I’d heard about it but never visited one until this last weekend.

Hubby ate at one in the Bay Area a couple of months ago and came home raving. We heard there’s one in Visalia, definitely doable for a lunch or dinner, especially since we can combine it with a visit to Darling Older Daughter.

But I’m no longer a Dickey’s wannabe. I’ve been.

It was really good.

Hubby ordered the sampler plate of pulled pork, chicken, and brisket for us to share. The sides were mac & cheese and loaded mashed potatoes.

I was starving when we arrived. And I’m not being overly dramatic. Well, maybe a wee bit. But I was very, very hungry. Normally, if I were ordering, I’d have gotten something that counted as a salad or green veggie, but I was so hungry that I embraced the protein and carbs like long lost friends. Which they sort of were.

The mac and cheese was maybe the best I’ve ever had. At least in the top two or three. And I’m picky about mac and cheese. Dickey’s was creamy and had plenty of sauce clinging to the elbow macaroni. The loaded mashed potatoes were full of flavor and had a good ratio of toppings (scallions, bacon) to potato.

The brisket was tender and flavorful, falling apart to the fork. The pulled pork had just the right amount of seasoning, a tricky thing to execute well. The chicken was the least exciting, but it still was tender and tasty. Since I’m currently on a tomato fast, I had to skip all the sauces, so I can’t say how spicy/sweet/tangy they were.

There’s a soft serve machine with cones to finish off the meal. The vanilla cone was the perfect finish to the highly seasoned meal. Cool and creamy and a bit sweet.

I’m ready to go back anytime. Or at least make a foray to Visalia. There are lots of other sides to taste test.