Bar-B-Que Fit For Kings and Queens

If you walk by Royal Rib House Sunday through Wednesday, it looks like just another closed storefront of a hole-in-the-wall take-out place.

Then, on Thursday morning, the shutters are lifted and throngs of hungry neighbors crowd around the entrance, anxious for a bite of unforgettable soul food.

For three days of every week, Royal Rib House offers take-out ribs, fried chicken, chopped pork, fried whiting, wings, and a slew of sides like potato salad, macaroni salad, mac and cheese, green beans, collard greens, candied yams and more.

Sound like your last backyard barbecue? Believe me, its better than that.

The key ingredient is Calvin’s Royal Rib House Barbecue Sauce, a tangy, slightly sweet and spicy sauce that smothers so many of the dishes at Royal Rib House.

Let’s take, for example, the restaurant’s famous short ribs of beef. The meat, which easily falls off the bone, is tender with a mellow, smoky flavor. The sauce adds adds an additional kick, and softens up the meat.

The regular ribs are grilled just enough so that the outside has a light crisp and the center is still soft. Again, the sauce adds flavor and tang to each succulent bite, and will leave you licking the bone (and your fingers).

The chopped pork sandwich is a giant hamburger bun packed (and I mean, packed) with delectable, soft chopped pork, coleslaw, and a sweet and sour sauce. The coleslaw adds a freshness to the otherwise heavy meal, and the sauce makes a perfect aftertaste.

At Royal Rib House, you can opt for either a dinner or a sandwich. The prices of the sandwiches are unbeatable-- the chopped pork sandwich is $3.95 and makes a huge meal. But I recommend the dinners because they come with two delicious sides and cornbread. If you are not prepared to eat a colossal amount of food, the dinners here -- at around $10 -- could easily feed two.

A rundown of some of my favorite sides: The macaroni salad is soft and creamy and sweet, and the big chunks of onions add a zesty flavor. The green beans are served hot, and have an almost marinated flavor that tastes of sesame. The candied yams come in large smooth chunks with a buttery, cinnamon taste (a great dessert). The mac and cheese is a gooey, greasy, cheesy mash, but somehow oh-so-good.

Save the best for last, right? The cornbread here is incredible. I like my cornbread a little dry, to mop up all the sauces of the meal, and with a little butter this cornbread is absolute perfection. The best part is that the cornbread is made with blueberries, adding a sweetness to the cornbread which is otherwise not too cakey (as cornbread so often is). This bread is a great side to every dish on the menu.

So next time you’re having a barbecue in your back yard, consider skipping the grill and pick up some take-out from Royal Rib House. I guarantee bang for your buck and full, satisfied bellies for all your friends.

Or, if you want to try and replicate the food on your own, Calvin's Royal Rib House Sauce is available for purchase on the restauran'ts website.