The 'Cue-niversal Language 

• Alex Springer

The cool thing about barbecue is that no matter how much you eat, you can still learn something new. Like any truly great artistic medium, there is no shortage of history, conflict and technique to—ahem—chew on.

I'm always happy to venture deeper into any culinary rabbit hole, so when I spotted Charlotte Rose's Carolina BBQ (792 E. 3300 South, 801-834-3066, crcbbqut.com) I had to check it out. I know enough about barbecue to recognize the four primary disciplines, but since I personally had yet to try Carolina barbecue, learning about Charlotte Rose's made me all kinds of excited.

While the primary objective of my visit was to get a generous helping of quality barbecue, I wanted to dig a little deeper into the origins and nuance of Carolina barbecue in the process. Anyone else who wants to venture down a similar path will be pleased to know that Trae Eller, the Charlotte Rose proprietor, is usually on hand, and more than happy to offer a crash course.

Eller, a South Carolina native, has been part of Utah's barbecue scene for years. We talked about the how the history of Carolina barbecue is really the history of barbecue itself. English immigrants looking to add a bit of flavor to their meat threw together sauces made from vinegar and peppers, and the technique continued to evolve based on regional ingredients and flavor profiles.

The majority of my barbecue experience has revolved around the sweet and smoky sauces inherent to the Texas and Kansas City style—no complaints here—but I was intrigued to see that Caroline barbecue keeps things acidic. The foundation of Charlotte Rose's sauces, which are made and bottled by Eller himself, are thin and vinegary or rich and mustard-based. While I do enjoy those sweet bourbon-and-molasses-flavored sauces—also available at Charlotte Rose's—that crisp, sharp swipe of acid spiked with Carolina chili peppers really lets the meat shine.

Charlotte Rose's serves up all the barbecue staples: pulled pork, brisket, chicken and ribs. I was also happy to see that they offer smoked sausage, since I have never been able to lend my full support to a barbecue place that doesn't offer sausage. Their protein lineup is available in combo plates, on sandwiches or via their signature Redneck Tacos. I decided to get a three-meat plate ($17.99) with sausage, pulled pork and ribs, since I wanted that barbecue to smack me right in the face with what it had to offer.

All their combos come with a side and a slice of cornbread, which is a nice touch; the mac and cheese is a nice safe bet. I doused the combo of freshly smoked meats with my cups of vinegar sauce and dug in. The sausage was great—just the right amount of black pepper spice on the interior, though I do like just a bit more snap on the outside. I appreciate a place that pays its due diligence to this, my most hallowed piece of the barbecue pantheon.

It wasn't until I moved on to the pulled pork, however, that I truly noticed the power of that vinegar sauce. There's always a natural sweetness to pulled pork, so when you hit it with a sweet sauce, it can throw the whole thing off balance. The vinegar, in contrast, lets that natural sweetness ring like a bell. I was honestly taken aback by the experience—it's like the first time you encounter a legendary flavor combo like horseradish and prime rib, or chocolate and peanut butter. I noticed the same complementary flavors when I took a bite of those tender, smoked-to-perfection ribs. I can understand a bit of apprehension when it comes to trying this out for the first time, but I'm here to tell you that fans of barbecue need to take note.

I finished things off with a thick slice of chocolate corn bread ($2.89), an understated dessert that Eller calls one of his "happy accidents." While trying to bake brownies that would rise to a fluffy consistency, he devised a mixture of cocoa, corn bread batter and Ghirardelli chocolate. It's a great way to wrap up a meal at Charlotte Rose's—after your tongue has been tickled by the main course, a fluffy slab of dark chocolate corn bread is a perfect denouement. As I'm not sure you can find chocolate corn bread anywhere else, I have to recommend it. However, fans of more traditional Southern deserts will be happy to see favorites like peach cobbler ($4.50) and banana pudding ($3.99) on the menu.

Overall, my visit to Charlotte Rose's was everything I was hoping for in a local barbecue joint, plus a bit more for Eller's fascinating history lesson. Those who are looking to expand their appreciation of barbecue or those simply after a hearty, flavorful meal at a neighborhood restaurant will want to check this place out.