When you name a restaurant Grassroots, you have to assume that meat lovers will be fearful. Aside from awesome 60s music, the name evokes a hippy dippy vegan spot. Yet, it is anything but. Sure, this Scottsdale spot caters to the veggie-loving crowd, but it caters to unvegans no less so. Plus, let’s not forget that it does harken to the 60s music crowd.

Thus, I found myself ordering a full rack of their Carolina Baby Backs (by recommendation of the waitress when I asked her to choose between the ribs and brisket). The menu described them as slow smoked, grill finished and topped with thin BBQ sauce (presumably a Carolina thing). They also came with shoestring fries.

I know I shouldn’t be surprised, but the ribs turned out to be pretty delicious. They had a good smokey taste and the BBQ sauce was pleasant. Did they compare to BBQ from the Carolinas? I can’t say, as I have never been. But I can say that they fell off the bone really nicely, were good and tender and had solid flavor. In other words, I wasn’t left aching for a trip to the Southeast.

In other words, these ribs got the job done. Like if I made ribs at home, I’d like them to be like these. Enough to satisfy a craving, but something slightly missing keeping them from reaching the next level.