I’ve passed Rhodes BBQ Shack several times in the past and it’s always intrigued me. The restaurant, placed between rows of converted wharves on a bare stretch of road in Wapping, seems rather anomalous. It’s hard to envisage it being popular with the local populace of City Workers, considering American BBQ is always treated as more of a poor man’s food, but it seems to have survived nonetheless.

The relaxed atmosphere certainly related to the deep south, as when I arrived promptly at the opening time of 6pm, the floor was still being mopped and I was informed the chef had yet to arrive. I was invited to sit down and have a drink whilst both the Waitress and I waited. The Chef arrived about 6.15pm and was quick to apologise for his tardiness, which was a first! The surroundings added to the informal mood, with Customers encouraged to write comments on the wall with the felt tip pens left by the tables for exactly that purpose, although there were various pictures to break up these scribblings.

Going for a staple nachos to start, I was both delighted and horrified when I saw the size of my single portion, as it could have easily been shared between three people. I couldn’t fault the nachos, smothered with BBQ beans, BBQ Pork and melted cheese, with Jalapenos and sour cream on the side, although I did have to add some of the hot sauce provided on the table to pep it up a bit.

The main was fairly quick to follow and I was actually relieved that the portion size was more appropriate for a single person. I went for the chopped Barbeque Pork Shoulder, which had apparently been smoked for 14 hours and came with sides of coleslaw and BBQ beans. I had been deliberating on whether to go for the ribs, but had changed my mind based on the fact that ribs would be messier to eat and any sauce spilled on my cast would not be able to be cleaned off. Much as I like it, I didn’t really fancy smelling of BBQ for another 3 weeks! The pork was suitably tender but had a rather more delicate smoky taste than I was expecting. I have to admit I was a little disappointed and had expected a bit more of a wow factor in regards to the taste. The coleslaw was quite vinegary which worked really well, cutting through the meat and refreshing the palate nicely.

I did enjoy the food here and would come back, if only to try the ribs, although the sandwiches sounded good, too. I was also a little disappointed and think that the food has the potential to be better and could also be a bit better value for money (the bill was £19, which also included a couple of beers). The service was good, although that’s really to be expected when you’re the only person in the place! Not bad, but could do better.