So I had to schlep up to Wrexham for work which involved two lots of 2 hour train journeys. However I quite like getting the train and certainly the West Coast Virgin line is pretty well run. The trains are reliable, pretty clean and if you get a Pendolino the food they serve is a real cut above. If I'm travelling off peak I often pay the extra for a first class seat so I can have the included breakfast/lunch on the train which is cheaper than buying a dodgy sarnie from Euston. No Pendolino on this route but some decent sandwiches and drinks are provided, particularly nice was a mince pie. Anyway I got back on time to London but as my lovely wife was out with friends and Baby G was being babysat I thought I would make the most of the evening and stop off for a bite to eat on my way home. Being cooped up on the train most of the day I decided to walk from Euston to Marylebone to see what I could find. I let out an aubible sigh as I passed the site of the late great Odin's, now a Cote. However turning a corner I stumbled upon The Joint and having heard something or other about it I ventured in.
As it turned out the Joint is a BBQ joint, selling pulled pork, chicken, burger & ribs to the discerning punters of Marylebone. And it has to be said they do it rather well. It's the sort of set up you expect to see in Brixton market which is where it turns out the business started. The site they secured here on New Cavendish St is a good one. Cooking done downstairs leaving the ground floor for the bar which you can eat at and the dining room with its assortment of shared tables. The high ceiling does a good job of diffusing the sound giving this place a very nice buzzy atmosphere without an old codger like me feeling I'm eating in a nightclub. The night I go it's pretty busy including a large party of ladies on their Christmas night out. Has to be said it's encouraging to see this isn't just a testosterone refuge of dude food. I have the table to myself to start with though later a couple of chaps join and I'm entertained by earwigging their conversation about the perils of dating. The true benefit of the shared table is watching the other people on it.
Menu as you can imagine is short concentrating on the BBQ though they do some interesting sounding sides which I'm keen to try another day. I go for a pulled pork bun, fries and a glass of Shiraz. The food is very good indeed, the best pulled pork I have had in London. Tasty, moist and in a good quality bun. It's obvious they have sourced good quality meat and cooked it really well which sadly isn't always the case. The bun is deceptively filling so the very good chips were perhaps unnecessary, though I still finish them. Service is friendly and attentive. The tables have built in bins to dump your detritus but these are emptied regularly. I don't feel rushed to finish my food and linger enjoying the atmosphere and tasty food. It's certainly a nice change of pace from the Pitt Cue's of the BBQ world. The bill comes £20 including service which is good value especially for the area. It's certainly worth a return visit soon to check out their ribs which look very nice indeed. The Joint is a good addition to the Marylebone dining scene and nice to see a Brixton eatery branching out into a less obvious area than the usual hipster havens. Well worth a visit.
Tuesday, January 06, 2015
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8