To the untrained palate, barbecue is barbecue.
But not at The Cube on Central Avenue.
The restaurant specializes in Memphis, Tenn.-style barbecue, and also offers other American-style food and hot dogs.
Owner Manny Aka said he wanted to give UNM students another option for authentic barbecue.
The difference between Memphis-style barbecue and other styles, such as Texas-style barbecue, is the meat, Aka said.
Memphis-style uses pork meat more heavily than other styles, but the Cube doesn’t restrict their menu to just pork, they have beef and chicken as well, he said.
The Cube has a modern dining room with brightly colored walls, simple tables and chairs and bright orange, yellow and red cube-shaped hanging lights.
The restaurant is set up for customers to order at the counter then take a number and grab a table.
The Cube specializes in pork barbecue, such as pulled pork, but they also offer brisket and ribs.
The pulled pork was savory and delicious when topped with one of The Cube’s three homemade barbecue sauces. They have a traditional sauce, a spicy sauce and a sweeter sauce. They use the sauces depending on dish and personal preference.
The ribs come in two varieties, a moistened and dry-rub style. Both were barbecued to smoky perfection.
The hot dogs at The Cube are all 100 percent beef and come with a multitude of toppings such as green chile and bacon.
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Like most barbecue joints, The Cube also has side orders galore. They have the traditional ones such as baked beans, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, potato salad and mashed sweet potatoes, but they also have some rare sides such as pasta salad and candied plantains.
My favorite side was a toss-up between the mashed potatoes and the macaroni and cheese. The mashed potatoes are made from a recipe that uses cream cheese to add some flavor. While you might not recognize the cream cheese if you didn’t know it was in there, you certainly would notice that their mashed potatoes have a flavorful edge to them.
The macaroni and cheese is homemade with a special cheese sauce, and in fact, everything at The Cube is made from scratch in their kitchen, from their french fries all the way down to the miniature crusts for their fruit tarts.
Speaking of dessert, The Cube’s offerings include chocolate mousse, carrot cake, cheesecake and peach cobbler. The carrot cake was rich with cinnamon flavor and cream cheese frosting.
There is nothing on the menu priced over $10, so it is affordable for a student budget. They also offer a combo that includes one hot dog, without toppings, and a Pabst Blue Ribbon beer for $3.50.
The Cube also offers beer and wine daily, and drink specials such as Spanish sangria for $4.50.
The Cube is a great spot to eat if you like barbecue with some frills. The modern setting in the restaurant mixes well with the southern-style cooking to provide a comfortable and affordable hangout spot for students.
The Cube
1520 Central Ave. SE
505-243-0023
Monday – Thursday 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Friday – Saturday 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
