Rusted Silo Southern BBQ & Brew House cooks the ‘que low and slow out in the open for everyone to see on their Ferris Wheel of Meat, and it’s spellbinding. The long-metal racks rotate brisket, chicken, ribs, sausage, and pork for hours, smoking the meat in hickory and cherry wood, as it becomes more tender as the hours pass. When it’s finally ready, it’s falling-off-the-bone tender.
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Location: Rusted Silo Southern BBQ & Brew House located at 411 N State Street in Lizton, Indiana. Find the restaurant’s website here.
Menu: Rusted Silo Southern BBQ & Brew House has a southern-inspired barbeque menu created from many Indiana raised ingredients, like pork and corn. They serve their barbequed meats as sandwiches with one side, a plate with two sides, or by the pound.
Rusted Silo serves both lunch and dinner.
Thoughts: Order your meal at the counter, take a seat, and enjoy the aroma of barbeque while you wait. With five tables in the front and bar seating bordering the rear of the restaurant, the restaurant is small; but charming. Hundred-year-old barn wood and tin cover the walls. In the summer, a picnic table out front is the perfect place to enjoy your meal al fresco.
Choosing a favorite type of meat was almost impossible. Rusted Silo has falling off the bone ribs, beef brisket, pulled pork, and smoked chicken. If forced to choose, I’d have to say the house-made chorizo sausage was my favorite. They also make their bacon in house.
I had a choice of four house-made barbecue sauces—a Habanero Bourbon sauce, an Alabama white sauce, a Carolina mustard sauce, and a Kentucky Bourbon sauce. I enjoyed the slight sweetness behind the Kentucky Bourbon sauce.
Rob Ecker, pitmaster, and chef worked for Walt Disney Company and helped open Euro Disney in France and Animal Kingdom Lodge in Florida. While you can taste the world influence in his dishes, the taste is accented with a homey comfort, like in the pecan pie and banana pudding.
Some of my favorite dishes include:
- The ranch beans. Rusted Silo’s version is a bit spicy with a hint of smoke. They use pinto beans to create a hearty stew with bits of onion, peppers, and tomatoes.
- The Mexican street corn. Indiana grows a substantial amount of sweet corn, and Rusted Silo serves it with a Mexican twist, turning it into street corn. It’s one of my favorite sides. Other nods to Mexican cuisine include the house-made chorizo sausage and the use of Habanero peppers in one of the barbecue sauces.
- The coleslaw. It starts with the typical chopped cabbage and carrots; then, it takes a new direction with some with freshly squeezed lime juice, cilantro, locally sourced honey, and scallions.
- The cold banana pudding was my favorite dessert. The contrast in temperatures made the banana pudding a cooling finish to the warm meats and their spicy heat.
Price Range: Sandwiches with a side begin at $7.00. Sides served alone, like ranch beans or potato salad, are $2.50. Desserts are $3.00. Lunch for two, including taxes and gratuities, are about $30.
Disclosure: Visit Hendricks County provided the author with a complimentary meal to facilitate this review.
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