Barbecue, music, service all sharp at The Shed

DESTIN – The Shed is a new barbecue restaurant in Destin. For those of us who have been around for a while, it is in the former Destin City Hall building. For everyone else, it is in HarborWalk Village next to the Emerald Grande.

The original Shed was built in Ocean Springs, Miss., from odds and ends that had been discarded by other people. The franchise now has restaurants in Gulfport, Miss.; Mobile, Ala.; Scott, La. and Austin, Texas.

The friendly staff greets diners enthusiastically as they come in the front door. The interior is visually busy, and looks like it was put together with whatever was on hand. The staff wears name tags of duct tape stuck onto their shirts.

The downstairs area is set up like a bar. Your first stop is to go to the counter and place your order. A cooler displays a good variety of beer, including my current favorite, Sweetwater Blue (a crisp refreshing beer with a hint of blueberry that screams summer).

After ordering, we headed upstairs where there were booths and tables inside, and seating outside as well. Garage-style doors provide a view of the harbor area. There was a self-serve drink fountain as well.

For me ordering is easy. Just go with one of the Sampler Platters. Our Jumbo Sampler Platter fed three adults with big appetites easily, and let us try almost everything on the menu for only $23.99.

The samplers feature seven kinds of meat and a choice of three of the four sides. Meats include wings, baby back ribs, spare ribs, beef brisket, chicken, sausage and pulled pork.

The sides were also good, with Chuck’s Baked Potato Salad being my hands-down favorite. It is a rich potato salad with all the good flavor of a loaded baked potato. I also liked the creamy macaroni salad quite a bit. Chips are also offered in single serving bags.

Each of the meats is delicious, and they are all exceptionally tender. I find that people tend to fall into two camps with barbecue: those who want some chew to their ’cue, and others that want it to fall off the bone.

Meats at the Shed are succulent, and definitely fall off the bone. They are seasoned and sauced by the kitchen, but if you don’t want sauce, or want more, just let them know. The sauce is nicely balanced, and is sweet and has a touch of heat.

The wings are not Buffalo wings. They are wings that have been smoked and tossed in barbecue sauce. They are flavorful, and a good way to start the meal. I also enjoyed the sausage, which was smoky and slightly sweet. That said, I didn’t have a favorite. Everything was good.

Meats are also available individually as a plate. Plates come with a choice of two sides. Or have your choice of meat on a sandwich. Make the sandwich a plate by choosing two sides.

Another option is to have a barbecue salad. The salad is composed of romaine lettuce, cheese, red onion, bell pepper, tomato, cucumber and croutons topped with a choice of pork, chicken or beef.

Kids choose from beef, pork, wings, sausage and ribs. Kids plates come with a choice of meat and two sides, or as a sandwich with a bag of chips.

The Shed is not just about food. It is also a place to go for music. A schedule of live music is available on the Shed website.

My dining companions are the parents of three, including an active toddler. Their comment was that the Shed was very family friendly, and that they could even bring “The Boy” with them and not worry.

Whether you have kids in tow, want to listen to live music, or just want some good fall-off-the-bone barbecue, the Shed delivers nicely.

QuickBites

Restaurant: The Shed

Location: 100 Harbor Boulevard, Destin

Telephone: 460-2271

Hours: Sunday through Wednesday, 11 am to 10 pm; Friday and Saturday, 11 am to midnight.

Handicap accessibility: fair

Children’s menu: yes

Reservations: not accepted

Price range: Starters, $6.99

Salads, $7.99 - $8.99

Sandwiches, $4.99 - $7.50

Plates, $8.99 - $12.99

Children’s Menu, $5.49 - $6.99

Payment: credit cards