Melt -- restaurant Review

 

Check website for locations/menu https://www.meltslowsmokedbarbecue.com/deli-by-melt

NOTE: They do not take reservations.

Rating Standards: 5-Stars = Extraordinary; 4-Stars = Excellent; 3-Stars = Average; 2-Stars = Fair; 1-Star = Poor 

€ = Inexpensive: 30€ and under; €€ = Moderate: 31€-49€; €€€ = Expensive: €50 -75; €€€€ = Very Expensive: more than €76 (prices based on minimum 2-courses)

1-Bell = Pleasantly quiet (less than 65 decibels); 2-Bells = Can talk easily (65-70); 3-Bells = Talking normally gets difficult (70-80); 4-Bells = Can talk only in raised voices (75-90); BOMB = Too noisy for normal conversation (90+)

2.75 - Star........................................€..................................... 2-bells

This will be more of an overview than a review, since this is more of a chain american restaurant. It's not a place to go for a romantic dinner nor even a Parisian experience. It's a restaurant you go to when you're missing good old fashioned American BBQ.

There are 5-locations in Paris. We went to the one in my neighborhood in the 15eme on Cambronne. It was created by Americans from Texas. So, technically I guess you could say it's a Texas style BBQ, but I'm not an BBQ expert. 

As you enter the restaurant you go to the counter and order from the board. You can get your BBQ in a bun or without a bun, e.g, the pulled pork or brisket of beef you can have in a bun or just plain, as I chose the latter. And, you can also order sides like coleslaw, baked beans and potato salad. All come with a BBQ sauce on the side. The BBQ sauce was very vinegary and "french" spicy. If you're a large group, we were 8, they will give you one number once all your orders are taken. Surprisingly, all our 8-orders came out at pretty much the same time.

Not only do they serve BBQ, but they also served typical American desserts like chocolate chip cookies, we had the carrot cake, with very melted ice cream.

VERDICT 

For Paris, I thought the BBQ was good. In my personal opinion, it's much better in the US and especially the southern states. What I was missing was the more smoky flavor and a saucier BBQ. The meats were tender, my pulled pork was a bit stringy, and that can be because of either it was not cooked enough or cooked too long. And, their bbq sauce tended to be more on the vinegary "wet" side. 

I would consider this a "fast-food" restaurant that you'd find in a typical mall America.  So, net-net, this is not a destination restaurant, nor will you get a Parisian experience. if you're going, you're going because you miss having BBQ

The service was EXCELLENT. Very attentive. It is American owned, after-all. 

The one thing I have to say that I really like, you pay through a QR code (placed with your number tag) It itemizes everything and you can easily split and pay the bill via online. Once each pay, it subtotals until everyone pays and the balance gets to ZERO. Love it.

Would I go back, yes if I'm missing BBQ, but I would NOT go out of my way.

Please check website for prices.