Fuel BBQ

120 S Park Ave.

Sanford, FL 32771
(407) 328-4848
View Website Here

It’s still amazing to me, being born and raised in Sanford FL., that the little small town and not much of a downtown has, almost overnight become a foodie and craft beer destination.

There is literally blocks and blocks of craft beer places to visit, and almost as many restaurants, from fast casual to full service, the food scene in Sanford has been making quite a bit of noise lately.

The owners of The Alley, a family owned and operated live music venue in the Historic District of Downtown Sanford that specializes in live performances of all genres of music that has been in business since 2005, decided to get in on this all new foodie craze and opened up Fuel BBQ.

Chris and Michelle Johnson decided to open the small space they had next to the Alley Bar and turn it into a fast casual simple service BBQ joint with an emphasis on Old School Slow and Low BBQ.

With the help of Pit Master Clay Watson, who also moonlights in a blues rock band, they put together a pretty simple and straightforward menu of BBQ classics like Brisket, Ribs, Jim Beam infused High Octane Pulled Pork, Grilled Chicken and a variety of sides.

The St. Louis style ribs are pictured here with the customary side of cornbread and BBQ Beans. The ribs were very tender and fell off the bone, but the flavor was not very impressive, and these had some fatty sections, more than what I am accustomed to. The beans however, are delicious. 

Meats are available by themselves, or on a Kaiser roll bun. The Brisket at Fuel is pretty impressive. It has great char and bark, and really good flavorings. This one was served up on a Kaiser Roll with nothing else except for choice of available housemade BBQ Sauces that are at the table.

High Octane Pulled Pork is made with the traditional pork butt that you would get on the basic menu selection if you order Pulled Pork, but this one is made with a High Octane Jim Beam Bourbon sauce to give it a little extra kick.

The Bus Stop, is a sandwich creation of Brisket and regular Pulled Pork with Coleslaw, although the coleslaw is on the side. As you can see from the above photos, I am not very impressed with the creativity at Fuel BBQ. I understand the part of ordering meats, or a sandwich, but the sandwiches are just really plain and boring, even this one...I feel like I missed the Bus. I am probably spoiled by some other local places as well, but adding a few extra things to these sandwiches would go a long way.

I did really like the variety of table side sauces they had available, especially the Mustard.

Overall, It was good, not great BBQ. I really feel like if they put a bit more creativity into making sandwiches and maybe a few different menu items...and a tad more seasoning into their overall smoke process, they could be really really good.

Fuel BBQ is Closed on Monday, but they are open everyday from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm, with the exception of Friday and Saturday, as they stay open until 10:00 pm.

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