Went to Smokin' Woody's last night, quite by chance. My fiancee and I had planned on ribs at the Gale Street Inn, but upon being greeted by a waiting room crammed like a rush-hour Brown Line car, and a promised wait of an hour, we struck off elsewhere, not sure what exactly we'd find. I spotted Smokin' Woody's out of the corner of my eye as we headed down Lincoln, and with neither of us having heard of it before, we decided to give it the once-over.

The smell outside was a good sign, and the immediate, casual, friendly service when we stepped in was another. We started off with an order of the evening's featured app - Onion-Fried Green Beans. Fresh green beans fried in an onion-ring batter that (unless this was a trick of my mind) did have a mild onion flavor to it. The beans were bright green, perfectly fried, crisp, and flavorful. My fiancee actually remarked, "I think these might taste better without the ranch dressing," which I believe is the first time in recorded history she's said that.

For our entrees, she went with the half-slab, and I went with the pulled pork sandwich. Both of us got Woody's Potatoes on the side, which were perfectly cooked and delicious. (My fiancee gets bonus points for giving a piece a quick swipe through the ranch.) Both of us loved our featured cuts of pork. My sandwich was more of a "theoretical" sandwich - there was no way I was attacking it with anything other than a knife and fork, with that giant pile o' pig and slathering of sauce. The bun (egg?) made for some excellent soppin' bread, though, and I made full use of it. Her ribs (which I gladly assisted on) were perfectly cooked, with just enough chew, but still allowing you to work your way down to a clean bone. On top of all that, I washed it down with a genuine Green River out of a glass bottle - I didn't even know it came in anything other than cans and 2-liters.

I think the next time we go, and I'm certain there will be a next time, we'll both go with the sauce on the side route. We both prefer a sweeter sauce, I think, and Woody's sauce definitely packs a more vinegary, sharper bite. For that variety of sauce, though, it is good stuff, and comes along with the slight, building heat I absolutely love. The main reason I'd go for the sauce on the side, though, is to experience some more of that smoky pork goodness naked. I had a few pieces on my bun that were unsauced, and that flavor was like an extra experience on my plate. Fantastic. Next time, we'll also be sure to take advantage of the BYOB, and we'll be going in with the advance knowledge that it is a cash-only joint - so I won't have to hit up my fiancee to cover the tip.

Oh, and we'll try to save some room for that apple pie drizzled with melted butter. I promise.