Thomason's Barbecue

THOMASON'S BAR-B-Q (701 Atkinson St., Henderson, Kentucky)... In my search for the best barbecue in the area I decided to cross the bridge into Henderson, Kentucky and try out a place I had never heard of. I googled barbecue and Henderson and out of the list of four I decided on Thomason's. Right away the smell of the place made my mouth water. This place is a small operation with four and a half booths and one table for dining in. Nothing fancy here. And, as I recall, the best barbecue places I have been to over the years tend to be without all the fancy bells and whistles. I observed upon entering that there was smoke coming out of the stack on top of the building. Just behind the counter is the door (at about waste height) to the smoker, which is a very large brick pit. Standing at the counter I could feel some heat coming from that direction, so yes, barbecue cooking inside. I took a look at the menu, which is posted on the wall next to the counter. I decided on the Ribs Plate, which came with one side item. I decided on the baked beans and an additional side of slaw. I inquired and asked if the ribs were cooked daily, and I was told that the ribs were fresh and always come out of the cooker the day they are sold. I was told that the babyback ribs are not cooked daily, but that the full ribs are. Also, the ribs here are all pork ribs (I like that). The plate came with 1/2 pound of ribs, and just enough of the side items. The rib meat was easy to eat and the meat came right off the bone. There was ample meat on the ribs, not overly fastty, and the flavor was very good. They serve it in their own home-made BBQ sauce, which is (to my taste buds) very good. The sauce is a thin liquide sauce and is vinegar based, but the vinegar flavor is very subtle and the spices and other ingredients taste terrific and make for a very complimentary sauce for the ribs that were very good and smoky flavored. The baked beans are among the best I have ever eaten, very rich and flavorful without being overly spicy and without being overly sweet. The cole slaw is kind of a mixture of vinegar slaw and creamy slaw, combined wonderfully and full of sweet flavor. Everything was very fresh. Basic pickle and onions came with the plate and I opted for rye bread. They had fresh brewed sweet tea I know because it took a minute for the ice to cool it down. After the main course I opted for a piece of chocolate cream pie from the cooler, nothing really special about that. Total price for the entire meal including a slice of pie was under $11.00. And the entire meal was the perfect amount of food, so I did not feel stuffed even after eating all of it. So far, this is the best barbecue out of the two places I have reviewed. MEATS AVAILABLE: pork, mutton, beef, chip, ham, turkey, chicken. FORMATS: Trays, Plates, Sandwiches and TO GO: from 1/2 pound and up. SIDES: baked beans, slaw and potatoe salad. All very basic, easy to read menu, and well prepared barbecue... I always return to every restaurant that I review, regardless of the review, for a follow-up and I can't wait to return here and try something new. This is great value and quality for the money spent. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE, AS THE PRICE IS RIGHT AND THE FOOD IS VERY GOOD !