#35: Visit 5 restaurants I've never been to in my hometown/surrounding area (ShakeDown BBQ)

I am currently back into training mode as I prepare to run another half marathon in Disney in January - with hopes of accomplishing one of my goals of finishing in under 2 hours!  Because of this, Saturday morning consisted of a nice 8 mile run around Harrisburg.  I'm not big on eating too much before running longer distances, and normally I consume a good mixture of carbs and protein following a run.  My usual routine was thwarted this past weekend, however, as Shan called me to let me know she was on her way to pick me up so we could finish up her car shopping experience.  It wasn't an unexpected call by any means - but I opted to get dressed and put on makeup over eating so that I could be ready in time.

I began this blog entry with the above story to explain how after hours of car negotiating, finance jibber jabber, and jokes about camels, I was absolutely FAMISHED and probably would have eaten a tray of celery if it had been available.  [for all of you who don't know - I loathe celery]  After Shannon worked her magic and became the proud owner of a 2012 Honda Fit, we were finally free to go obtain some much needed sustenance.

Since neither of us are the best at making decisions about dining options, it took us a good while to decide to head over to ShakeDown BBQ in Grantville.  This establishment only recently found its permanent home in Grantville after its humble beginnings in a church parking lot off of Route 39.  

I love how you can see the sun setting!  :)

I am absolutely terrible at remembering to document with pictures - especially when I'm super hungry and dreaming of delicious BBQ fare, so I don't have any to post.  I can share that the food was absolutely delicious!  Shannon and I ordered three meats that came with two sides.  We chose to enjoy brisket, pork, and ribs with the sides of coleslaw and baked beans.  We also requested two rolls - which were honestly the only disappointing part of the meal - if anyone from ShakeDown is reading this, you'd get an extra star in my book if you got more fresh tasting rolls (maybe even cornbread)!  :)  My favorite part of the meal was probably the ribs - they were super tender and fall-off-the-bone.  We chose two sauces to accompany the meat, I believe they were just called "spicy" and "regular".  Word the wise - the spicy is pretty freaking spicy. I mean, I've definitely had worse, but if you're not expecting it (or if they mislabel the containers....hehehe), you might be in for a surprise!  

I will definitely make another trip (or two, or more) to ShakeDown in the future - especially once the weather starts getting warm again.  Central PA is lucky to have a place that is committed to creating and serving fresh, simple, and tasty food.