My first post to the new BBQ blog . . . where else to start other than jumping right into the point of this blog, listing off my favorite places to get great sloppy BBQ and other fine eats. That being said, we might as well start with my favorite, Clems BBQ.
Clems is not located in a BBQ hot spot, but like most good places, it is a hole in the wall in the middle of nowhere. Clems is off the side of rt. 220 just south of State College, Pa, making it the perfect road side dive for travelers pushing through or tailgaters from Penn State. The location is a bit weird as it is nestled in between a bunch of those house like sheds that you can buy at Home Depot and if you blink you will miss it. Clems doesn't even really have any type of indoors or seating, but simply a window and a roof that you can stand under.
I have actually never had the ribs at Clems because I fell in love with their pulled pork sandwich the first time I was there. Served on a hoagie roll and dripping with their home made sauce, which is available in a mason jar, the pulled pork is the best $5 invest you can make at a road side stop. All of the pork is slowly smoked that day, as you can see the grills/smoker behind you, so the pork is tender as can be. I did convince myself to get a combo once to at least try the chicken, which I cannot complain about, but I can still never get away from their pulled pork.
Unfortunately, I do not travel through there very often anymore, but I constantly recommend to anyone passing through. Although it is truly a unenclosed shack, when you walk inside there are newspaper write ups from various papers throughout the state (philly, pitt . . .) and maps to pin point where you are from. Surprisingly the maps are absolutely littered with hundreds of selections from across the country and throughout the world. This is surely helped by gameday visitors who are storming Happy Valley to kick the crap out of Penn State, but none the less impressive. I guarantee you will enjoy if you stop in; I have had a bad review yet. Stop by their site for a menu.
