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BBQ. When I was growing up, I knew it as my dad going out back and firing up the briquettes for some hamburgers. Growing up in Clovis, California it also included some mean tri-tip steak. However, I just associated BBQ with some kind of fire grill. I didn’t understand the art of it for quite a while. My husband, Nick, introduced me to ribs and Tony Roma’s. I started to like it and we would search out the best BBQ wherever we went. I love myself a good brisket with some cornbread, mac and cheese, and baked beans.
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When I saw the sign for BBQ going up on Main Street in Spanish Fork, I was excited. However, often people just have a smoker and the meat isn’t the greatest. Or the meat is decent and the sides are mediocre. It is difficult to find the ultimate BBQ establishment that meets all the requirements. If there is a good dessert in there, then you pretty much have perfection. Well, folks. I found BBQ perfection in Madera Smokehouse.
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1st off, you walk in and there in all their glory are the sauces. They have eight different sauces to cater to your preference: house bbq (classic), Carolina gold (honey mustard base), Austin BBQ Salsa Fuego (spicy), pineapple sriracha, blackberry bbq (heaven with the smoked turkey), and a pretty delicious fry sauce. I knew that this was a good place for me to be.
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Let’s get right to the meats. When you go to a Smokehouse, you want some good meat. We got a platter with brisket, smoked turkey, and pulled pork. It smelled incredible and you could see the seasonings on the edges of the meat. All of the meats go through quite the process before they hit the table. First, they hand trim the meats. Then the meats are placed in a dry salt brine for 24 hours. Then the meats are injected with some flavor: highlights are Dr. Pepper for brisket, Coca Cola for pulled pork, and butter for the turkey. Then they are smoked. Brisket and pulled pork are smoked for 14 hours.
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I am normally a brisket kind of gal, but something about that smoked turkey called to me. I think every other slice of smoked turkey I have tasted was overcooked. This smoked turkey was tender and perfectly seasoned. It wasn’t until halfway through the meal that I was informed that the blackberry bbq (YES, blackberry) complimented the turkey quite nicely. Yum. Yum. Yum. Also, I got a little taste of the Austin brisket sandwich. It has thick slices of brisket served on a soft, delicious bun with Austin BBQ sauce, pepperjack cheese, and fried onion straws. Mmm… This sandwich made your typical pulled pork sandwich seem bland and boring.
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The smoked meats were delicious and the flavor was amazing. The sides lived up to my expectations as well. The garlic mashed potatoes were made with red potatoes and had a little bit of the peels in there (my favorite). They were creamy and delicious. The baked beans were taken to the next level with bits of pulled pork and brisket in the beans. They could be a meal by themselves.
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Now for the fun stuff. They kind of go crazy with waffles. They brought out a macaroni and cheese waffle AND a cornbread waffle. I am a big fan of macaroni and cheese so I was pumped. The macaroni and cheese was super cheesy and a bit smoky. After being put in the waffle iron the edges were crispy and just cheesy. It was amazing. My personal favorite though was the cornbread waffle. This wasn’t your typical Jiffy muffin mix dry cornbread. It had the perfect almost cake-like consistency and came with a generous portion of honey butter.
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And now for the grand finale. Desserts. Some BBQ places will just have some cookies or a cobbler. Madera Steakhouse has some delicious desserts. Take for example, the salted caramel rice crispy treat that is the size of a plate. Or my favorite, lemon raspberry Bundt cake, subtle buttery lemon flavor with raspberry syrup drizzled on top. A close second was the turtle brownie which struck the perfect balance of chocolate in a cakey brownie.
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And I didn’t even get to the salads. It seemed like very other person was getting a massive metal bowl full of salad. The top picks are the Southwest Brisket Salad and Polynesian Pork Salad (pineapple, mandarin oranges, toasted coconut, and toasted almonds). I am going to have to make a return trip to try one. Another dish that sounds amazing is their Thursday Thanksgiving special which is a stuffing waffle, smoked turkey, and gravy served with cranberry sauce.
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Honestly, I was blown away by all the options at Madera. You can find something for any type of craving. And I promise, you will leave full. They give you a lot of food. Plan on leftovers. So take the time to head down to Main Street on Spanish Fork and give Madera Steakhouse a try. Madera Steakhouse is located at 310 North Main Street, Spanish Fork. They are open Monday-Thursday from 11:00 am- 8:00 pm. Friday and Saturday they are open form 11:00 am to 9:00 pm.
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