Rev’s Smokehouse and Catering

September 18, 2009

Roswell, New Mexico – This marks my ninth trip to Roswell in 13 months. We’ve tried many a restaurant here since last year and were pleasantly surprised to find this one.

I had never heard of this place until today. It was recommended by my son. Rev’s Smokehouse was recommended to him by someone who lives in over in Ruidoso.

Rev’s is a bit hard to find. In fact, I had unknowingly driven past it at least 4 four times in my visits to Roswell, probably looked right at it, but did not know what it was. (You’ll find it on Main Street, south of downtown near the railroad tracks.) It is a converted house complete with a front porch. It’s even got a hitching post out front. Once you get out of your car, you get a real, down-home vibe. You’d almost expect to see a couple of people sitting in rocking chairs, shooting the breeze and sipping lemonade.

In business since ’07, Rev’s started their venture out of their church. As a living example of helping the ‘least of these’, they have provided jobs to homeless people and ex-prisoners.

When we drove up, one of the owners was outside talking to someone. She greeted us and said she’d be right there to let us in. Right away we felt like family. Once inside you get even more of a down-home vibe from the staff.

Now that we’re inside, we see that the décor is pretty sparse. A television sits in one corner of the smallish main dining area. Two larger areas, which I assume are for banquets, sit one straight ahead, the other off to the right. Not many decorations to be found. But you feel like you are sitting at the kitchen table of a relative you haven’t seen in a while and you have a lot to catch up on while you wait for your home-cooked meal.

After looking at the menu for a while, I decided on the 3-meat Combo. Ribs were not part of the combo choices but I asked them if I could sub them. So my combo became ribs, brisket, and sausage. Homemade sausage, no less. Now this is something I’ve never seen on a menu. Maybe being a So Cal native has something to do with it. But I do try to eat at as many different types of eateries as I can. Maybe I just haven’t gotten far enough off the beaten path. (Actually, the menu didn’t say the sausage was homemade. Our waitress proudly told us they make their own sausage.) So when I heard the sausage was homemade, my first thought was a skeptical one, but that was immediately replaced with “oh yeah, you have got to try this!” So I did. Sides were greens and bbq beans. They serve homemade lemonade so there was no question I was going to have that.

I was eager to see what Rev had in store for my palate. I didn’t have to wait long to find out as our meal arrived promptly. The beans had a slightly different taste than I am used to. I’m not sure how to describe the flavor but they were pretty good. The greens tasted homemade, not canned. Score some points there. Both sides of my family can whip up some mean pots of both collard and mustard greens. Not many eateries can come close to the greens my family can make. For that reason I only order greens in a very few restaurants. Did Rev’s greens pass the test? Yes, Rev’s made the grade.

Rev’s makes his own barbecue sauce. And it compliments his meats well. It made an already good brisket that much better. But it pairs best with the ribs, which were tender with a nice smoky flavor.

Let’s talk about that sausage. Being made earlier that day, it goes without saying that it was fresh. Slightly bold and a tad gamey, but spiced well. Cutting into it was a delicate matter because it tended to fall apart after the casing was split more than halfway. Maybe removing more of the liquid would help. Final verdict? Delicious!

Though it is a small eatery, it holds a few daily surprises. Rev might even walk in, like he did while we were there. He talked to the waitresses about what was on this day’s menu, what kind of sausage was available today, and a few other things related to running the diner. Another surprise is what the sausage of the day is.

I am glad we ate here. Next time I’m in Roswell, I will definitely try to make it back here. If nothing else, to try whatever sausage they’ve made that day. And one of their sandwiches.

Rev’s Smokehouse and Catering – 4.5 forks. Highly recommended. Best barbecue in Roswell.

Update May 2010: Rev’s didn’t make it. The building is now occupied by another business.