Jeff Houck

The Tampa Tribune’s food writer since 2005, Jeff Houck covers the way people live through their food. He also hosts the Table Conversations food podcast and believes that everything crunchy is good.

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• December 2012

Scouting Report: Jimbo’s Bar-B-Q

Posted Dec 7, 2005 by Jeff Houck

Updated Dec 7, 2005 at 12:15 PM

Had lunch yesterday at one of my favorite barbecue spots: Jimbo’s Bar-B-Q on Kennedy Boulevard.

I like Jimbo’s because the food is consistently good and the atmosphere is low-key. The service also is very quick, but not rushed.

One of the homespun touches: anyone can help themselves to a bowl of dill pickle chips or some marinated peppers perched on the old Coca-Cola freezer.

Customers at midday range from business lunchers to retirees looking for a bite.

This is pretty typical of the decor in the dining room.

We have a soft spot for pig sculptures.

Chopped pork sandwich platter with beans, fries and cole slaw.

Damn.

We also got a side of hush puppies.

If you looked at this one just right, it resembled a sombrero.

If you looked at it another way…

...it looked like something completely different.

And given our penchant for appreciating food with weird deformities, we had to bring this puppy back to the office.

Our co-workers were mightily amused, if not downright impressed. But then admiration grew to repulsion as the shape became more recognizable.

Sensing a growing repulsion, we did our best to clean up our act by shooting a forced-perspective photo that made it look like Rommie was wearing a hush-puppy sombrero.

Our ruse was not convincing.