This Site is about BBQ Right?

A few weekends ago I was “camping” over in Minnetrista. Ok so I was actually taking care of a very large house that is amazing! I did have some actual responsibility while I was there and did have to care for some pets. Rest assured that all animals (even the cats) survived….I think. Even with all the animals around the house to play with or attempt to get one to eat the other, I did become slightly bored and hopped onto my Yelp app on my phone to see what was close by. First on the list was Tonka BBQ. Only 3 reviews but were pretty good except for someone saying the waitress picked her nose. Great! I do too haha. It’s always nice to have something in common with your waitress.
I was pretty excited. It’s been awhile since I’ve had a good BBQ (some guy keeps promising me some good BBQ but never pulls through sadly haha), and had some high hopes coming here. The first night I went it wasn’t too busy looking. That made me a bit nervous, but I figured you never really know until you try so I went in. I stood at the counter for maybe about 5min as it appeared the waitress was doing something in the back. I let her know it was my first time at the joint as she had seated me by the windows, which had a great view overlooking lake Minnetonka.
Carl - you should have crashed our "party" yesterday - we had plenty of BBQ (Baby Backs, pulled pork, boneless ribs) and sides (jalapeño poppers, salad, baked beans.) The only problem was that our invited guests were vegetarians (and people who wouldn't get caught dead reading this page.) And no, I did not realize that they had turned their collective backs on thousands of years of evolution. What's the point of reaching the top of the food chain if you are going to refuse to eat your prey???

There was so much food we'll be eating on it for a week!

Bwa ha ha ha!

Letting someone know that it’s your first time is always a great Idea. My server took the time to explain the menu, including things that are made from scratch in house, and some of the various items that they’ve won awards for. I decided to go for something on the menu that I really haven’t seen much, the Texas beef ribs.
These ribs are incredible. I kind of think of them as dinosaur bones in a way. They seem to be a fattier type of rib, which I like. The meat has some great flavor that kept my mouth watering even after the first bite. The accompanying sauce is also made in house, and it’s made just the way I like it. It’s a sweet sauce that has some pepper to it but isn’t hot or spicy in any way. For my side dishes I had the homemade potato salad and creamy coleslaw. This also came with my favorite Texas toast.
As I was eating, the waitress began to tell me about their pulled pork (note for my family members, keep the mind on food..perverts geez) and offered me a small side dish, free of charge! Best pulled pork I’ve ever had (again, stay on track here) because it was not only free, but it had some great smoky flavor and texture. What an incredible meal! But wait, there’s more……dessert! And no, they didn’t have any crème brulee (insert sad face here).
Their homemade blueberry pie reminded me of a little café back up north, a place where pies are made from scratch and the fillings are fresh. It was a great way to cap off the evening.

I enjoyed this place so much that I actually went back for breakfast when they opened at 11. A great move on my part as breakfast is the most important meal of the day you know. This time around I got the baby back ribs and was once again in love. Same great flavor out of the meat, and you left your mark in the cut when you took your first bite. That means it’s cooked to perfection when not everything pulls away from the bone and that first chomp in. For the side items this time, I went with the potato salad and creamy cucumbers. Soooo good! For desert, she had to kind of talk me into trying their specialty, bread pudding. Now those of you who know me out there know I’m a diehard Famous Dave’s bread pudding guy. This bread pudding was just as good, if not better! It had the same texture as Dave’s and was drizzled with lots of caramel and a big scoop of icecream. The only thing missing was the pecans. On the upside, I think Tonka BBQ gives you a better portion for your money as well, something a guy like me can appreciate.
You would think two trips in and I’m pretty much done. Well, you don’t know me very well. I went back there for a third time! This time I went about an hour or so before close. I got the Texas beef ribs again and the flavor was still spot on. The only downside was it seemed a bit tougher, probably due to being so late in the day. The meal was still great and leads me into yet another desert, banana cream pie. That was kind of a letdown. I actually prefer the Perkins version. This one seemed almost too gelatinous and really not what I had expected.
Overall I had a great time there eating some incredible food. The waitress was very helpful and great with showing off their cuts of meat by giving up a free sample. By having some homemade items that are homerun for the restaurant, help to really set it apart from your typical chain. I recommend giving it a shot if you’re around the area.

http://www.tonkagrillandbbqmn.com