Dinosaur... BBQ and more

I'm lucky enough to have visited two out of the three Dinosaur Bar-B-Que locations in the last week.

Dinosaur got its start in Syracuse over 20 years ago as a traveling BBQ vendor at fairs and festivals, and for over 15 years they've been on the corner of Franklin and Willow in Downtown Syracuse... a combination BBQ joint, blues hall, and biker bar.

They've also been in Rochester for seven years in the old Lehigh Valley train station on Court Street, right by the Blue Cross Arena, and this week marks the first birthday of Dinosaur in New York City, at the corner of West 131st and 12th Avenue.

We won't lie to you, this isn't a place a vegetarian's going to find a lot of options. Like any good BBQ place, even some of the vegetables are made with meat. But if you're a carnivore, the ribs are second to none. The mojito chicken is marinated in a citrus-garlic blend and then grilled, and the catfish is great. Last week in Syracuse I tried the Dinosaur Surf & Turf special, ribs served with shrimp in a tangy, creamy creole sauce.

And up in Rochester this weekend, I got to try the vegetable of the day, creamed spinach. Purists would say the only vegetable that belongs near your BBQ is the cole slaw on your pulled pork sandwich, but I was impressed with this creamy, not sludgy, side dish. It makes up for the surprising lack of collard greens on the menu. The tomato cucumber salad is what they're famous for, and the mashed potatoes with spicy gravy works well, too.

Visit DinosaurBarBQue.com, call 315-476-4937 for Syracuse or 585-325-7090 for Rochester, and tell them you heard about them here.