Barbecue at Brickyard is solid, even if the walls aren't

My husband, son and I recently visited the Brickyard Bar-B-Q, which opened in August in West Seattle's Admiral neighborhood. A Southerner, I was raised on good barbecue, and my 18-year-old son considers himself a connoisseur of the form. This was good barbecue.

The menu: There are rib specials and smoked-chicken, beef-brisket and pulled-pork barbecue — which you can get on a sandwich or plate. At $9.50, the plates, which come with two sides, cost the same as sandwiches, a particularly good deal. Portions are substantial. Sides include baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, green-pea salad, buttermilk biscuits "slathered" with honey butter, and jalapeño cornbread. There's also a wedge salad.

What to write home about: All the barbecue was tasty and succulent, including the chicken, which is often the poor stepsister in barbecue joints. The sauce was spicy but not too thick. It didn't overwhelm the meat.

I had the smoked-chicken sandwich; the buttermilk coleslaw set it off beautifully. My husband and son demolished the brisket and a pork-rib special ($13.50) in short order. You can always tell when good barbecue is at hand — people quit chit-chatting and just eat.

What to skip: The cornbread was dry. The potato salad lacked tang. My diagnosis: not enough mustard.

The setting: A full bar and a kitchen are in two buildings that face one another. Between the two is a brick patio (the aforesaid "brickyard"). The brickyard is covered by a tent, with see-through plastic walls and portable overhead heaters.

We were there on an evening when it was 55 degrees, gusty and drizzling. I stayed warm by wearing three layers and positioning myself right under a heater. Others might find the setup invigorating.

The restaurant plans to keep the tent for the winter; in the summer, it will be open-air.

The bar is a friendly — and warmer — place, with music (jazz and rock classics) and a TV for sports viewing.

Summing up: The Brickyard offers excellent barbecue at a reasonable price. Three entrees plus a margarita, an IPA ale and a Mexican Coca-Cola came to $49.78.

Mary Ann Gwinn: 206-464-2357 or mgwinn@seattletimes.com