Food News

BBQ King Smokes Out West Davie Boulevard

That strange little stretch of West Davie Boulevard, between I-95 and 441, is a catalog of hole-in-the-wall ethnic joints. There's mom-and-pop Chinese takeouts with waiting rooms no bigger than a hall closet, some Salvadoran pupusa action, tongue tacos at the Guatemalan place, conch soup at the Honduran comedor, as well...

By Jeff Stratton

June 23, 2011

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That strange little stretch of West Davie Boulevard, between I-95 and 441, is a catalog of hole-in-the-wall ethnic joints. There's mom-and-pop Chinese takeouts with waiting rooms no bigger than a hall closet, some Salvadoran pupusa action, tongue tacos at the Guatemalan place, conch soup at the Honduran comedor, as well as Mexican and Haitian hideouts. But this morning, at the corner of SW 25th Avenue and Davie Boulevard, the unmistakable smoke and aroma of barbecue streamed across the street.

The self-proclaimed "World Famous" BBQ King, packed into a squat orange pillbox that was formerly a paintball shop, serves up simple barbecue that its proprietors perfected in Alabama and right here in Fort Lauderdale. The location is as urban as possible: buses whoosh by just feet away, and idling delivery trucks belch fumes in the parking lot.

Don't let that deter you, though. You can still smell this place a mile away, and if you're ready to embark on a ribs/sweet tea/corn bread sort of reverie, BBQ King offers a Tom Jenkinsesque experience without the air-conditioned frills. A half-slab of ribs is $12, a whole chicken is $16 (BBQ or jerk), but the dinners are the way to go: heaps o' meat, with your choice of a pair of nine sides, including the usual suspects but also red beans and rice as well as seafood salad.

BBQ King doubles as a "fresh fruit smoothie barrister," giving small free samples of Tropical Blasts and Berry Fusions to help you decide. The sweet, icy concoctions get the job done on hot steamy days when the sidewalk looks like it's melting and your hot wings are a tad hot.

BBQ King

2500 W. Davie Blvd., Fort Lauderdale 33312

954-835-5325

Daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Follow Clean Plate Charlie on Facebook and on Twitter: @CleanPlateBPB.

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