The verdict
There’s a line out the door of Cornerstone by 11:15, and by the time you’ve shuffled past the counter you’ll understand why. The burnt ends are the reason the two of us drove across town on a Tuesday: dark, jammy, a little sweet, the kind of thing you keep eating after you’re full. Dad gave them a 9 and would have gone higher if the wait weren’t a full episode of a podcast long.
But this is a family site, and the family did not agree. P3 (seven, and a woman of strong convictions) awarded a flat 10 on the strength of the bread alone. P2 (ten, and smoke-averse) tapped out after two bites of brisket, retreated to the mac and cheese, and handed down a 5 with no further comment. That eleven-point spread is the review: this is a great barbecue restaurant that a smoke-shy kid will merely tolerate.
“It’s loud enough that no one can hear a four-year-old narrate his entire meal. For us, that’s a feature.”
Practically: the staff are unbothered by strollers, high chairs are plentiful, and the whole room is loud in the best way. Go before 11:30 or after 2 to skip the worst of the line, order the burnt ends and a side of fries for the table, and — if you’ve got a picky one — know that the bread, mac, and plain chicken will all land. We’re going back. P2 has been outvoted.
