A Big Appetite Visit to Rusty Can Barbecue in Massachusetts

A plate of smoked ribs, a scoop of creamy macaroni and cheese, barbecue black beans and cornbread with honey butter is a very sensible way to break up a Massachusetts drive. At Rusty Can, the menu is built for that sort of hunger: barbecue with enough range to suit the person who wants a straightforward rib plate and the one determined to investigate a towering sandwich or a plate of brisket nachos.

The restaurant is easy to reach from I-95 and has free parking in its lot, which helps explain its appeal as a lunch stop, dinner destination or after-work meal. Its rustic exterior gives way to a comfortable, decorated indoor space with the easygoing feel of a neighborhood bar, where smoked meat and a cold drink make a perfectly workable agenda.

Brisket and pork ribs are the headliners here. The ribs are notably tender, juicy and well seasoned, with the sort of pull-apart texture that makes a pile of napkins a sensible table accessory. They work well on their own as a plate, but they are also an obvious choice for anyone building a two- or three-meat combination.

The brisket has a rich, juicy presence rather than being treated as a minor sandwich filling. Order it as part of a meat combination with ribs and pulled pork, or give it the spotlight in one of the restaurant's more inventive dishes. A mixed barbecue plate is a pleasant bit of table diplomacy when nobody can agree on a single meat.

Pulled pork rounds out the core lineup in sandwiches and plates. It is tender, juicy and evenly shredded, making it an easy choice for diners who prefer barbecue that is ready to pile onto a bun without much maneuvering.

Smoked chicken and chicken wings bring a little variety to the meat-heavy board. The smoked Cajun wings come with a Cajun rub flavorful enough that diners have taken home a pint of it. Buffalo wings offer a different direction: hot, crisp, juicy and served with a distinctive buffalo sauce.

The Brisket Bomb is the sandwich to order when a regular brisket sandwich sounds a little too restrained. It is one of Rusty Can's recurring signature recommendations, a substantial construction with enough heft that saving half for the next day is entirely plausible.

That size is useful information, not just bragging rights. A Brisket Bomb can become dinner and tomorrow's lunch, while a more traditional pulled pork sandwich leaves room for sides, wings or a shared starter. The menu's mix of sandwiches, plates and combination meals makes it easy to tailor the meal to the appetite in front of you.

Brisket nachos have developed a following of their own. They have appeared as a Thursday special, drawing diners back specifically to order a platter with extra brisket added on top. It is an appealing use of barbecue: smoky meat taking the place of a modest garnish and turning nachos into something closer to a full meal.

Specials add a little motion to a menu already full of smoked staples. The brisket nachos schedule and other special items can change, so the current lineup is worth checking before making a dedicated trip for one particular dish.

The side list is broad enough that barbecue plates need not look identical from one visit to the next. Macaroni and cheese is creamy and more stovetop-style than baked, a soft and familiar counterpoint to brisket bark and peppery ribs.

Barbecue black beans bring a deeper, heartier note and are available for take-home orders as well as alongside a meal. Collard greens, coleslaw, french fries and hush puppies fill out the choices, leaving plenty of room to go classic or assemble a plate with a little of everything.

Cornbread arrives with honey butter, a small detail that gives the meal a sweeter pause between bites of smoked meat. It is easy to overlook cornbread on a crowded plate; it is less easy to overlook when the honey butter enters the picture.

The side salad is notably generous, more like something that could be shared by two or three people than a token green garnish. That makes it a useful order for a table balancing brisket, ribs, fries and all the other rich things that tend to accumulate once barbecue decisions begin.

Rusty Can has a cozy, rustic, bar-like atmosphere that suits a lingering dinner as well as a quick meal. The room can be lively and busy, especially at dinner and on weekends, though it can also be comfortable for conversation. The general mood is welcoming rather than formal.

The bar program gives the barbecue another avenue beyond the usual iced tea or soda routine. Spicy margaritas made with freshly squeezed limes bring some tart heat to the table, while craft beer options include beer made by the venue. A crisp beer beside a rib plate is a familiar pairing for good reason, but the margarita is a fine argument for taking the meal in another direction.

Friendly service helps the place work for several sorts of stops: a casual lunch, a dinner with friends, an after-work plate of wings or a meal that starts with drinks and ends with a shared order of hush puppies.

Takeout is not an afterthought here. Sandwiches, barbecue plates, wings and sides all travel well enough to make Rusty Can a practical pickup for the road, a family meal at home or even dinner by the shore. Barbecue black beans and hush puppies can join the order, so a takeout bag does not have to consist of meat alone.

For diners staying in the dining room, lunch and dinner are both on the table. At busy times, particularly after 5 p.m. and on weekend evenings, seating can involve a wait. The menu gives you plenty to think about while that appetite has a chance to sharpen: ribs or brisket, creamy mac or beans, a craft beer or a lime-bright spicy margarita, and perhaps a Brisket Bomb for tomorrow.