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Taste the Q Sauce at Bullwinkle's

Award-winning sauce gives these ribs "credibility"

The bar at Bullwinkle's Top Hat Bistro is topped with a New York strip with mashed potatoes and cinnamon apples Sunday, March 15, 2009 on Culbertson Road in Franklin, Ohio.

Nick Graham/MIDDLETOWN JOURNAL The bar at Bullwinkle's Top Hat Bistro is topped with a New York strip with mashed potatoes and cinnamon apples Sunday, March 15, 2009 on Culbertson Road in Franklin, Ohio.

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By Sue Perine O'Reilly, Contributing Writer Updated 3:45 PM Thursday, March 26, 2009

When a customer takes a taste of juicy, fall-off-the bone baby-back ribs with "The Q Sauce" at Bullwinkle's Top Hat Bistro in Middletown, it probably will be an "aha moment."

That's because that's when rib-lovers will know they'll be coming back for more.

Bullwinkle's tender rack of baby-back pork ribs, complemented with their homemade and bottled barbecue sauce, dubbed "The Q Sauce," truly is a coast-to-coast favorite because in addition to serving them in the restaurant, carry-out and catering, they ship their ribs and Q Sauce anywhere in the U.S.A.

Co-owner John Forman adds even more credibility to these saucy ribs because he said his restaurant won a competitive award called the People's Choice of the Southwest Ohio Ribfest.

Forman even has a house sandwich named after him: Forman's Philly. Forman's Philly, a customers' favorite, contains shaved ribeye, sauteed mushrooms and onions, melted Monterey Jack cheese on a crusty hoagie roll with lettuce and tomato. This sandwich, along with all of the other house sandwiches, is served with wedge-style fries or cole slaw.

Bullwinkle's Top Hat Bistro also has a full menu of munchies, salads, chicken, steaks, seafood, pasta and drinks, but all of this soon will change.

According to co-owner James Mann, a new menu will be debuting sometime in April. Both Mann and Forman anticipate at least 25 entree items on the new menu to cost $9.99 or less.

Forman said with the economy how it is, he wants to add more affordability to his restaurant.

"We will add more items, lower prices, and offer some smaller portions to our customers on the new menu," added Forman. "But we will keep what we have on the menu, now, too, along with prices that are already affordable."

In addition, Bullwinkle's will continue to be family-friendly because they'll keep their kids' menu, where meals are $3.99, except for the kids' ribs dinner; it's $6.99.

Bullwinkle's has two locations — one near the Dayton Mall and this one, which is across the street from the Middletown Mall.

The Middletown location, which seats 170 inside and 60 on the patio, weather permitting, opened in December, 2007.

"Please tell your readers that if they came to our restaurant when we first opened and things weren't all ready, to give us another try. When we first opened, we still didn't have everything done. Now we do," said Forman.

Forman added that this restaurant is a notch above other restaurants in the area that are similar to his, and that the banquet room, which seats 80, is perfect for wedding rehearsal dinners and other events.

How to go

WHAT: Bullwinkle's Top Hat Bistro

WHERE: 6485 Culbertson Rd., Middletown.

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sun. - Thurs., 11 a.m. to midnight Fri. and Sat. COST: Reasonable.

MORE INFO: (513) 217-6030, www.bullwinklestophatbistro.com

CRITIC'S CHOICE: One-half Slab Barbeque Baby-Back Ribs with 2 traditional sides ($13.99), Sweet Potato Fries with dipping sauce, a la carte ($2.99), Forman's Philly sandwich with fries and cole slaw ($9.99), Shrimp Skewer dinner with one side ($13.99), Bullwinkle Beef Burger ($6.99) and pan-seared Crab Cakes with remoulade sauce ($8.99).

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