5chw4r7z:: the ethos of downtown Cincinnati

OTR has that rep of taking forever to get into a restaurant. Not sitting at a table already? Forget it, you ain't getting one tonight. It was a year a a couple days ago tonight that Cincinnati experienced its first polar vortex and a good snow fall to boot. So while everyone else was avoiding the cold and staying warm, we knew better and strolled right into Senate. We practically had the place to ourselves.
Fast forward from a year ago and we find ourselves at Pontiac bourbon & bbq, Daniel Wright's newest endeavor. Its your classic OTR style restaurant, a shotgun building but roomier than Senate. Drink wise Pontiac specializes in tiki drinks, and cocktails but mainly tiki's they have all the tiki glasses. The ribs Pontiac serve are Memphis and St Louis, they were serving the St Louis style last night and they had a nice burn to them. The smoked chicken wings were spicy and my favorite until I had the ribs. Then the ribs were my favorite until I ate more wings. I thought I would never pick a favorite until Mr. Wright dropped an atom bomb on me. He brought out a tray of brisket and stopped the party. Now I've told people I've had meat so tender it melted in my mouth. Turns out I had no idea no idea what I was even talking about. (not surprising)
Pontiac rubs the brisket with salt and pepper and smokes it for 14 hours. Mr. Wright told me its Central Texas style using white oak wood. Everyone uses mesquite so Mr. Wright wanted to serve something different and he says Central Texas style is classic.
The tenderness and the salt are the memories of the brisket that stick with me. I could feel my Cerebral Cortex expanding out to become one with the universe.
Pontiac bourbon & bbq opens for business January 13th, my birthday. I suggest you show up when the doors open because this is the place everyone will want to go. Guarantee'd.

Eli's is old skool with their record player. Pontiac is old skoolerer with a reel to reel

Pontiac built a small room off the back of the building to enclose the smoker. They still have to load the firewood into it outside, but everything else is indoors.