All was instantly forgiven when our platters arrived on what resembled giant, deep-dish pizza pans. My Ribs-and-Chicken Combo ($12.99) alone would be worth a return trip — a half-rack of babybacks and a picture-perfect smoked bird slathered in sauce, expertly cooked and unbelievably juicy. I traded a few of my delicious dry-rubbed ribs (the squeeze bottle of tangy and slightly sweet BBQ sauce wasn't even necessary) for a sampling of Tom's Bourbon-Glazed Ribeye ($13.99), a smoky and tender one-pounder and cooked to a perfect medium. The "glaze" didn't seem to be much more than a teriyaki marinade but didn't impede the bold ribeye flavor. Each platter included two side dishes, and Tom is a finicky dude about his slaw but gave the thumbs-up ("light on the mayo") and his onion rings were also above standards as a seriously crunchy accompaniment. My baked beans and oven-roasted potatoes were both decent, but the crispy finish on those babybacks was the undisputed star of the night. Initially my plan was to go for the Babyback vs. St. Louis-style showdown, only to have Elena inform us that Oak Hill had recently taken them off the menu because, as many BBQ places go, the babyback cut remains the star of the show. The menu also includes about a dozen grinders, burgers, and sandwiches, plus a Saturday night prime rib special for only $11.99.
The chocolate chip cookies ($1 each) are the only dessert prepared in-house, and as the sugar and-caffeine-fueled kids ran out back to toss horseshoes, the continually-hustling Elena and Laura Lee stopped by to apologize and said it was just "one of those nights," and gave us some background on Oak Hill Tavern, once a brothel for travelers in the 1890s when Post Road offered the only thruway from here to New York. Noting the spacious backyard and picnic tables, they also confirmed our assumption that this place is hopping come summertime. What began as a train wreck turned into satiated redemption, and Oak Hill Tavern will surely lure us back down south.
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