In the mid-90s, British wood-dye manufacturer Ronseal (or more specifically its advertising agency) coined the timeless slogan: “It does exactly what it says on the tin.” It was a no-nonsense catchphrase for a no-nonsense product.
Other commercials promised domestic bliss to those with clean laundry, unbounded happiness to consumers of carbonated drinks, and irresistible sex appeal to the underwhelmingly average-looking, but Ronseal won over DIY aficionados with its refreshing, unapologetic bluntness.
So while Sanlitun’s The Bar BQ must surely have the most unoriginal name since ‘The Bar’ (found one floor above, in what we can only presume is called ‘The Building’), it’s nice to know exactly what we’re getting – a bar and a barbecue. Ergo, we will be served alcohol and meat.
The space has barely changed since the previous incarnation, By the Tree, so we can trundle through with relative haste: stone floor, pool table, sports trophies and interior archways. Time for cooked carcass.
We indulge in the all-meat combo (RMB195, feeds three to four), which features two types of ribs, two of brisket and a rather dense sausage. This is meant to be a dry barbecue and it’s certainly that – a little too much for our liking – although snippets of succulence can be found in the chopped brisket and rib tips, both of which are the platter’s highlights.
A saucy remedy is the obvious solution. The Texas and Memphis varieties are too sweet for these palettes but the Kansas City brings a certain richness found lacking in its bottled brown friends.
So The Bar BQ is, for now, doing exactly what it says on the tin. But there’s potential for more. With a little sauce-tinkering and some slightly juicier cuts, it may find itself better placed to challenge the more established names in the world of Beijing barbecue.
Price
Platters from about RMB50-150 per person; burgers RMB35-50
Who’s Going
Pool-playing carnivores; drinkers at The Bar
Good For
Inducing meat sweats
See a listing for The Bar BQ
Read more Beijing Restaurant Reviews
Images by Holly Li
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