropping by places both old and just opened for a one-dish fly-by, and developing an opinion based on that singular experience. Basically, it’s the complete opposite of what I do each week for Last Supper. I don’t expect to get it right all the time. I do expect you to correct me.- PAC]

I’ve been driving past The Workshop ever since it replaced some short lived pub at the corner of SE Clinton and 26th Ave, right beside the Clinton Street Theater. At first, I didn’t pay much attention because over the years I’d watched that space transform from a barber shop to a series of doomed watering holes. My assumption was The Workshop was yet another attempt at pub on a boozy block already overly saturated with dives, legends, and wine bars.

It took me a while to recognize the large smoker situated out front. It took even longer for me to realize the smoker meant The Workshop wasn’t only attempting to be a bar, but also a BBQ joint. I was intrigued enough to give the place a shot.

Here’s the important parts: The Workshop has a full bar and a menu of BBQ meat options from Smoky Mountain BBQ, augmented by sides, and a brief list of sandwiches. There is a single pinball table, an e-juke, and walls whimsically hung with various tool shed paraphernalia.

Here’s the less import but still important parts: I’m unclear on the relationship between The Workshop and Smoky Mountain BBQ, but the former seems to be a kind of refuge for the latter. Either way, the relationship of both to the Clinton Street Theater means that all The Workshop’s food and beverages can be toted in to a film. Or you can enjoy some of the best people watching in town at the high tables facing the lovely Clinton Street intersection.

Some concerns: With so many bars in the area, The Workshop will have to step up their bar game to capture clientele. It helps that the Clinton Street Pub has shitty food, and that The Workshop has outdoor seating, but I worry a bit about the longevity of the place. History has not necessarily been kind to the location.

The food situation: Okay. Take this with a full shaker of salt. Instead of heading straight for the meat, I opted for a couple of sandwiches. If I were a normal customer, and not a thoughtful food reviewer who knows two sandwiches are not enough to judge an entire menu, I probably wouldn’t have come back after my meal here. The eponymous Worskhop sandwich with its smoked pork sirloin, collards, and onions was bland as hell, with no smoke flavor to speak of. The collard greens were good, but made up the sum total of the sandwich experience. Also, the bun had nearly disintegrated under the collards broth by the time it hit the table. Better was the Buzzsaw with smoked chicken that actually tasted smoked, a hotlink split in half, canned jalapenos, slaw, and pepper jack. However, the tough little hotlink made it difficult to eat, and there were was way too much happening making the whole thing an unfocused mess. A side of okra and tomatoes was alright but tasted a tad too much of seasoned salt.

Snap Judgment: Considering I didn’t eat the straight BBQ, this one is a difficult call. If I head back, it will likely be to give the brisket and ribs a try. After-all, if our own website readers are to be believed this meat allegedly rivals Podnah’s. But based on my two sammys, I have some serious doubts. In terms of heading there for a drink, I’d go for the outdoor seating and people watching, but there are better options within spitting distance for pure debauched joy.