SULTAN – Between storms last winter, Mountain Man BBQ quietly opened in the historic downtown section of this small town that’s a gateway to the Cascades. As the last of the snow melted, a Herald reader sent us an e-mail about this small eatery across the street from the town’s library.
The mountain man theme begins at the front door, where the street number is made from rope and a polished tree limb is the door handle. Inside, the dining area seats about a dozen people who can choose from bar stools or a table with bench, which look hand-hewn. Old tools and barbed wire decorate the walls and Johnny Cash sang in the background on our visit.
The menu’s brief and to the point: barbecue sandwiches, combo plates, sides, drinks and by-the-pound, if you’re picking up grub for the gang, which the two men ahead of us were doing.
There are two house specialties: The Mountain Man Spud ($7.95) is a baked potato stuffed with butter, sour cream, cheese, chives and barbecued beef or pork, and Grandma’s Cow Chip Cookies (75 cents each), are a chocolate-oatmeal-peanut butter concoction.
The smell of wood smoke hangs lightly in the dining room, and as my friend and I ordered, we watched one of the kitchen staff pull freshly barbecued pork from the bone. We expected genuine, belly-fillin’ chow.
My dinner partner chose a sandwich of sliced beef brisket and a side of cole slaw ($6.95) and skipped a bottled soda or lemonade from the cooler. I ordered just about everything else – a pulled pork butt sandwich plus sides of beans and corn bread ($7.49), and an on-tap pale ale ($3.50). Other barbecue choices include chopped beef brisket, pork loin and baby back ribs.
There’s no putting on airs when it comes to table settings. Our sandwiches were served on a paper-lined black plastic tray with black plastic flatware. A roll of paper towels an elbow’s length away served as our napkins.
My friend and I dug in. His cole slaw was cold, crisp and made with a tasty vinegar dressing instead of the usual mayonnaise-based one. My baked beans had a delightful hint of heat and sweetness. My corn bread wasn’t gussied up with lots of extras like sugar. Plain but fresh hamburger buns held my ample serving of pulled pork with just enough barbecue sauce to add flavor without making everything slippery. My friend’s beef brisket was so tender he complimented the kitchen on the way out.
For those of you who’ll take a while to mosey on over to Sultan, there’s an outside dining area for sunny days. Just look for the wagon inside the gate.
Herald restaurant reviewers accept no invitations to review, but readers’ suggestions are always welcome. Reviewers arrive unannounced, and The Herald pays their tabs.
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