Alligator Alley
Oakland Park, FL

Review by: Alexander Washburn
Date: 11/5/04

I came for the Alligator ribs. I’ve never had gator ribs before and as a BBQ and overall food lover, I knew that I had to try them. Gator is tender – more tender than beef or pork ribs. The meat falls off the bone like ribs are supposed to be. Regardless of this, many, many BBQ places get this fact wrong – thankfully Alligator Alley gets it right. I’ve also tasted the sliced brisket and pulled pork, both of which were slow roasted to perfection. But it’s the alligator ribs that steal the show at this homage to New Orleans culture.

The ribs don’t come drenched in sauce which is another good thing. When you normally see ribs loaded with sauce, it’s usually to mask the bland flavor of the meat. At Alligator Alley, the meat is the star and holds up on its own. Let me think about this before I type it because I truly believe its true: Alligator Alley has the best Cole Slaw I’ve ever tasted. Better than the slaw at the 2nd Avenue Deli in NYC and better slaw than Louie’s Charcoal Pit in Teaneck, NJ. Get the slaw instead of fries, your stomach and doctor will thank you.

Alligator Alley serves a local brewed hoppy IPA that’s not going to be mistaken for Dogfish Head’s 90-minute IPA anytime soon. Also on draft is a seasonal, now Pumpkin Ale. Let’s just hope that the warm weather in Florida doesn’t mean that a winter warmer like Sam Smith’s won’t be served up come November. On the after dinner beer scene, Alligator Alley serves Corsendonk’s Abbey Pale Ale – which is like a meal in itself.

Another thing that makes dining or drinking at Alligator Alley excellent is the house music, a mixture of blues and New Orleans funk. It’s great to eat with the Meters on in the background. You get that whole head-bobbing thing going on at the dinner table. Eat funky, that should be their motto.

The staff at Alligator Alley is pleasant and very friendly. My favorite is Ally, a blond who remembered my ugly mug 3 weeks between visits. I think it was ordering the Corsendonk that jilted her memory. Nonetheless, it’s always nice in a new place to be greeted by a warm smile. The owner also is a great guy to talk music and food with, even though I couldn’t get him to bash Bobby Flay, who taped one of his Food TV shows at Alligator Alley. The owner also plays a mean bass guitar and is known to jam with the bands that visit the Alligator Alley stage.