I recently received an invitation to come down to Chow Down Café in Oxford, NC to try their bbq. Well that’s an invite that’s hard to resist. So one Saturday we hoped into Brrezy for a Jeep Ride to check them out. It turned into a pretty good ride except for I-85. Speed limits of 70 plus mph are a bit rough in a Wrangler, but we persevered. I did take a different route home with more highways and back roads. That was a nice ride.

Where is Chow Down Café Located?

Chow Down Café is located just west of Oxford out of the downtown area. If you come in off of I-85 you need to take the Hwy. 158 West exit. You can go around town if you take the Oxford Loop which is like a 158 By-pass. It will run you back onto 158 West on the other side of downtown. We found this out on the way back. Oxford actually looks like a small town that we’d like to go back to for a visit. We went when they were having a “Hot Sauce” Competition. The town was packed and parts were blocked off so we missed a lot of it.

The Restaurant and Staff:

I’ll have to admit that I was skeptical when we decided to go to Chow Down Café. I mean, what does a café know about bbq? When we pulled into their parking lot I still wasn’t sure. This is a small restaurant just outside of town. Located in a country setting, it is a nice ride. On the inside there was more room than I had expected, plus they have extra seating outside too. This day was a little warm so we stayed in. When we arrived there was only one waitress working and she had her hands full. We got there after lunch and before dinner. She was super friendly and helped us out with the different items on the menu. Shortly after we ordered more help arrived and everything went nice and smooth. They offer a pretty wide variety on the menu. They offered specials on chicken, beef, and seafood in addition to their pulled pork.

Our Choices at Chow Down Café:

Pulled Pork Plate with Baked Beans and Seasoned Fries.

Tammy and I both decided to get Pulled Pork BBQ Plates. For sides I chose Baked Beans and Seasoned Fries. Starting with the sides, I have to say after first tasting the beans they were ok but also familiar. Confession from Tracey…They’re Bush’s. However, my fries were very good. Tammy’s sides were Slaw and Mac & Cheese. Her slaw was really good. It’s a mayo based mixture but wasn’t overpowered by the mayonnaise. I don’t care for a lot of mayonnaise and I thought their slaw was good. The mac & cheese was cheesy and creamy and just very good. Both the slaw and mac & cheese are homemade. Both plates came with homemade hushpuppies too. They were awesome. We loved them.

Pulled Pork Plate with Slaw and Mac & Cheese.

Well now comes the reason we’re here, the pulled pork. Let’s just say that I’m no longer skeptical. Chow Down Café has some wonderful pulled pork. Ours came from the bottom of the pan where it was kept warm and had more burnt end (bark) quality. It comes lightly sauced with their award winning sauce. Tracey told us that she won the “Hot Sauce Competition” once. She hasn’t entered again. They will bring you more sauce if you want it but we ate it without adding more. I thought it was just right. When we met Tracey, the owner/chef, she told us that she was thinking of throwing it away and offered us more from a new batch. I thanked her and declined the offer. We explained that we are the type that like bbq this way. She prefers the top of the pan without the bark.

Dessert anyone?

Apple Turn-over.

Hot Fudge Explosion.

Indeed as good as our meal was we just had to try some homemade desserts. I had a Hot Fudge Explosion which is their take on a Shoney’s Hot Fudge Cake if you’ve ever had one of them. They did it justice. The cake and the fudge were warm and the ice cream on top with whipped cream made it very good. Tammy had an Apple Turn-over with Ice Cream. When she told me what she was getting I didn’t fully realize what she was talking about. I’m thinking a little apple turn-over. This turn-over was huge, and homemade, and wonderful. Nice blend of cinnamon and apples and no short cuts on filling the pastry. Yes the pastry is also homemade, light and flakey. As much as I enjoyed mine, finishing off Tammy’s was even better. Next time I’ll go for the turn-over.

A Little Extra:

Meet Shrek at Chow Down Café in Oxford, NC.

Midway through our meal is when we met Tracey. She is such a nice person and really has a passion for cooking top of the line food. She was telling us how she was a teacher until she finally decided to open the restaurant. Chow Down Café had their grand opening on Jan. 15, 2016, so they are still pretty

new at the restaurant business. I believe that they will do well. First impression tells me that she had to be a wonderful teacher and the school system lost out on that one. However, the school’s loss is the restaurant world’s gain.

We also got to watch a couple of horses and a donkey named Shrek out back while we ate. Yes I know, Shrek was not the donkey in the movie but he is here. They were all beautiful animals and just enjoying their day. Like I said earlier, Chow Down Café is out in the country.

Final Thoughts:

This is one of the places that I’m not ready for final thoughts. I want to go back for more. I watched some customers get seafood plates which made me want to try some of that also. I just couldn’t fit it. Chow Down Café is a really good restaurant and serves some wonderful BBQ. They aren’t too far off of I-85 and would be a great stop when traveling. You’ll be pleased that you did. Just make sure to check them out on line to be sure that they are open first.

So, Tracey and crew, I look forward to a return visit. Next time I may have to get the bbq to go and put it in the cooler so I can try some seafood. Thanks for a great visit and good conversation. It was so nice meeting everyone there.

Now For Your Thoughts:

Ok tell me, did I lay it on too thick? Here’s your invitation to get your thoughts about Chow Down Café into the story. Get your comments to me and I’ll get them posted as soon as possible.

What do you regulars think?

I know that this is a new restaurant but there still has to be some regulars there already. Small town word travels pretty quickly. Let us know your feelings. Why do you go back? Tell us about the people and the food.

We look forward to hearing from all of you. Get those comments out here so everyone can see.

I always encourage you to share this review on Facebook and other social media sites. Follow us on Facebook to see where else we go.

I didn’t find a website but they are on Facebook.

You can check them out at: www.facebook.com/ChowDownCafe/

Enjoy the ride, good eating and thanks for stopping by.