We have been meaning to go to
Brundog's for a couple months now. Unfortunately, every other time we remembered that we'd been meaning to go, it was Sunday and the restaurant was closed. Faced with endless options for lunch yesterday, we somehow managed to finally make it over to their only location at 4825 N. First (you have to hang a U-ie at River if you're headed north).
Brundog's is a locally owned family operation with slick menus, a nice interior remniscent of the Mexican restaurant that apparently previously resided there, and for the most part, excellent food. They combine Cajun and barbecue in some very interesting ways.
Aaron and I were the only patrons in the dining room when we walked in a little after 1 PM. If they had a lunch rush, we definitely missed it. If they didn't have a lunch rush, make a trip over there sometime soon and give 'em one. This little gem deserves some more time in Tucson (and there is a $5 coupon on their website). We had the undivided attention of our server, who was friendly and joked around with us and answered our questions about the menu really competently. She also kept the Diet Pepsi and iced tea flowing.
After going round and round on whether to get an appetizer (they were mostly seafood and sausage oriented, which I wasn't feelin'), we finally settled on the Shrimp New Orleans ($10), which promised "spicy shrimp seasoned with four peppers, garlic and fresh rosemary" in a "buttery seafood sauce" and accompanied by buttered, grilled baguette. We were in a time crunch, so we asked our server to please bring the appetizer with the rest of our lunch, which consisted of the Oyster Po'Boy ($9) for Aaron and the Hickory Smoked Pulled Pork sandwich ($6.50) for me. Sandwiches, which are about a quarter of the menu options, come with a choice of Brundog's baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, or french fries. Aaron opted for fries, which the server described as long, but not crinkle-cut, and double fried for crispiness. I went with the potato salad.
The presentation of the shrimp was really creative. The sauce sat in the bottom of a shallow bowl, surrounded by 4 baguette triangles. There was a wedge of baguette in the middle of the sauce, crowned by a shrimp, and 4 other shrimp in the bowl. Unfortunately, the presentation was the only great thing about the appetizer. There was no spiciness, no garlic, and no fresh rosemary to be found. The sauce was bland and lacked the level of flavor we expected from a cajun joint. Most disappointingly, the 5 shrimp were slightly overcooked and fairly average sized (smaller than even the medium sized shrimp I buy at Trader Joe's). The buttered and grilled baguette was delicious, but couldn't make up for the lack of flavor elsewhere.
Fortunately, our sandwiches were beyond delicious. A huge serving of pulled pork was sandwiched in between some of the freshest, best tasting French bread I've ever eaten. It was lightly dressed with their own sauce, and there was plenty more at the table. My first bite immediately convinced me that I made the right choice, as this is some of the best pulled pork I've ever had. The sauce was incredible, balancing sweet with vinegar and a lot of pepper for extra kick. Even Aaron, who does not share my love of pepper, raved about the sauce. The potato salad was fresh and featured chunks of potato, some finely minced celery and possibly onion and egg white, as well as mustard, mayo and a liberal sprinkling of celery seed.
Aaron's Po'Boy had several large oysters, breaded and fried, atop the same excellent bread with a cajun mayo that he said was a nice touch and well executed. His first bite was slightly fishy and he started to have some buyer's remorse, but the further into the sandwich he got, the more he enjoyed it. The fries were, indeed, quite crisp, just like our server promised. We commented on the bread a million more times on the way home, just to give you an idea of how good it was.
Brundog's has a large menu for a place its size and I am anxious to return to try some of their entrees, which include jambalaya, gumbo, shrimp etouffe and other cajun delicacies. The chef/owner wandered through the dining room as we were eating to check on our meal and blushed a tiny bit when I told him the pork was amazing.
In short: Skip the Shrimp New Orleans. Go for some delicious sandwiches or specialties, and humble, personalized service.
