I've heard some good things about Troy's, a red shack on the corner of Federal Hwy. and Martin Luther King Blvd. in Boynton Beach. Mostly that they don't necessarily plunk their pig parts in a smoker and leave them there for hours at a time; rather, their cue is more on the grilled side. When I arrived, I peeked around the corner of the rib shack and noticed a barrel smoker that was wide open and chugging away, sort of like an open pit. I'm not sure I'd say the process invalidates Troy's as real BBQ, but the end result tastes pretty swell. I purchased a big rib dinner with five meaty spears and a pile of mac and cheese and collard greens, as well as a sliced pork sandwich on a sesame seed-studded bun. For less than $20, it was a ton of food.
The ribs themselves were coated in a rich, tomato and vinegar sauce
with maybe a hint of mustard -- it was slightly sweet and tangy, and
not too spicy. Just OK. But the meat was exceptionally juicy with a
nice amount of bark on the surface. It also struck a nice medium
between fall-off-the-bone tenderness and meaty bite. The sides were
just so-so, the mac and cheese being a little dry and the collards a
little plain. Accompanying corn bread was dusty as an old boot.
The pork sandwich features fresh-cut slices of pork topped with more
sauce -- good stuff as well. The slices were tender and rich with porky
flavor, and were packed in such quantity that the bun couldn't stand up
at all. It fell apart halfway through eating it -- a sweeter, stickier
bun may have held up better.
Troy's is just a half-dozen blocks down the road from another Boynton cue shack, Rufus Ribs.
Which one you frequent probably amounts to proximity and personal
preference, as they both have a very similar taste. I'd give Rufus'
sides a slight edge; same thing with Troy's ribs.
Both, however, are worth immediately pulling off the road when you pass them by.
Troy's Bar-Be-Que
1017 N Federal Hwy.,
Boynton Beach
561-740-1125
