Hungry Boston: Commonwealth BBQ

   I feel like a fool for not visiting Commonwealth BBQ earlier, having lived in the Boston area my whole life this gem has been hidden for far too long. Unfortunately this restaurant has been hidden from the general public for a while now, it's located in Wrentham, MA so most Bostonian's probably haven't had a chance to try it out. I was speaking to the owner and told him he should open one up downtown because it would put a lot of the other "BBQ" restaurants in Boston to shame.

   Commonwealth tries to stay true to the southern BBQ culture, providing outdoor picnic style seating only, using large smokers and smoke rings cooking low and slow for that perfect pink moist tenderness, and making many dishes on the spot like their pork belly, jalapeno poppers and sweet tea. Comfort food at it's finest, the BBQ dishes here are like nothing you'll find elsewhere in MA, sure any real southerner will tell you that it's not the same as Memphis or St.Louis however they'll also tell you that it's pretty damn good for New England. I know a lot of locals like "Blue Ribbon BBQ" but if you try Commonwealth you'll see the difference in authenticity immediately and realize that there's no comparison.

   The Mrs. and I stopped by after shopping around the Wrentham Outlet Mall which was only a couple of minutes away, we were surprised by how many cars came in and out for the lunch rush. We ended up getting the Sampler which consisted of every meat they have to offer as well as every side, and of course we didn't finish it all but it was hella good, good enough to make me drive almost an hour to get on a big Sunday game day. For anyone planning on visiting Gillette Stadium, be sure to stop by because it's hosted quite a few famous faces from ex-players to front office staff of both the Patriots and the Revolution.

   The ribs were cooked with just the right amount of smoky flavor and of course they were fall off the bone. The juicy tenderness was amazing and I had to order some extra to take home, easily my favorite item on the menu. Coming in second would be the pulled pork, just as tender but it goes better with the sauces they provide, they offer 5 special variation of BBQ and mustard. The sliced brisket was like beef bacon, a little meaty, a little fatty but full of flavor. My least favorite item had to be the pulled chicken, to me chicken is chicken, so the main flavors were the spices used and there were too many little bones so I wasn't a big fan. My favorite side had to be the jalapeno poppers then the sweet potato fries, but that was about it, I really wish there were better side options like potato salad or macaroni salad.

   Overall Commonwealth was an amazing surprise, I came in with low expectations based on the other BBQ joints in MA so to find one that had some true southern flares was very welcoming. If you want great comfort food and delicious BBQ, be sure to visit Commonwealth, no one in MA does it better.

Score: We Loved It! (8.5/10)