It’s seldom that a bout of poor customer service leads to an incredible experience, but that’s just what happened to the Fat Mat and his family recently.
Around a week ago, we were in Wintersville for my daughter’s soccer match on a Sunday when, afterward, we trekked to nearby Robinson to do a wee bit of shopping before heading home.
Whilst there, hunger naturally ensued and we decided to try something new. There was a national chain we’d always been curious about in the Towne Centre we’d also been curious about, so we strolled in around 5 p.m. to eat.
We waited at the check-in desk at the front. There were a couple of families dining and a few patrons at the bar. Busy, it was not. After about five minutes, I double-checked the closing time via a quick Google search. It was 7 p.m.—close-ish, but well before our 1-hour threshold.
We’re not about to sit down to eat within an hour or less until closing time. We’re not those people. Still, bartenders saw us. The kitchen staff saw us. But no one approached. Not even a “we’ll be right with you.”
I could see “hangry” building up in my daughter and girlfriend, so we quietly left and hopped in the car. Fortunately, I remembered my GF remarking as we headed toward Robinson on U.S. 22 about the billboard for Dee Jay’s at 380 Three Springs Drive in Weirton and how we should go there.
What an excellent idea. Glad I thought of it, right? But that’s where we headed.
Let me preface by saying, I was born in Weirton, though I didn’t live there long. But aside from my stint at WVU, I’ve lived somewhere in the Ohio Valley my entire life. I’m familiar with Dee Jay’s. I’ve heard about and listened to people nearly wax poetic about its famous ribs. I’ve always meant to try it but never did.
And now that I have? I’m kicking myself for waiting that long.
The Food
Dee Jay’s was a little busy, so we sat at a table in a room to the left side of the entrance. Our server had a few tables and was busy, but despite that was quite attentive.
Having never been here, we weren’t sure what to expect but browsed through the menu to as we waited to make our order.
I will admit, the rib prices seemed a bit high initially. There’s a lot of other tasty-looking food on the menu at lower prices and I almost opted for that.
Thankfully my girlfriend, who was thinking along the same lines, had an excellent plan. We opted to split a half-wrack of ribs. Seeing as it came with two sides, we each took a side of the sidewinder fries to go with our (half of a) half rack of ribs.
To balance out the caloric count, we also got an order of Bavarian soft pretzels as an appetizer. My daughter opted for a plain order of boneless chicken bites and a side of sidewinders. Ketchup would be her main source of flavoring, at least initially.
Before the food, and even the appetizer arrived, our serving brought us our drinks, along with two bottles of BBQ sauce, with one being marked the original sauce. Me being me, I cracked open both to get a whiff. Anticipatory salivation soon followed. If these sauces tasted half as good as they smelled, we were in for some deliciousness.
The pretzels arrived first, four in all, and with a healthy amount of nacho cheese for dipping. I will say first that, being part German, bier cheese is always preferential for pretzel dipping so that these came with nacho cheese was a bit disappointing.
The flavor of the pretzels themselves, however, was not. I could have eaten them plain, without the cheese, and I wasn’t the only diner at our table to agree.
Then came the food.
We divvied up the ribs evenly and prepared to dig. Before dousing mine in that original sauce, I wanted to get a taste for the ribs on their own. The hickory smoked, baby back ribs were juicy, tender, and to use an oft and overused phrase, fell right off the bone. On their own, they’d be worth the cost.
But, adding that sauce? Pure heaven, and I don’t say that lightly. Both versions of the sauce tasted great, but the original was on a whole other level entirely. I tried to figure out that subtle flavor that made the original different, but for the life of me, couldn’t place my finger on it. I don’t need to know. What I did know, is I wanted to put it on everything.
The sidewinder fries were crispy and a great addition. And yes, I put the sauce on those. Instant upgrade.
If it tells you anything, my picky-eating daughter, whose sauce preferences begin, and generally end, with ketchup, was even a fan. Not only did she try it and like it, but she too, used it for her boneless bites and fries.
Yes folks, 10 out of 10, would highly recommend it. The only difference is next time, I’m getting my own half-rack of ribs. Legendary Ribs? Oh, absolutely.
For more information about Dee Jay’s and its now four locations, check out its website listed above, or stop by its Facebook page.
