Blake’s Place Brings Big Barbecue to a Business Park

A plate of brisket, sausage, two sides and garlic toast is a fine way to interrupt a day in a business park. Blake’s Place sits among the practical surroundings of a business and industrial center, an address that makes the restaurant feel a little hidden until the barbecue begins arriving at tables.

Inside, the setup is easygoing and direct. Order at the counter, choose your meats and sides, then settle into the spacious dining room or head outside to the patio while the staff brings the food over.

The mood is comfortably casual rather than themed-up. Tables have room around them, televisions are on hand, and the seating works just as well for a solo lunch as it does for a family dinner or a larger group gathering.

The menu covers the barbecue standards people come hoping to find: beef brisket, pulled pork, baby back ribs, spare ribs, smoked turkey, sausage and barbecue chicken. Combination platters make a sensible choice for anyone who would rather compare a couple of meats than commit to just one.

Brisket and pulled pork carry much of the conversation here. The brisket has the tender, juicy character barbecue fans want, with a pronounced smoky edge rather than a bland, roast-beef approach. Pulled pork is finely pulled, richly smoky and notably free of the big visible fatty pieces that can make a pound of takeout feel less generous.

The chicken deserves its own order instead of being treated as the cautious alternative. Smoked chicken comes particularly juicy, with the smoke flavor clearly present. Smoked turkey offers another option for diners who want barbecue flavor in a lighter-feeling plate.

Ribs remain a good reason to come hungry. Baby backs and spare ribs are both on the menu, and rib meals recur alongside the combination plates. A full rack can be substantial enough for two people to split, especially when the sides start filling the table.

Blake’s regular barbecue sauce is not a blast of heat. It runs slightly sweet and tangy, designed to sit alongside the smoke instead of covering it up. There is also a hotter sauce for diners who want more kick.

Sauce arrives with the meats, and pulled pork is served already dressed. Extra sauce is available for anyone who likes a wetter sandwich, a more heavily coated rib, or simply wants a little more for the fries.

A bottle can go home with you, which is handy when a takeout order turns into next-day sandwiches. The one-pound pulled-pork order is a particularly natural candidate for that plan.

Meat plates can come with two sides, so the supporting cast gets plenty of attention. Coleslaw, potato salad, barbecue beans, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, fries and onion rings give the menu a broad, familiar barbecue-table range.

The potato salad and beans are especially worth considering when you want to move beyond the automatic fries-and-slaw order. Baked beans and barbecue beans bring a sweet-savory counterpoint to brisket or ribs, while macaroni and cheese makes a more substantial partner for smoked chicken.

Garlic toast or garlic bread appears with several meals, including a sausage-and-brisket plate. It is a small but welcome extra on a tray built for sauce and slow eating.

Portions tend to be generous across the menu. A one-pound pulled-pork order can take care of a serious takeout meal, and the named one-pound Bomber gives larger appetites another reason to look beyond a standard plate.

That generosity makes sharing easy without making the meal feel fussy. Two people can divide a full rack of ribs, add sides, and still have a decent chance of bringing something home.

Banana pudding is available when barbecue calls for a soft landing. One serving can be large enough to share, which may be the wiser move after ribs, beans, mac and cheese, and garlic bread.

The counter-service format keeps the visit straightforward, but it does not mean a grab-and-go-only experience. Staff bring the completed order to the table, leaving diners free to choose a seat, pour over the sauce choices and wait for the tray rather than standing around with a number in hand.

The restaurant accommodates everyday combinations of people well: couples sharing ribs, families ordering across the menu, and groups trying several meats and sides. Parties of six and nine have found room in the dining area.

Meal periods can be busy, as a barbecue place with substantial portions probably should be. At quieter times, groups have found tables available and food has arrived promptly.

Indoor seating gives the restaurant a relaxed, roomy base for lunch and dinner. The patio changes the rhythm a bit, offering an outdoor option when a tray of barbecue seems better with open air than with a television overhead.

The open patio has accommodated dogs when staff have been consulted first. Current pet rules are worth confirming with the restaurant before bringing one along.

Takeout is more than an afterthought here. Individual meals travel well, but barbecue by the pound is useful when dinner needs to feed more than the people who can fit around one table.

For larger gatherings, Blake’s Place also caters. A catered park event for 56 guests included baby-back ribs, brisket, chicken strips, potato salad, baked beans and macaroni and cheese, along with barbecue sauce, rolls and butter.

That delivery arrived with the practical extras—napkins, wipes, plasticware and plates—that can make serving barbecue outside much less complicated. Catering menus and included supplies can change, so it is sensible to confirm current options for an event.

The business-center location is part of the restaurant’s personality. It is not in a conventional restaurant district, which gives lunch or dinner here the pleasant feeling of having found a place that office buildings did not quite manage to hide.

A free parking lot is available and is generally roomy, though spaces can occasionally be harder to spot. With indoor tables, patio seating, counter ordering and takeout all in the mix, Blake’s Place has more ways to handle a barbecue craving than its low-key address might suggest.