Some days you just get lucky!! Tuesday was one of those days. We pulled into Tucson, AZ to have lunch, but didn’t have a place picked out. We made a few calls, asked around and ended up at Mr. K’s BBQ a few miles from the University of Arizona. Touted as “Tucson’s best unknown BBQ hole in the wall,” Mr. K’s surprised us and was among the most well-rounded bbq joints we’ve tried on the trip. It was quality across the board and well above in some categories.
Mr. K's had a modest façade and even more lackluster interior; it had a small counter, a small prep area, two tables and two smoke barrels outside. It was surprising this good of bbq could come from such a small operation. There was no question that Mr. K’s produced bbq to compete with the big boys.
Smoker barrels at Mr. K's BBQ in Tucson, AZ.
Sauce – 4.5 – One of the best sauces, if not the best, we’ve had. It had nearly everything – nice spice, a tad sweet, great consistency, served warm and enhanced the meat flavor. Only qualm is it had a hint of marinara-style sauce, which isn’t bad, but not normally expected from a bbq sauce.
Sides – 3.5 – Nice assortment for such a small place and we really enjoyed the unique home cooking recipes they had. The coleslaw was creamy and sprinkled with cinnamon, which added a nice flavor; definitely something we hadn’t seen before. The sweet potatoes were loaded with ginger and a tad too sweet for my palette. The Texas beans had nice thick texture and were seasoned with bay leaves, again something we hadn’t seen before. Potato salad was the only traditionally prepared side with diced pickle, red pepper and celery.
Slabs – 4 – Great smoky flavor. It had a bonfire aroma. The dry rub resulted in a tasty spicy crust once cooked in the smoker. The meat was tender and pulled off the bone nicely. Only drawback was they lacked a sweet tone that normally comes from a nice glazed skin.
Steaks – 4 –The thinly sliced beef had the same delicious smoky flavor and aroma as the ribs. The meat was moist and tender. With the sauce it was a 4.5.
Sandwiches – 4 – The thinly sliced pork had the same smoky flavor as the other meats, but it was not as prominent. It had a bit of the crispy skin crust which enhanced it a bit. It was moderately moist and with the delicious sauce it was also a 4.5.
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