Percy Street Barbecue

O'Shea's menu, meanwhile, has its own stylistic drift from Texas purity. The pork belly, for example, is a clear nod to the Philly trend, although, as the ravenous K.C. could attest, it works just fine if you close your eyes, add some pickles, and imagine all those melt-away layers of fat to be an indulgent schmear of very tasty mayonnaise.

The pork spare ribs are another non-Texan specialty, and while they wore a nice pink smoke ring, they also had an oddly lacquered finish that begged for a sauce or rub. O'Shea's house-made sausage links are inspired by Texas. But for such intriguing filling - brisket, pork shoulder, and jalapeño cheddar - they were disappointingly dry.

There were no disappointments, though, when it came to dessert. The banana pudding was a bowl of Southern indulgence at its best; the apple crisp, a perfect harmony of orchard fruit and toothsome crunch. The "German" chocolate cake brought an unconventional twist to its moist layers - a peanut butter icing I absolutely loved.

But nothing beats O'Shea's pecan pie, which looked perfectly standard but came with a subtle tweak that made it irresistible: a salt-and-butter roast for the nuts before blending into the pie. Memphis only reluctantly shared with his pal.

"Good God!" hollered K.C. "That makes my apple crisp taste like health food!"

It was one high compliment from a pair of hard-to-please barbecue guys, topped only by another: "We'll be back."

Next Sunday, Craig LaBan reviews Square 1682 near Rittenhouse Square. Contact him at 215-854-2682 or claban@phillynews.com.