An anonymous review by a local college student
A Steak Revelation
I never ate steak, let alone tri-tip, until I was 20 years old. My mother misread an article about red meat when I was young and never let me touch the stuff as a child. I had no idea that steak was so good. But once I did, I knew I had to make up for lost time. There’s nothing quite as good as a well cooked, perfectly seasoned slice of steak. However, finding good steak at an affordable price can be quite the challenge. An expensive steak is sure to taste great, but as a broke college student I just can’t afford it. On the other hand, a cheap steak is sure to be tough and lacking flavor. I thought I’d never find an affordable, great tasting steak. That is until I tried the tri-tip at Blister’s BBQ.
The tri-tip at Blister’s is some of the best I’ve ever tasted. My best friend had just told me about a barbeque restaurant inside a gas station. Like most people from outside of Rexburg (and not from the south) I was skeptical at first. Surely I’m not the only one with bad experiences from gas station food. It surprised me that Blisters was a real restaurant with an open kitchen. I expected a self-serve station like I’d seen at grocery stores. I was also shocked that the food smelled amazing. From my first bite of their tri-tip, I was hooked.
Good Tri-Tip Shouldn’t NEED Sauce
Most small barbeque places I have been to are overly reliant on their sauces. I have been to places back east where they make a gimmick out of how many sauces you can choose from. It was an interesting experience eating there, but I would never order their meat alone. My problem with most of these places is that they think sauce makes good barbeque. Blister’s has great sauces, with their original barbeque and fry sauce, but the overall taste of the meat is what makes a barbeque place great. The sauce should merely complement that taste. Luckily, the owners of Blister’s seem to understand this. The tri-tip was so well-seasoned and tender that I could have eaten it on it’s own. The meat was cooked properly but still juicy and tender. So tender that I could cut it with a plastic knife. When I eventually tried the sauce it complemented the flavor of the meat, instead of overpowering it.
I like to eat plates of steak or pulled pork but Blister’s has you covered if you like sandwiches as well. Try ordering a tri-tip sandwich. They add a sauce to the meat and serve it on a bun. The sauce really adds to the flavor, but still lets you enjoy the great taste of the meat. I still prefer ordering the meat plate, but if you’re less of a messy eater you should definitely get the sandwich.
Don’t Sleep On The Sides
But you can’t only try the meat while you’re at Blister’s. A restaurant without great sides is barely even a barbeque joint. Luckily, Blister’s has some delicious sides. I myself am a coleslaw and fries guy. That being said, I am very picky when it comes to coleslaw. It has to be just right. Not dry but not drenched either. The slaw at Blister’s hits it right on the money. It has a great flavor which can pair superbly well with both the tri-tip and pulled pork. If you’ve ordered a sandwich try topping your meat with coleslaw in place of pickles!
The fries are great, too. You can tell by the leftover oil and color of the fries that they are freshly cooked to perfection. Not too salty and they taste delicious in the tangy fry sauce.
Point is, if you’re looking for quality beef at a price you can afford, look no further than Blister’s BBQ in Rexburg! Check out more solid review HERE.