The last time I visited Southern Eleven for dinner, I was disappointed.
Despite being very quiet, the service was slow, so slow in fact that, the chef was considerably frustrated by this, and shouts of ‘service!’ getting more and more agitated could be heard. As the poor chap’s shouts got louder and louder it became an uncomfortable experience for anyone who could see what was going on.
Since then, they’ve had a revamp, altered the menu to include lots more barbecue favourites and started a small pine forest outside, complete with barbecue.
Inside, there’s more pine, a rather large bear (apologies for the poor photograph), and a few loud declarations of meat love. Imagine a redneck style barbecue shack, transplanted to the plush of Spinningfields.
Plenty of staff on hand, a good number of diners for a late lunch on Saturday and we were already miles ahead of our last visit. Oddly, we were seated in the exact same seats as our last visit, perfect for ogling the food coming off the pass – vast ribs, burgers, fries, hush puppies. I was very glad I’d skipped breakfast.
Drinks wise too, the menu is rather paired down – favourites are still there, but I had a little sweet craving going on, so it was a boozy coke float, with vanilla vodka and ice cream. Whereas Mr GFB had a pint of American Ale from the Portland Craft Beer Company – served with a slice of orange, well known as a garnish to Blue Moon. Given his substantial beardage, this was discarded soon after.
Suitably refreshed, and definitely hungry, we turned to starters. Sadly, the deep fried candy corn wasn’t available (I do need to go back to try this), so we opted instead for the fried chicken, kosher pickle hush puppies and battered pickle spears.
The chicken was good – the coating well flavoured and crisp, the chicken kept its texture, not becoming too tough or chewy. Satisfying.
The kosher pickle hush puppies were great – they can often be stodgy, lacking in flavour and seasoning, but the piquant little hits of pickle perked them up beautifully and the pickle spears were great too – not soggy or over battered, nor under battered and greasy.
Mains and we both wanted to eat everything. The poor waitress had to return three times because I couldn’t actually make a decision – luckily both her and Mr GFB are patient souls and by the time she returned a third time, I’d finally finished vacillating.
Though tempted by the burgers and fried chicken, we both opted for meat plates. They’re a bit of a bargain at £9.99 for one meaty item on your plate (plus fries and slaw) up to £17.99 for three, as we are greedy. Mr GFB dove in with both feet – beef short rib, brisket and hickory smoked belly ribs.
I too was tempted by the beef rib, but with rib tips and pit roast chicken made it onto my plate.
Safe to say, I didn’t bother much with my fries or coleslaw.
The beef rib is tender, the collagen fibres have been so gently cooked they’re gelatinous and sticky, and it’s that great combination of tougher chewy bits, and sweet, softer sticky bits of meat. Gorgeous stuff.
The rib tips were lovely, if a little less chewy and sticky as I’d expect. Normally these are the tough (in a good way) chewy bits from the ends, but these were much more tender than expected. The chicken too was tender, that delicious pink colour you expect from slow cooking and it almost fell off the bone.
The brisket was good too, though not as good as some I’ve had (I’ve been spoilt barbecue wise), but the flavour and texture were great. And the hickory smoked ribs had a gorgeous sauce and that delicious smoke running through them.
As a side, I couldn’t resist the mac’n’cheese – given this is one of the very few in number vegetarian options on the menu, away from the smaller plates, it seemed only fair. This is where all my carb love went. Stringy cheese on top, good sauce (not too heavy, not too light) mac that wasn’t overdone either.
Despite being stuffed, we still had to at least nod to dessert. So no pecan pie sundae, or cheese cake for us. Something simple, easy to get wrong and tasty.
Excellent churros guys. Crispy and fluffy, these weren’t the soggy dough filled ones I’ve had before when the oil has been the wrong temperature, or the overdone crunchy version, when someone’s forgotten about them.
Admittedly, I skipped the chocolate sauce, but Mr GFB nodded in a happy manner whilst eating, so I think it’s safe to say that was a winner too.
Overall, you’ve come a long way S11. I’m not so fussed about the branding, but gone is the poor shouty chef and the uninterested staff. Instead you’ve got a good team, a better menu and happy customers.
Good work. I’ll see you again sometime.
The food and drink partaken in this review was provided free of charge by Southern Eleven for a review for Tasting Britain. A second post was created for this site.
As ever, a free meal is not a guarantee of a positive review, however the food was much improved on our last visit, the service excellent and we’ll happily visit again.