Mark’s Score 8.6
I was expecting sunny and warm weather the day I took a hike in Terrapin Nature Park, by the time I reached the park, the clouds had moved in, the temperature had fallen and a stiff cold wind had risen off the bay. I was not dressed for the turn in the weather. By the time I had finished my hike I was chilled to the bone. Fortunately, Bark Barbecue is just a short drive from the park entrance, and barbecue seemed just the fix for my cold weary bones.
Bark Barbecue was opened in a suburban business park by Beri Ghazarian in December 2021. Ghazarian is a self-taught pitmaster. Learning his craft via backyard experimentation, Texas barbecue study trips, and refinement in pop-up venues. Ghazarian wished to replicate authentic Texas barbecue techniques here in Maryland with live-fire cooking, using low-and-slow smoking, wood selection (oak, hickory, apple, & pecan), and meat-focused (brisket, ribs, and pork) simplicity. Bark focuses on technique-driven barbecue rather than reliance on heavy sauces or heavy seasoning.
When I try specialty cuisines, I prefer authentic, which means an unusual menu, or an unusual combination of flavors and textures or a unique presentation. For me it is about the experience, not just filling my belly. I have to give this to Bark; it is certainly unique, starting with its location. it is situated in an ordinary office building in a very ordinary office park. But in spite of being in an office park, they slow-smoke their meats right on the property, and not in the kitchen, but in the parking lot. I would love to hear the story of how they got the landlord and the county to agree to placing a smokehouse on an office parking lot.
I don’t often eat barbecue; the heavy sauces common in barbecue put me off. If you feel the same about barbecue as me, then Bark is the barbecue place for you. Ghazarian’s barbecue philosophy centers on the meat. In his view, nothing should get in the way of the meat, so there are no overpowering sauces or spices. His barbecue is meat centric with simple spices, presented without sauce.
I ordered the pork sandwich with a side of mac and cheese. They have a nice outdoor seating area, also in the parking lot, but it was cold so I decided to sit in the inside dining area. The interior is sleekly modern and minimalist, like the barbecue itself. There are only two large communal tables so you are cheek by jowl with other diners.
Ghazarian states that in good barbecue the smoke should enhance the meat, the meat should be tender and moist, without being mushy, while retaining a crusty exterior. My sandwich certainly fulfilled all his criteria. Also, the mac and cheese paired perfectly with the meat.
Bark is my kind of barbecue and the food was the perfect antidote to my chilled bones. But if you are into bold spices and heavy sauces, this might not be the barbecue place for you.
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