Dining Out South Atlantic States: Rosco's Soul Food, Welch, WV

 

We traveled most of the day to reach Welch, WV.  We are going to participate in a BBQ judging event tomorrow.  We're excited to try the difference in regional BBQ and to compare and contrast the flavor profiles of what we normally judge.

But for this evening's meal, we drove a few miles to Rosco's Soul Food.  Again, one of the best parts of traveling and getting out of one's comfort zone is to taste the differences in flavors, cooking techniques, and regional favorites.

Here's the menu.

We were starving so I requested some jalapeno poppers while we decided on our meals.  Unfortunately, they were out of those, so we ordered some fried okra instead.

These little nuggets of goodness were FRESH out of the fryer.  They were too hot to eat without waiting for a few minutes.  They had a nice and crunchy exterior and you could taste that the oil they had been fried in was fresh.  Y'all know that "old oil" taste.  Nope.  I don't like that a little bit.  These were delicious.

We placed our orders and I was able to catch my breath and take a few pictures of the interior.

I told our nice server we were in town to judge BBQ tomorrow. She smiled and disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a sample of their brisket, ribs, and pulled pork.

Now while this is somewhat a different version of each than to which I am accustomed, they were all delicious in their own way.

The brisket was heavily sauced with a thick and slightly sweet sauce.  The smoke flavor was present in the meat.  

The rib was also heavily sauced and you could smell the smokiness.  The rib was extremely tender.

The pulled pork had more of a vinegar based sauce.  See the difference in the color?  It also had that smoke flavor that is sometimes surprisingly missing from BBQ.  

I really appreciated her letting us try their versions.  I knew if we ate an entire BBQ meal tonight I wouldn't be able to give my best to judging tomorrow.  This was just enough!

Our food was delivered hot and fresh to the table.  

Sweet Harold chose the fried catfish plate with collard greens and yams.

The catfish had a perfect crust thanks to a crunchy cornmeal coating.  Again, no "old oil" taste!

When it comes to greens, my favorite is spinach, followed by mustard, turnip, with collards and kale bringing up the rear.  However, SH loves him some collards.  He ranked these some of the best he's ever eaten!

His second choice for a side was the candied yams.  These were perfectly cooked and had just the right amount of sweetness.

I also chose the fried catfish plate with macaroni and cheese and coleslaw.

I loved this catfish!

Now let me tell you about this macaroni and cheese.  THIS is what mac and cheese is supposed to be.  Rich and cheesy, baked to perfection, and served hot so all that cheesy goodness can show out.

Yes, I told them I'd drive back from Alabama to eat this M & C.  Seriously.

The coleslaw was freshly made and had the crunch you expect from a good slaw.  Yes, SH snuck several bites.

Our server made another surprise visit to our table and told me she wanted me to try their cornbread!

Okay.  Y'all know I prefer a non-sugar cornbread.  I've been very vocal about that for years.  HOWEVER, if I did like sweet cornbread, this would be a personal favorite.  

So all of you sweet cornbread lovers, take note.  I tried this version and I enjoyed it very much.

As we were finishing our meal, who appeared but The Man Himself:  Rosco!  He sat down and chatted with us for a few minutes and told us he will soon be opening another restaurant in nearby Tazewell, Virginia.  

He's a very nice gentleman and we enjoyed meeting him and are thankful he gave us a few minutes to visit.

And here's a new friend I made tonight, our server Nan.  I also learned she is the magic behind the macaroni and cheese!  She was so friendly and made us feel like we had known her for a long time.  

Thanks to Rosco's Soul Food for an enjoyable and delicious meal.