PULLED BBQ

Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★

Pulled smoked meats

Standout Dishes: Cheesy Pulled Meat Fries; Moo Pulled Sammich; BBQ Egg Rolls; Drunken Pulled Pork Baked Beans

Your traditional BBQ joint, Pulled BBQ is not.

The entire menu is focused on pulled meats; BBQ joint staples like ribs, brisket, sausage, and burnt ends are noticeably absent. What you will find is pork, beef, and chicken, all pulled by hand, presented in creative ways that highlight the delicious meat.

Pulled BBQ started as a food truck and catering service, but it so quickly gained popularity that it moved into a permanent space in Rockbrook Village a little over a year later. Owner Cory Fuller took a big risk in focusing solely on pulled meats and eschewing many BBQ lovers’ favorite dishes, but his dedication to perfecting his smoked meats made the gamble worth it.

What the restaurant lacks in meat variety it makes up for in sheer creativity. Pulled BBQ allows you to order your choice of meat inside sandwiches, burritos, and tacos, or you can opt to top a boat of fries or mac & cheese with it. You’ll even find pork, beef, and chicken stuffed inside deep-fried balls of mac & cheese and egg rolls.

But the dish that allows the proteins to shine brightest are the sandwiches, which pack your meat of choice, sauteed onions, provolone cheese, pickles, and cilantro into a soft, toasted kaiser roll. The beef in the Moo Pulled Sammich is rich and has a brilliant bark that adds bite and chewiness. The pulled pork in the Oink Pulled Sandwich is more tender and has a subtle sweetness.

But Pulled BBQ’s finest sandwich is its Cubano, which balances that rich, tender pork with salty ham, tangy, crunchy pickles, and melted Swiss. The kicker is the Carolina Mustard BBQ sauce, which adds some sweetness and smokiness that normal mustard is missing. The bread is panini pressed, so it has good texture, but it’s missing that signature Cubano crispiness. With the right bread, this sandwich would be a home run.

To even further amp up the flavor, take a visit to Pulled BBQ’s Sauce Bar. The restaurant offers 7 housemade sauces, from the mild Sweet and Sticky to the creamy, mayo-based Omaha White to the sniffle-inducing, habanero-based R.I.P. Each sauce adds varying levels of heat and sweet, giving moisture to each dish and allowing you to customize each bite.

The best application of the pulled meats is in a familiar dish that falls flat at most restaurants: the Cheesy Pulled Meat Fries. Pulled BBQ didn’t invent the concept of a loaded fry basket, but it manages to avoid the pitfall that commonly sinks this dish.

What makes french fries so delicious is the crispiness they gain during their time in the deep fryer, but at most restaurants they lose that desired texture when loaded with cheese and toppings. Somehow Pulled BBQ’s fries, despite being loaded with queso, sour cream, pico de gallo, and meat, maintain their firm texture. The seasoning has a delightful, slightly spicy kick; these spuds are delicious without any toppings.

The queso and sour cream add a luscious, gooey factor, and the meat makes this a perfect side dish or shared appetizer.

The fries are just scratching the surface of Pulled BBQ’s creativity. The meats can also be loaded onto a bed of mac & cheese composed with a 5-cheese blend (havarti, gouda, sharp cheddar, monterey jack, and cream cheese) and your choice of sauce. You can also pack them into a massive 2-lb. burrito with mac, fries, and sauteed veggies before being smothered in creamy queso.

What sets Pulled BBQ apart, however, is its willingness to push the boundaries and explore new ways to employ smoked meats. That’s the case with the Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese Balls, deep-fried orbs of noodles, dairy, and pig. The deep fry produces a beautiful golden brown crust while allowing the mac to stay creamy on the inside. The balls could use more meat and they tend to be a bit dry, but a dunk in your favorite BBQ sauce renders the latter a moot point.

The deep fryer makes another, and more successful, appearance in the BBQ Egg Rolls. Currently a rotating special that may be (and should be) added to the permanent menu, each tray includes 3 rolls that highlight the different meats. Though on the greasy side, you’ll be willing to sacrifice the calories for these flavors:

Pulled Pork & Coleslaw Egg Roll: As classic as it gets, this is basically your standard pulled pork sandwich, but swapping out the bread for a crisp, chewy egg roll.
Pulled Chicken Southwest Egg Roll: Zesty and light, it’s a perfect pairing with the creamy, tangy Omaha White Sauce.
Pulled Beef Philly Egg Roll: The name says it all: this is a philly cheesesteak in egg roll form, but with house queso replacing the classic cheese whiz.

Another popular special is the Philly Cheesesteak, which sells like gangbusters any time it graces the menu. Pulled BBQ subs out the traditional shaved steak for its pulled beef, which is stuffed inside a buttered and toasted roll with melted provolone and sauteed peppers and onions. The kicker is the river of creamy cheese whiz that oozes into every pore of this sandwich, injecting a delightful hit of cheesy goodness.

Pulled BBQ also uses other meats as specials, including salmon and corned beef. And if The Ralphie, which uses Central Nebraska Buffalo bison, hits the menu, get it. The rich, tender bison pairs perfectly with the pillowy bun and punch of creamy horseradish mayo.

Pulled BBQ has several sides to accompany your meal, from the aforementioned fries and mac & cheese to sweet potato tots with a marshmallow dipping sauce. But the star of is the Drunken Pulled Pork Baked Beans, which might be the best beans in Omaha. Each tray of beans includes over 2 pounds of pork and bacon, so you won’t be shorted on meat. The beans are cooked down to a soft, creamy texture and achieve a nice sweetness from sugar and pineapple, and bourbon adds a nice smokiness.

In a way, the beans showcase what makes Pulled BBQ so interesting. Plenty of restaurants offer smoked meats, but few present them in the unique ways this restaurant does.

So while you may not find ribs or burnt ends here, you won’t miss them. Pulled BBQ has found its niche with pulled meats, and there’s nothing wrong with leaning into that speciality.