Everyone who has been to Black Dog has a favorite sauce. I’ve had the same two favorite sauces since my first bite at the Urbana location in 2014: the Lexington and Georgia peach. I’ve stuck with these two for a long time, but I’ve been wanting to try all of Black Dog’s sauces. So when my sister came to visit, we added every single barbecue sauce on the menu to our dinner order.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Each sauce was labeled, and only the Lexington sauce dripped a little in transit.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Starting with the top row, the leftmost sauce is hot Georgia peach, a spicy version of the Black Dog’s mild Georgia peach sauce; it’s a zippy hot sauce with a subtle sweetness. The second sauce is the Carolina red sauce made with vinegar, tomatoes, Black Dog’s dry rub, and peppers; it’s pretty spicy with a great vinegar zing. Next is the Texas sauce which is a mild ancho pepper sauce with a secret ingredient: brisket drippings; the Texas sauce is a thicker, smoky sauce that really sticks to whatever you pour it on. The fourth sauce is the Carolina vinegar sauce made with vinegar, peppers, salt, and sugar; the medium heat on this sauce is great, and the bitterness of the vinegar balances the heat nicely. The last sauce on the top row is the Georgia peach, a thick, sweet barbecue sauce made with real peaches but isn’t super fruity — and it is a fantastic mild barbecue sauce.
The second row of sauces starts with habanero reaper which is a very, very spicy barbecue sauce. The next sauce is Milo’s mustard which is a well-balanced classic mustard sauce with a tangy heat. The middle sauce on the bottom row is chipotle barbecue, a smoky, thick sauce that was spicy and delicious. Next is the most recent sauce addition to Black Dog’s menu: the Alabama white, and it’s a slightly sweet, mayo-based sauce with vinegar and spices — and my new favorite sauce at Black Dog. Lastly, the Lexington dip is a thin vinegar sauce with a little tomato taste and a medium heat. I love this sauce for its awesome spice level and peppery vinegar flavor. The Lexington is best for dipping ribs or a pulled pork sandwich because it’s so thin that the meat absorbs the sauce even in a quick dip.
All of the sauces are made from scratch at Black Dog Smoke and Ale House. Most orders at Black Dog come with a sauce or two, but you can also order the sauces in a six ounce cup for $2.10, 16 ounces for $5.50, or a whopping 32 ounces of sauce for $11. If you have a favorite sauce, let us know in the comments or tell us via email.
Dine in at the Champaign location — or check out Stephanie’s review of Black Dog takeout and order online here.
Black Dog Smoke and Ale House
320 N Chesnut Ave
Champaign
11 a.m. to 9 p.m., daily
Top image by Alyssa Buckley.
