Sick of BBQ? You're CRAZY!

So my barbecue journey continued the other day when I finally ventured over to Stallings, NC to check out Rockstore BBQ. A co-worker of mine had been telling me about it and insisted that I try it, so since my mom ate what was GOING to be my lunch, I had the perfect opportunity to give it a shot. The restaurant is about 15-20 minutes away from where I work, so it was within reasonable distance for a lunch break. On to the grading...

1. Service/Atmosphere: As soon as I walked in, I could sense that Rockstore was a down home, know-everybody's-name kind of place (the man at the register calling everyone by name gave me that feeling). It was a small place with about 3 or 4 booths to sit at for dine-in. The man at the register was one of the nicest strangers I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. He was quick on the register which is always a good thing. So if you don't mind close quarters in a friendly environment, then this place is a must-go. Grade: A

2. Menu excitement: Well, there wasn't much reading to get excited over. The menu was listed above the register and it was pretty standard. Nothing fancy, you really know exactly what you're getting at this place. Again, this is a small place, so there wasn't a need for a long menu of options. With that said... Grade: B-/C+ (the menu looks much better online... we'll go with a B for that)

3. Food speed: Good luck trying to deliver food faster than these guys. As soon as I said "lunch special", they were moving! Everything was pre-packaged ready to go, so what took the longest was me trying to decide which sauce I wanted. Grade: A+

4. Tickled fancy: Because I got the lunch special, I only got one side, so of course I chose mac'n cheese (if you haven't figured out already, it's my go-to side order). This wasn't the best I've had, but it was definitely good. Wasn't quite the homestyle I like at other restaurants, but it was 10x better than what some places put out. Grade: A-

5. Sauce: Rockstore's got some goooood sauce. I only tried 1 (out of 3 options) but if the others are anything like the one I had, then they are also "goooood". One awsome thing about the sauce (other than the taste) is that they gave me 2 little packages of the sauce. So I poured one packaged all over my sandwich, then I dipped that same sandwich in the other package of sauce (yes, both things of sauce were necessary).
Grade: A+

6. Wallet pain: The absolute best thing about the $5.50 lunch special is... it's only $5.50. I have yet to go to a place that can match that price and amount of food. Grade: A+

7. Surprise: The fact that I got some good barbecue from a very small restaurant - that's really no surprise. No grade on this one.

8. Amount: The lunch special consisted of a barbecue sandwich, 1 side, and a drink. I ate it all... and it was good. They gave me a generous portion of barbecue for my sandwich, and the mac'n cheese was just enough. I was satisfied after my meal, which is all I really ask. Grade: A

To wrap this up, Rockstore BBQ was good. I can't say it was better than Jim and Nick's or Mac's because of the different styles. I don't see too many people going out to eat and picking Rockstore for their dining pleasure. However, it's the best place to grab a really good barbecue lunch. I will return in the very near future (like... tomorrow).