BY STACEY WALLACE
OPINION —
Do you like to dance? Well, this 63-year-old retired English teacher loves to dance.
Back in the day, right before my sixth graders had a dance, I’d say something like, “If y’all want to learn to dance, watch me.”
Some would smile, probably trying not to laugh out loud. After all, they thought: How could an ancient, ‘Pooh-sized’ woman still be able to dance? At the Friday dance, I enjoyed dancing the Electric Slide, the Cha-Cha Slide and the Cupid Shuffle.
Then on Monday, with surprise in their voices, some of my kids would say, “Mrs. Wallace, you can dance!” I’d reply, “I told you I could dance.” At least for those three dances; then I had to sit down and rest.
For about five years now, I have enjoyed a line dancing class at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Auburn University. And recently, I danced part of the Cupid Shuffle beside members of Auburn University’s Sigma Kappa sorority. We were at the East Alabama Walk to End Alzheimer’s. I hung with those sweet, cute girls for a while, but my 63-year-old body didn’t finish the dance. Exercise is so important, but I had a 1.5-mile (it felt longer) walk ahead of me, so I had to pace myself. But I digress.
Recently, Mike and I dined at the Bow & Arrow BBQ at 2298 E. University Drive, Suite B101 in Auburn.Bow & Arrow BBQ on University opened this past September, and, according to its website, it is “a direct second location of owner David Bancroft’s acclaimed South Texas-style smokehouse concept.” Bancroft’s original Bow & Arrow BBQ is located on Samford Avenue in Auburn.
I loved the rustic, casual atmosphere of Bow & Arrow BBQ on University. It was very inviting, and an added bonus: It’s really close to our house.
When Mike and I were seated, we started enjoying the music that was playing in the restaurant; it was the music of our youth. And when the Gap Band’s “You Dropped a Bomb on Me” came on, I started bopping my head and shoulders to the beat. Lucy, my fake hip, and Ethel, my real hip, really wanted to get up and dance. However, since Bow & Arrow BBQ doesn’t have a dance floor, and since I didn’t want to embarrass Mike (he’s an introvert), I restrained myself.
Caroline, our server, was a delight, being sweet, helpful and attentive. We chose the queso blanco, “a Chihuahua-style cheese dip with warm tortilla chips” as our appetizer. It was very good. Also, I only dripped once, which is great for me.
For his entrée, Mike chose the sliced brisket plate; he selected hash brown casserole and brisket beans for his sides.
I ordered the chicken fajitas, which consisted of a wood-grilled chicken breast, sautéed poblanos and onions with grill butter. Also, my meal came with sweet corn rice, borracho beans, guacamole salad, flour tortillas and salsa de fuego.
Our meals were really delicious. The only item I avoided was the salsa decfuego. The Spanish word “fuego” means “fire” in English, and I’m a wimp when it comes to very spicy food.
Besides our tasty queso blanco, Bow & Arrow BBQ serves a variety of other appetizers, some of which include chili con queso, smoked jumbo chicken wings, goat cheese guacamole, Helotes street fries and “Cool Ranch” tater tots.
The restaurant also offers diners salads, BBQ plates, enchiladas, soft tacos and more. If you want to bring a group of eight to10 people, the Lonestar platter will serve your group one-half pound each of sliced brisket, sliced turkey, pulled pork and jalapeno cheddar sausage, a full rack of ribs, a large size of all sides, all the sauces and pickles, white bread and tortillas, a large Memaw’s éclair and a large banana pudding. And the price is very affordable.
If you’re looking for great food in a fun atmosphere, Bow & Arrow BBQ is for you.
I can’t believe that this is my 200th column (if I’ve counted correctly), so if you are reading this, thank you.
Bow & Arrow BBQ is open Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Bow & Arrow BBQ on University makes the grade with an A+ from this retired English teacher. Remember, “Pooh-sized” people never lie about food. Enjoy!
Stacey Patton Wallace, who retired after teaching language arts for 30 years, is a professional diner. Her column, Making the Grade, will appear in The Observer every other week. Stacey may be reached at retiredlangartsteacher2020@gmail.com.
