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Barbecue for breakfast... Does it get better than that? Friday, January 10, 2014, I treated myself to a delicious barbecue breakfast at Central Station Grill, located in Rancho Cordova, CA.
Photo: It's 8 o'clock on this January, Friday morning, and the smoker is already smokin'. Central Station Grill fires their smoker by oak, as the wood is plentiful in our area, and the effect is similar as to using hickory. Oak is a fine wood for smokin'!
Photo: If you wanted to pin a label on the dining room, in regards to decor, the words "railroad" or "railfan" would come to mind, as there are railroad logos, railroad clocks and photos of trains everywhere. I asked Gavin about the decor, and he said that he inherited the railfan decor from the previous owner, but he likes trains, and the decor fits in with the name of the restaurant. The "regular" menu - lunch or dinner - is posted on the wall, in the center, rear of the photo. The breakfast menu is posted directly above the order counter. That's just the "posted" menu... In the case of breakfast meat, you have your choice of the typical: Ham, bacon or sausage. But, "just ask," and for only a dollar more, Gavin will substitute ANY barbecue meat to replace the "standard" fare! Such a deal! If you're a carnivore, like I am, you can order more meat as a "side" for an additional $2.50.
Photo: The owner of the restaurant, Gavin Walker, and his chef, sorry, friend, I neglected to ask your name, pose after placing my delicious breakfast, and a second cup of coffee, on the counter. The kitchen is in the background, and, not shown in the photo, is a side door that allows convenient access to the wood-fired smoker.
Photo: I pose, in all of my glory, with my wonderful breakfast. OK, I'll describe it in the next frame...
Photo: I ordered the #1 breakfast, from the overhead menu, which includes two eggs, cooked any way you want 'em, bacon, sausage or ham, country potatoes, and toast. The price of the "stock" breakfast, at this writing, is $4.95, which is a bargain. To make it simple, I settled for sourdough toast, potatoes, and eggs over easy. OK, so far. But, if you're going to eat breakfast at a barbeque restaurant, why settle for bacon, sausage or ham? At Central Station Grill, for only a dollar more, you can substitute ANY barbecue meat on the menu... so you can have smoked sausage, tri-tip, brisket for your breakfast meat. Today, I felt decadent, so I substituted tri-tip for my breakfast meat, and ordered a "side" of a smoked hot link, which was served on my plate, along with the rest of the breakfast. OK, I "pigged-out," but it was good, and this is a breakfast to remember. Let's go back to January 13, 2012 for my first visit to this wonderful restaurant... Good Day Sacramento is a very popular news/variety/magazine show that airs every morning on Sacramento television, and my wife and I watch it daily. Every day, they feature a restaurant, and a couple of weeks ago, they highlighted Central Station Grill, and make a point to show the large smoker in the parking lot, in front of the restaurant. I can't resist the lure of good barbecue, especially if there's a wood-fired smoker in the parking lot, so Friday, January 13, 2012, I paid a visit to Central Station Grill. Photo: Central Station Grill is located in a small strip mall on Sunrise Blvd, south of busy U.S. Highway 50. Check out the vehicles in the parking lot, as it looks like a "good ol' boy" club. Note the smoker to the left of the photo, parked in a parking space. It's chained to a tree, as the smoker is mounted on a trailer... The blue truck parked next to the smoker belongs to Gavin, one of the owners, and I noted the back of it was filled with oak logs. Now that's smokin'!!! Photo: If you wanted to pin a label on the dining room, in regards to decor, the words "railroad" or "railfan" would come to mind, as there are railroad logos, railroad clocks and photos of trains everywhere. I asked Gavin about the decor, and he said that he inherited the railfan decor from the previous owner, but he likes trains, and the decor fits in with the name of the restaurant. The menu is posted on the wall, in the center, rear of the photo, but they also have printed hand-out menus. Check out their web site, as they have their menu and current prices posted online. Photo: To place your order, you walk up to the counter, and in my case, friendly co-owner, Karen - pictured hard at work in the photo - took my order and gave me a "number," in my case, I got lucky 21. So then you pick a table, sit down, and your order is brought to you. No tips are expected, but there is a "tips" jar on the counter, and I left a tip, as the service was excellent. Photo: The owners, Karen and Gavin, pose for my camera. Karen took my order, and my money, lol, and Gavin brought my lunch to the table. These folks are nice people, very friendly, made me feel at home, and fed me... well... we'll get into that in a bit. I asked Karen what variety of wood they used, and she said they were using oak, which is plentiful in the Sacramento area, as oak trees grow everywhere around here... Photo: I asked Gavin to take my photo, as I'm about ready to enjoy my brisket sandwich, potato salad, and the beverage of my choice, a Coors beer. Photo: I ordered a brisket sandwich, and I was lucky, as I received the last of the batch of brisket that Gavin had just taken out of the smoker!!! Lady luck blessed me today. My lunch of Texas smoked brisket, on a large, sweet roll, tomato slices, pickles, red onions and lettuce for garnish. Good Day Sacramento said that Central Station Grill has the best potato salad in town, so naturally, in the interest of science, I had to give it a go, and as soon as I shoved a spoonful of their potato salad into my mouth, I was instantly transported into potato salad nirvana. Note the barbecue sauce is served on the side; that's the way barbecue sauce is served in Texas. So, what did I think about Central Station Grill's barbecue brisket sandwich? I think I died, and went to Texas... Good Day Sacramento pointed out that Central Station Grill serves authentic, Texas-style barbecue, and I've been to Texas many times, so I know something about Texas barbecue. Central Station Grill is as close to Texas as you'll ever get in Sacramento, as they serve authentic, Texas-style barbecue. And that's as good as it gets... Central
Station Grill Copyright(c) 2014 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. This site has been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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