not the best

I just returnedfrom a trip to Indy. If this is Indiana's best Texas-style BBQ then I feel sorry for Indy. Let me first say that I am on a BBQ team in the northeast and have also judged at events before. I was at Dick's on sunday Nov. 4 before the big game I had the combo plate of ribs,pulled pork,and sausage. I found the pork dry like it had been held way to long or poorly reheated adding sauce helped but not much. The ribs were not very meaty but were not as dry as the pork. The sausage was not bad and had a smokey flavor. the mac and chese as well as cole slaw was good. If you like to cover your BBQ in sauce you might do fine here but if you are into real BBQ be careful. I hope I just caught them on a really bad day but I don't think so.

Convenient BBQ Downtown

Dick's ain't bad, it's also not the best, but it is downtown on Penn. They also have at least one dark beer on tap, which gives them points in my book.

The BBQ isn't competitive with other local BBQ places, the sauces aren't all that and a bag of chips and the side dishes don't make me feel like I'm back at aunt Patty's house in Louisiana.

Skip it and pick another BBQ dive unless you need a quick fix and can't leave the DT area.

Good and Bad...

Okay I will admit; I'm a BBQ nazi... I'm from Texas. I know my BBQ.

The Owner is from Austin. Anyone that knows anything about Texas understands that "Austin" is to Texas what "San Francisco or Berkeley" is to California.

That being said lets get on with the food.

I always try a place twice, just in case I caught it on a bad day.

Both times I've had the brisket sandwich lunch combos.

Being from Texas I've noticed that the main problem that most BBQ places in Indy have is this mentality of "the sauce for the flavor". WTF? Being from Texas, I can say that "The Sauce" is supposed to be there to compliment the flavor of the meat, and not substitute for the flavor of the meat. Which is in this case what it does.

I found the "jumbo sandwich" to be small. The beans to taste EXACTLY like the "Western Ranch Beans" that you get out of the cans at the local Kroger, and the chips to be mostly crumbs. Service seemed to be so-so, and the cleanliness was okay. Four TVs in the small dining area...ALL of them except one wired to the same ESPN channel. When I asked if I could get one TV turned to CNN or MSNBC to catch the news the waitress said that "she didn't know how to do that".

They do serve Lone Star Beer though and thats a plus.

Essentially...if you need a quick lunch with a BBQ flavor downtown, then this is the place to go.

If you want REAL BBQ, (Slow cooked meat over Mesquite wood with the right seasonsing, and flavorings that will make you want more than you can ever ever possibly eat), then skip this place. If you REALLY want what I just said, then get a ticket from Southwest and head for the Texas Hill Country...

BBQ and Beer

After reading the above reviews I have a question, where else are you going to get BBQ downtown? With that being said, I think Dick's suffers from a bit of a chain restaurant feel. The food is pretty good, but not what you may get in a one-of-a-kind BBQ shack. They get points for having a seasonally changing beer selection. I wish the place was a little larger, but for a quick pulled pork sandwich and a frosty brew this place hits the spot.

Great BBQ

I know people are self proclaimed BBQ experts, but BBQ is an odd thing in Indiana. There may be a good place to get it from time to time, but it never last that long. Dick's has been around a while and has terrific BBQ. I got their grilled chicken sandwich (because I go for the healthier options) and then covered it in Sweet and Tangy BBQ. Their french fries are also very good with the BBQ sauce.