The team behind Home Plate, which built a following with a delivery service focused on brisket, ribs, wings and the like, opened its restaurant today a block behind the new Kro’s Nest on Xiaoyun Road. Home Plate has seating for about forty, a custom-made smoker stoked with apple wood, a cute and cuddly cow logo that might inspire people to order the veggies, and modest prices given the size of several dishes I sampled on Sunday. They included a double burger, with 300 grams of tender meat just a touch pink in the middle, priced at RMB35, and one of the house specialities, cheese fries topped with brisket, priced at RMB45. Expect pulled pork sandwiches at RMB30 and cheese fries at RMB20 along with Texas ranch beans, potato salad and smoked corn on the cob.
Seth Grossman says Home Plate aims to capture the spirit of the southern BBQ belt. “It is all about slow cooking,” he says. “In the Carolinas people usually do pulled pork, in Texas it is brisket and beef, and in Memphis you see more of a rub on the ribs.” Chef Adama Murray, who also manned the kitchen during the delivery service days, had the smoker built to his specs and is doing everything from the cornbread to the barbecue sauce in house.
The beverage list is a still work in progress, with plans to serve a range of Bourbons, drinks such as Alabama Slammers and Mint Juleps, and American craft beers as well as a brew or two on tap. But if what I tasted last night is any indication, we can live without the drinks for the time being.
For those unfamiliar with the area, take the alley beside Kro’s Nest to the end and turn left. In fact, you can make it an all-American meal by hitting both places, getting some pizzas as well as some brisket and pulled pork.
Is it wrong to drool on my keyboard…..?
Your review of Homeplate is written poorly, you twits. Kro’s nest recently opened on Xiaoyun road. As you have announced there is a plan to open a second branch in Sanlitun. Yet in your review of Homeplate, you refer to the “new Kro’s nest.” Are you idiots referring to the yet-to-be-opened Kro’s nest in Sanlitun or the recently opened Kro’s nest on Xiaoyun Road?
@ Euchrid,
It is mandatory.
Cheers, Boyce
@ WTF,
You are right, I should have been clearer and have since added “on Xiaoyun Road” to the post. But you are also wrong, since this blog is written solely by me and you should thus have used the singular “twit”. It’s okay, mistakes happen.
Cheers, Boyce
Boyce your slipping
@WTF, Douche!
@Boyce, thanks for the review. Is the new place North-East or South-West of Kro’s on Xiaoyun Lu?
Thanks and always appreciate your singular hard work.
-Tim
is home plate bbq open to the public yet?
@ chunky,
and your winning again!
cheers, boyce
@ Tim,
I’m horrible at directions — it’s one street directly behind Kro’s.
Thanks for the kind comments.
Cheers, boyce
@ jake,
Yes, it is, and Seth and Adam have been pretty busy since opening this week.
Cheers, boyce
@boyce, LOL! Thanks for the clarification and the sense of humor to my drunken rant seriously. Also thanks for the great lead.
@Tim, Watch it I know where you live.
There is an alley directly across from Dong Fang Dong Lu at Xiao Yun Lu. Walk through that alley to the next street and turn left. Home Plate is about 6 stalls down.
In Google’s Earth view: 39°57’22″N 116°27’17″E
@boyce, thanks for the reply
I went and checked it out yesterday. Your review was very positive and didnt even begin to do this place justice. Very authentic BBQ, really delicious and very reasonably priced.
amazing cheese fries with brisket…amazing..tried them today
Place is easy to find, too:
1. start at Kro’s next on Xiaoyun Lu
2. Go down alley way (immediately next to Kro’s)
3. Head all the way down alley (about 200m) until you reach a food street
4. Hang left at the food street
5. walk past numerous Chinese restaurants for about 200m until you reach home plate
Gotta try the corn dog there! Best I have ever had
Having the full address in both english and chinese would make the post better. “One block behind” is not clear.
Obviously some people don’t know their way around town, am heading there next week and understood pretty clearly how to get there!
Hope their reputation is still preceding them and one can be presumed to be called ‘twits’ if they are feeling it the morning after their night before!
Keep up the good writing!