Wild side BBQ 2015

We reviewed Wild Side BBQ in 2013 and it won our 2013 BBQ contest. We decided to return this year to see how it was doing.

Wildside BBQ is located on Rt. 192, just west of i4 in Kissimmee, Florida.

We arrived at 3:30pm and the restaurant only had two other tables with customers.The parking lot was pretty full and later we found out why: we watched an employee get into his car which was parked in a prime spot near the front door.

We were sat in the same seat we had in 2013. Along the window sill was what appeared to be a ton of pepper sprinkled, or, perhaps they were small dead insects. We couldn't tell. And when we told our waiter, he didn't seem very concerned.

We ordered the nachos.

In 2013, the nachos were a giant plate filled with meats. In this trip, we received a more modest portion. There was more chili and less meat. Instead of a variety of meats, this only had BBQ chicken. The chicken was perfect, both tender and smokey, and nice size shreds. I was disappointed that the size had decreased, but honestly, the previous size was ridiculously large.

The menu has changed and we decided to try something new: rice bowls.

The first ride bowl was BBQ chicken over white rice, no Pico or Corn Salsa. I don't recall the menu mentioning there would be cheese, but a layer or partially melted shredded cheese sits between the rice and meat. The small cups served with it are sour cream and beans. The beans that came did not have any beans in the cup! just the BBQ sauce that the beans are normally in.We asked if it could be served with tomato chunks and were told no, which seemed odd (they put tomatoes on hamburgers - just cut one up!)

The chicken in the nochos were shredded, and the chicken on the rice bowls was cut into small pieces. The smoked flavor was good, but the chicken was dry and hard. In fact, the entire dish was dry (probably ordering the salsa and/or pico would have helped.

This meal was a mistake to have ordered after the BBQ chicken nachos because it was too much BBQ chicken flavor for one meal. We drowned it in the sour cream so it could be eaten.

The second rice bowl was brisket over white rice, no pico, but with corn salsa. It too came with cheese, sour cream, and beans (this time there were beans). The brisket was good, a little dry, not too much fat, and a light smoke flavor. The beans were both sweet and smokey.

Wildside has two BBQ sauces: a sweet sauce, and a sauce that starts sweet but then kicks in the heat. I love a sweet BBQ sauce, so, after fully tasting everything, I used an ample amount on the white rice. White rice doesn't have a lot of flavor, and adding the BBQ sauce was perfect. The shredded cheese provided an odd texture as it partially melted into the rice, but was OK.

In the end, our view of wildside has diminished - but only a little. The nacho portion was smaller and the first rice bowl was a mistake, and what was on that window sill? But overall it was a good meal. I would return, but I would probably go for the Wildside Platter, a sampling of all the meats, instead of a rice bowl,