Perched in the corner of the dining room was our first clue the Route 20 Grill & Tap in Auburn doesn’t take itself too seriously. The stuffed gorilla kept watch over the dining room during our recent Friday evening visit. Like us, most of the people there were looking for the ribs.
Half ($19) and full racks ($27) of St. Louis-style ribs were dry rubbed and smoked until a thick bark formed on the outside. Quite a few racks emerged from the kitchen and we were not disappointed with ours. The fall-off-the-bone tender ribs did not show much visible fat, which had mostly melted away and basted the meat. The house dry rub imparted a spice, which complemented the smoke well.
Barbecue is the calling card of the Route 20 Grill & Tap—located about halfway between Skaneateles and Auburn—and its head chef Richard Taradejna. Better known by his nickname Chef Flip, Taradejna is a certified Kansas City Barbecue Society judge and competitor and his background includes a stint at the now closed Copper Pig BBQ & Taproom in Auburn.
The décor is best described as eclectic. Rustic, knotty pine chairs and tables fill the dining area, as do beer and vintage gas station tacker signs. Look up and you’ll find farming implements hanging from the rafters, along with the stuffed gorilla.
The Hungry Man sampler at Route 20 Tap & Grill, Auburn, N.Y. (Jared Paventi | jaredpaventi@gmail.com)Jared Paventi | jaredpaventi@gma
What the restaurant lacks in refinement it makes up for in barbecue. The Hungry Man ($24.99) offered a way to try a bit of everything from the smoker. This regular weekend special featured a half-chicken, a quarter-rack of ribs, quarter-pound of pulled pork and two sides served on a cafeteria tray. The red hue of the dry rub stained the bird’s skin, which kept the chicken juicy and moist. The smoky meat was best eaten by hand, which worked with the restaurant’s laid back personality. The chunky, chopped pulled pork was juicy and had a rich pork flavor, enhanced by the tomato and vinegar-based house barbecue sauce.
Smoked brisket grilled cheese at Route 20 Tap & Grill, Auburn, N.Y. (Jared Paventi | jaredpaventi@gmail.com)Jared Paventi | jaredpaventi@gma
Beef brisket is the restaurant’s Saturday special, but it makes appearances on the regular weekday menu. In the smoked brisket grilled cheese ($14.99), it’s layered with cheddar cheese, bacon and honey mustard on bread from Cameron’s Bakery in Auburn. Even after being buttered and grilled, the hefty bread was sturdy enough to withstand the weight of the filling without bending. There was just enough cheese to be noticed, allowing the smoke and spice of the brisket to shine.
The Call It A Day ($16.99) sandwich is impossible to eat by hand, though not from a lack of trying. Held together by a knife, the sandwich stands about 7 inches tall and picking it up created a significant mess. We opted to ditch the roll and attack each layer individually.
The quarter-pound smashburger had a nicely browned exterior and had the right balance of beef fat flavor and salt and pepper. Thick slices of smoked chicken were juicy and flavorful; the bird’s dry rub gave it a distinct flavor, which was not the case for the pulled pork and beef brisket that also filled the sandwich. These two layers bonded together and became a nondescript mass of meat and aiolis.
The Call It A Day was a messy sandwich to lift and eat. Route 20 Tap & Grill, Auburn, N.Y. (Jared Paventi | jaredpaventi@gmail.com)Jared Paventi | jaredpaventi@gma
Starters at Route 20 Tap and Grill come exclusively from the deep fryer. Mac Attacks ($6.99) are housemade macaroni and cheese balls rolled into a sphere, breaded and then fried. The piping hot serving of three had a sharp, creamy cheese flavor with good texture from the seasoned breading. Deep fried pickle spears ($8.99) were breaded by hand and fried until browned and crispy. The pickles maintained their snap and vinegary flavor, resisting the flavor of the frying oil.
Chicken wings are served by the pound ($11.99 for 1 1/2 lbs., $22.99 for 3 lbs.), not quantity, at Route 20 Tap and Grill and available either deep fried or smoked. We opted for the latter finished in the house barbecue sauce. Rather than the traditional crispy fried wing, the smoked wings were fall off the bone tender, not unlike the ribs. The barbecue sauce was the right call, with a tangy bite, but we would absolutely go with dry rub on a future visit.
Smoked chicken wings, finished with house barbecue sauce, at Route 20 Tap & Grill, Auburn, N.Y. (Jared Paventi | jaredpaventi@gmail.com)Jared Paventi | jaredpaventi@gma
Eating dessert at the restaurant was a nonstarter. Everyone at our table was full with takeaway boxes full of food to go. We opted for a slice of homemade peanut butter pie to take home. Creamy and dense, the peanut butter and cream cheese filling was sweet and salty with a bit of crunch from the chocolate cookies crust.
Only two people worked the front of the house, covering the dining room’s 20 or so tables and bar. It took a while to get drinks and place orders, as tried to cover each table. Taradejna stepped out of the kitchen on more than one occasion to bus tables and seat guests, leading us to believe this was a service exception, not the rule.
The building has housed four restaurants since 1904, but three of those have come and gone since 2006. Taradejna and his team seem to have assembled the right mix of personality and flavor that could lead to longevity.
The Restaurant: Route 20 Grill & Tap, 3193 E. Genesee St. Road (U.S. Route 20), Auburn, N.Y. 13021; 315-253-3092.
Reservations? No.
Access to disabled? Yes. A wheelchair ramp leads you to the front door from the side of the building.
Noise level? Low to moderate. It was easy to have a conversation at our table and not overhear those next to us.
Credit cards? Yes.
Vegetarian/special diets? Vegetarian substitutions can be made and it’s easy to go dairy free. People who need to eat gluten free should be wary of cross contamination from shared prep spaces.
Children’s menu? Yes.
Parking: The restaurant has a private parking lot.
Hours: Thursday, from 3 to 8 p.m.; Friday, from 3 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, from noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday, from noon to 8 p.m.
Cost: Most menu items are $20 or less. Only a couple of specials were more than $20. Dinner for four with starters, entrees, sides, dessert, drinks, tax and 20 percent tip was $180.60.
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