Rub BBQ

The stars are the meats, of course, and Rub does better on those that on its sides. Fabulously tasty is an appetizer of “pig wings,” though they come with the sauce cooked on instead of letting the diner choose. These petite pieces are braised shanks, with a slightly crisp exterior and a bit of maple flavor. There’s only a tiny bone, which isn’t visible till the meat is gone, so it looks a little unmannerly to pick them up and eat them out of hand. Prominent in each booth is a six-pack of squeeze-bottle sauces. Also pleasing are the pulled items, both mellow pork and smoky chicken, moist as can be. A big drawing card is the 29 drafts — from PBR (unaccountably popular) to Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale — and the 42 domestic and 38 international bottles of beer. My party loved the tangy Two-Hearted (such a kinder concept than two-fisted) and Magic Hat #9 from Vermont, mild with a touch of bitterness and a nice finish, as well as Berghoff’s Famous draft root beer.