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M & M RIBS a.k.a. BIG MOE’S BBQ RIBS
Purist aficionados of Southern barbecue may sniff, as M & M’s pit master Big Moe doesn’t employ classic low-temperature slow smoking. But the level of finesse he brings to oak-charcoal grilling is nonetheless impressive. In a chain-link-enclosed corner lot of a construction company, next to a sandpit where dump trucks get filled, Big Moe grills up beautifully smoky pork spareribs ($20 for a slab, $11 for a half-slab, and $8 for a tray) and chicken ($9.25 for a whole, $5.50 for a half). These are served from the M & M truck by genuinely sweet servers who apply an excellent tomato-based finishing sauce, which artfully balances subtle smokiness and cayenne-pepper fire, and throw in a roll and a square of not-too-sweet, dryish cornbread.
Specials include fiery jerk chicken with spicy rice ($4), oxtail ($7.50), pig’s feet ($4), and gorgeously fatty beef brisket, chopped and served on a roll ($5). A deep fryer produces oversized whole chicken wings ($8 for eight, $5 for four). The excellent soul food sides ($5.50 large, $3.00 small) are big and satisfying, too, like terrific cheddar-laden mac and cheese, collard greens with the glossy dark color of seaweed and an unctuous hit of fatback, and spicy red rice and beans. It’s all good, but the standout in my book is the chicken, with the kind of crisp skin and juiciness throughout that most backyard amateurs only dream of. The weekend late-night scene, which attracts a raucously hungry, happy crowd, is great fun here too.
Approximate address: 200 Hampden Street, Roxbury
Hours: Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday from midnight to 3 a.m.
Nearby landmark: The brick building at the corner of Norfolk Avenue with the “Howard Storage” sign
