To Fry or not to Frey

The BBQ craze is not new to NOLA anymore as "meat joints" seem to be popping up everywhere with varying selections. One of our favorites is Blue Oak BBQ in the Carrollton area of the city since it is very casual with decent pricing and of course a full bar. Unfortunately, our visit last week ended up with no success because the line was terribly long, a good thing for the restaurant, but also painstakingly slow, which was a bad thing for the restaurant and the customers trying to grab some grub.

Fortunately in the mid city area, Frey Meats is just around the block and they had tables available. Frey is a little different than the other BBQ establishments because they do take reservations and a host takes the time to bring you to your table. The other great thing about Frey is the owners are obsessed with Bourbon and have some of the most delicious cocktails on the special drink menu and a large selection of bourbon brands to choose from. We settled for Bulleit Old Fashions which came perfectly prepared with crushed cherries and muddle orange slices.

We also enjoy Frey because everyone argues about how to pronounce the name. Since I have lived in NOLA a long time and that makes me right on all things local, I have always called it F R I but good friends argue it is F R A Y. Local customs dictate that we can certainly disagree about names and how to pronounce them here, and that is part of our charm.

For dinner, I chose the pulled pork platter with fresh coleslaw and yummy brussel sprouts. If you have not noticed some new items on the menu, salads are coming. What, salads at a "meat place?" After chatting with staff about why salads were coming, they informed us that the wives of the owners decided it was time to have some lighter healthier items added to the menu. The boys may own the joint, but looks like their wives are going to have quite some influence in the future.

Frey Smoked Meat Company

4141 Bienville Suite 110

504-488-RIBS

https://freysmokedmeat.com/