Barbecue at Shelby’s Grille sizzles in Washougal

Why: Shelby’s Grille in Washougal has been in business for many years and has served its fair share of different cuisine options. I have personally experienced three renditions; my favorite, though, is its present offerings — Northwest barbecue with housemade sides, burgers, sandwiches, soups and salads for lunch and dinner.

What I tried: To start our meal, my dining companion and I had the Devils on Horseback. I settled on the Bacon & Blue burger with coleslaw, and my dining companion had the SLAB.L.T. with potato salad.

The Devils on Horseback consists of bacon-wrapped Medjool dates stuffed with blue cheese and hazelnut. The dates are drizzled with maple syrup and served alongside a spicy hot whiskey honey and Siracha sauce for dredging the dates through. These were a delicious start to our meal, and I found the sauce a welcome, unusual accompaniment to stuffed dates.

The burger is stacked with bacon, blue cheese, caramelized onions, roasted peppers, lettuce, tomato, red onion and garlic mayo. The bun wasn’t too oversized; it was the perfect lid and base to the burger. The overall flavor of the burger was singular, as opposed to being able to identify all the contributors. I liked the texture of the meat patty and it wasn’t tough or dry. The bacon was cooked perfectly for the burger. I greatly appreciated the effort in the making of the coleslaw. It incorporated apple and kale, whereas many other establishments’ housemade versions typically mirror food supplier versions, which gets boring.

My dining companion enjoyed his sandwich. It combined avocado, cucumber and sweet chili-chipotle mayo with traditional BLT ingredients. He said the potato salad had more mayonnaise character than mustard. 

Menu highlights beyond what I tried: The smoked chicken wings tossed in barbecue sauce sounded good, as did the Brunswick stew made with pulled pork, chicken, brisket, roasted corn and lima beans. Three-meat chili (ground beef, pork and brisket) is on the menu. BBQ Sampler Platers are available, as well as plated and by-the-pound options. Sandwiches include a prime rib dip, a pulled pork bahn mi, pulled chicken and a patty melt. A smoked prime rib dinner is served on Friday and Saturday.

Atmosphere: The main dining space consists of two rooms that are family friendly and cozy with generously sized booth seating and a welcoming, farm-style, barbecue-inspired theme. The bar, located just beyond the main dining area, also has booths in addition to bar stools. There is an attractive back bar, and the rest of the space is chock-full of alcohol-related plaques and items which tastefully fill most of the wall space. Large screen TVs provide entertainment. Different color palettes and ideas are used in the main dining space and the bar, but they complement one another, bringing cohesion to the establishment’s overall impression.

Other observations: My dining companion and I arrived at 7:52 p.m. We were told that the kitchen closes at 8 p.m. and would, therefore, not be able to order food. I have only experienced this practice at fast casual establishments where a younger crew is all about closing up and leaving. At this type of restaurant, in my opinion, if the kitchen closes at 8 p.m., then 8 p.m. it is, not 7:52 p.m. I pointed out the time and asked for verification from the kitchen. After a couple of minutes, we were told that we could sit in the bar and order food. From this point on, everything was spot on. Our server was polite, friendly and attentive.

Cost: Appetizers are $9.99 to $12.99. Soups and salads cost $6 to $14.99. Barbecue options range from $11 to $72. Sides cost $1.75 to $6.49. Burgers are $11.49 to $13.49. Sandwiches are $10.99 to $12.49. Friday and Saturday prime rib dinner costs $28.99. Nonalcoholic beverages are $2.75 and $3.