When it comes to barbecue ribs, I have one inviolable rule: They must be fall-off-the-bone. I have no interest in gnawing on ’em. I want the bones to end up shiny as freshly brushed teeth.

This week, I’m homing in on chain barbecue restaurants. There are really only two in these parts: Dickey’s Barbecue Pit (est. 1941, Dallas, Texas), with four locations in the greater Tampa Bay area, and Sonny’s BBQ (est. 1968, Gainesville, Florida), with six. Both menus indicate that I could expect their ribs to fall off the bone.

DICKEY’S BARBECUE PIT

Monday’s weather had been all-day dreary, although it had stopped raining when we arrived at 6:30. The Tyrone-area restaurant’s’ gray exterior matched the drab sky, but once inside I got energized by the thought of eating BBQ ribs for the first time in many, many months.

Right off the bat, I hit the counter woman with, “Are your ribs fall-off-the-bone?”

“Always,” she shot back, before I could finish the question.

Okay, then. Let’s get’r goin’.

We ordered a half-rack Rib Plate ($18.99) with two sides: hand-cut fries and barbecue beans. For sauces, we got one container of the Dickey’s house flavor and one sweet.

Appearance

Your basic presentation of a rib meal at a counter-serve barbecue joint. I was rarin’ to dig in.

Taste and Texture

The counter woman was true to her word. These ribs fell off the bone — but not so much that they came apart at the slightest touch. These were ribs you could pick up and eat.

And they were damn good — the meat sublimely tender, with just the right measure of smokiness. I wasn’t interested in sharing too much of my grub with Bonnie, although I kept that to myself. One rib in, she announced, “I’m done,” and my face lit up.

The fries were nice: long and bordering on limp. It was like eating, y’know, potato. The beans held their own, but they had a bit too much of a congealed texture. Of the two sauces, we preferred the house version, tangy with a hint of spicy heat, although we only sampled it. I generally don’t dip my ribs in sauce.

I wiped out the rib plate, which I knew would happen even when Bonnie tossed in her napkin early.

SONNY’S BBQ

We arrived at the Pinellas Park location at 4:45 Thursday, a blazing hot, rainless, puffy-clouded afternoon. The aroma of smoke swaddled us just inside the front door.

The large dining room is outfitted like a Western roadhouse, with different tones of wood offset by bright red chairs. We had our choice of tables so set up at a six-top by the window on the back wall.

Our server, Stephanie, arrived promptly. All of Sonny’s ribs are fall-off-the-bone, she said, but the St. Louis style has more fat, and therefore is more juicy, and she strongly recommended them. How could we not?

I ordered St. Louis Ribs ($18.29) with BBQ beans and coleslaw as sides. Bonnie got tater tots with her pulled pork sandwich.

Appearance

Compared to the competition, this presentation of a barbecue rib meal was durn near elegant. Then again, Sonny’s is a full-service restaurant, so that’s to be expected. Like a few days prior, I was rarin’ to dig in.

Taste and Texture

 

Fall-off-the-bone redux. These ribs had a prominent char that added to the smoke quotient and required some extra jaw work. They were tender and smokey and flavorful, as expected, but not as moist as those at Dickey’s.

My half-rack included an end cut, which had very little meat and was mostly burnt black. I gave it a go anyway. (Stephanie told me later to order “center-cut ribs.” Useful information, indeed.)

The sweet beans were so syrupy that they came with a spoon. The coleslaw had more sauce than I prefer, but I finished it all the same. Bonnie’s tots, a few of which I stole, were perfectly done. A welcome bonus was a splendid cornbread muffin — moist and sweet.

And the Winners of the Chain vs. Chain Rib Ruckus Is …

A split decision …

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit.

I preferred the vibe at Sonny’s. I preferred the beans. I preferred the potatoes. I far preferred the cornbread over the so-called Texas Toast at Dickey’s. But ultimately I preferred the ribs at Dickey’s, so I’m duty bound to declare it the winner by the thinnest of margins. As to where I’d choose to go for another rib plate, it’s Sonny’s.

A final note: Even though my two rib dinners in a week covered my fat-intake quota for a month, I have no regrets. Well, maybe one: I wore tan shorts to Sonny’s.