Nuthin' To Squeal About

Ahhh...Memorial Day Weekend! A time for honoring our servicemen, shopping, and eating BBQ. Well, this past Saturday, I decided to get some BBQ from a place called Squeal. I've eyed Squeal for several years now, but never had the opportunity to eat there. New Orleans doesn't have many BBQ places (many residents just bbq on their own), so the one's that do exist definitely stand out. Squeal is nestled in a quiet neighborhood section of Carrollton, has the cutest little pig sign and is quite the center of attention for the annual Po-Boy Festival. Well my friends, Squeal had it's positives, but unfortunately the food was not one of them.

Sweet-Bittersweet-Not Sweet

Squeal is Not Sweet

Let's start with the positives! It's an adorable house, with a porch that was converted into a business. So it has a real family-oriented charm. As you walk in the front door, there is a bar with plenty of spirits to make anyone happy. The staff greeted us as soon as we walked in and promptly sat us at the table of OUR choosing. I thought that was really nice.

I love the decor of the place! It's walls are filled with local New Orleans artwork and each table top has a specific design. Our table top was a really cool guitar! It was truly beautiful. Squeal was very clean and the only negative thing I noticed was that it was a little warm inside. They were open for about a half-hour before we arrived, so maybe they didn't turn the air on until opening. We were given menu's and then that's where the problems began.

I knew what I was going to order, because I had looked at their menu online. I ordered their BBQ chicken and the two sides I requested was baked beans and potato salad. The waitress apologized and said they didn't have baked beans or potato salad ready at the moment. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. How can a BBQ place not have baked beans or potato salad...ready? It wasn't her fault, but I was a little perturbed by that. That's like a peanut butter & jelly sandwich without the jelly! BBQ + baked beans + potato salad = just goes together! I ended up getting greens and cole slaw instead. Not what I wanted (at all), but I dealt with it.

When the food arrived it looked beautiful and they gave you really HUGE portions. Great!!! Well, NOT GREAT. The chicken was barely warm ( I didn't care for the sauce. It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth), the cole slaw was dry, and the greens were tough. The jalapeno hush puppies and bread were good! My guest and I, ate a little chicken, some bread and washed it down with tea. The food just doesn't have a good taste to it. It's bland and you have to wonder if any seasoning is being used. It's edible, but that's about it. I was truly disappointed. I didn't think you could mess up BBQ chicken and sides.

I brought the rest of my food home, heated it and gave it a second chance. I came to the same conclusion. I can't recommend Squeal to anyone. I didn't have an appetizer. I didn't have the ribs, so I can't judge those. I looked on Urbanspoon afterwards and found out that either people liked (food I didn't try) or really disliked Squeal (more of the latter). Surprisingly, some of the same reasons I mentioned. So it was good to know my review wasn't far off.

top: talbots / striped maxi skirt: target / sandals: old navy