CLUB SCENE:
JR'S BAR-B-QUE & BAKES

7435 East Taft Road
East Syracuse, NY
(315) 656-4260

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by Maryann McKinley

There's nothing like down-home cooking. In Syracuse, we have plenty of it right here at JR's Bar-B-Que & Bakes. With a menu full of JR's special versions of chili, barbeque chicken, ribs, homemade soups and pub fare, you can get dinner and relaxation for you and your honey, or reserve a spot for your whole company, out on the lawn enjoying a barbeque bake. JR's thirty acre facility has baseball diamonds, horseshoe pits, lush lawns, indoor party rooms, and outdoor patio areas for fun in any season.
There's something to do all year long at JR’s. Struggling with cabin fever?

Get out and join the Wednesday night Pitch league, playing right up 'til the weather breaks and it's time for golf. You can show your stuff at the monthly Pitch tourney, usually scheduled right around the middle of the month. February brings the annual Chili Cookoff (try John's special seafood chili, brimming with scallops, clams and shrimp), green beer in March, the Open Clambake in May, golf tourney in September, and the Pig Roast in autumn.

The men's and women's golf leagues play at Poolsbrook, just down the road, so retire to JR's for beer and bragging rights. There might still be a few openings, if you're lucky. Call John or Diane to reserve your spot!

During the week, happy hour is 4 - 7 pm Monday through Friday. Wednesday is pitch or golf, depending on the season, Thursday is pool league night, or get in some Friday night dancing with DJ Kevin from 9:30 to 1:30. Saturday afternoons feature NASCAR, with yummy in-house wings for $4 a dozen, also available on Friday and Saturday nights. Saturday evening is flip night - toss a coin for a drink special!

Even with all that fun available, the main draw at JR's is the food. You can't beat good old-fashioned barbeque for flavor and filling up the tummy, and JR's has the best pulled-pork around. JR's is famous for BBQ chicken and ribs, giant wings, football-themed deli sandwiches (try the Saint Sub - grilled heaven!), and the best burgers around. Lunch is available all week.
On weekends, the kitchen hardly closes. On Friday nights, JR's cooks up an amazing fish dinner, with fried or broiled haddock served as a platter or sandwich, a haddock, shrimp and clam plate, a scallop and haddock special, all served up with a fresh salad bar and their famous sides of salt potatoes, onion rings, hush puppies, cole slaw, beans, or fries. With all that goodness calling my name, I had to indulge. I settled on a little sampler plate so that I could have a taste of lots of JR's specialties. First, I tried the famous pulled pork. This pork is smoked on site, emerging tender and meaty, ready to be slathered with a barbeque special sauce created especially by John. The sauce is a rich brown with a light smoky, sweet flavor that complements the dish without overpowering the natural smoked pork flavor. Excellent.

I'm a chili aficionado (or so I like to think), so JR’s secret recipe was next on my menu. Since all the food is cooked up fresh, offerings can change depending on what went in the pot that morning. On the day of my visit, turkey chili was waiting. JR's serves up a thick, spicy bowl full of meat, beans, peppers, onions and chunks of tomatoes, all in a rich tomatoey sauce with a definite kick. Yum. Sitting alongside were an order of hush puppies, little rounds of cornbread perfection that are crispy outside, warm and moist inside with just a hint of oniony goodness . .

According to country lore, hush puppies got their name from treats tossed to begging dogs while cooking up a meal, designed to get them to "Hush, puppy!" It worked on me. I was too busy enjoying to say a single word!

An experience you can't miss is the fried pickle. Of course, I'm watching what I eat (most of the time), but I couldn't resist trying this JR specialty. A dill pickle spear is dunked in batter, quickly fried golden brown, and served hot. I didn't know what to expect, but the result was a surprise. It still tasted like a pickle, but the normally intense flavor seems to mellow with cooking. This was definitely unusual, but a good addition to a menu. The pickle retains its body, with the crunch all in the crispy spiced coating. Hot pickles, to my surprise, are good. I finished the whole batch!

If all of this sounds tempting but you just can't make it there in person, JR's will bring the party to you, via their Abbot's Catering division. All the barbeque goodness of a visit to JR's can be yours, without any work at all on your part!
Call John at 315-656-42214 to arrange your next Fina Four, backyard bash, or company event. Your friends will never stop talking about it!

JR's Bar-B-Q & Bakes is located at 7435 East Taft Road, close by Arrowhead Golf Course. It's convenient to Bridgeport, Minoa, and Fremont, and you can get there from anywhere since it’s close to major highways. JR's is open all week from 11 am til 2 am, depending on the crowd and conditions. Call owner John or manager Diane at 656-4260 to order ahead, or for information on joining one of the great group leagues JR’s supports.

And don't forget to plan your company party!

Questions? Comments? Email me at mcmar01@yahoo.com - and have a great month!