At the risk of sounding trite, there are two kinds of people in this world; there are people that love barbecue, and then there are people that loooove barbecue. Logic says there must be a third contingency that has lukewarm feelings about barbecue, but this is likely not a contingency that barbecue fans care to associate with, and is perhaps even un-American. (I think it might even be a fine-print by-law in the Constitution, which Im scanning as we speak.)

I, for example, find myself in the former camp of people who love barbecue, while my spouse is in the latter, barbecue loooove camp. So ardent is this love, for example, that a trek to Texas to visit Texas Original Pits and procure a one-of-a-kind grill, is in the offing.

A few barbecue places have cropped up here and there on the coast over the years, only to fade away relatively quickly, so I was intrigued when an alert reader recently tipped me off that Gray Whale BBQ and Grill in Seaside was worth a visit. I approach recommendations from readers with a bit of nervousness at times, as it is entirely possible that I may not share their enthusiasm and might therefore put them off my column I dont know what my approval number is like, but I certainly dont want to lose any readers! On the other hand, these recommendations often hold water, and more often than not I end up agreeing with my readers recommendations. Such is the case with the Gray Whale BBQ and Grill, and Im glad to share in a readers enthusiasm and echo it.

My fellow diners and I sampled a variety of barbecued meats, including tri-tip steak, pulled pork and pork ribs, and each was as delicious as the next.

I noticed that both the tri-tip and pulled pork where more about texture than flavor. The tri-tip was cooked perfectly medium to medium well, and was so tender you could practically cut it with a spoon, while the pulled pork didnt have the stringy, shredded consistency I was expecting, but rather appeared in tender bits of various sizes. Though both represented that just-right combination of being just firm enough and falling apart, they lacked a bit in flavor.

It seems both the tri-tip and pulled pork were designed this way, though, so that you can select from a variety of barbecue sauces to top them off with. The hickory sauce, with its classic Kansas City smoky flavor was my favorite, although the Gray Whale sauce, more savory and mild, was favored by a few members of my party.

The shining star, in my opinion, was the ribs and isnt that the way it should be? A generous portion of pork ribs was rubbed with a savory and sweet blend of something and charred until almost caramelized on the outside an unexpected but tasty departure from the ordinary. The ribs themselves were quite plump, and the meat fairly fell off the bone. These are great ribs, and they are not to be missed.

I was less impressed by the sides that accompanied the various meat choices. Although the mashed potatoes and gravy were delectable, the French fries werent particularly special. The cole slaw was pretty flavorless, lacking that sweet-and-sour punch that traditional cole slaw gets from sugar and vinegar; either ingredient would have helped. With a lot of salt and pepper it was edible but not noteworthy. I appreciated that the grilled vegetables had a smoky, grilled flavor, which is the way I often like them when I grill at home, but they lacked much other flavor to round out the profile; some olive oil and lemon could have improved them, or garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and any other number of ingredients that are simple, inexpensive and make a huge impact.

Another dining companion loved the shipwreck sandwich, the Gray Whales version of a Philly cheesesteak with tri-tip steak, grilled peppers and provolone cheese. Although I could have used a bit more flavor, the overall package was tasty, and when I added some hickory sauce, it was excellent (although one could argue that it wouldnt exactly be a Philly in that regard).

A minor point I might also mention is that I felt the atmosphere could be livened up. I was visiting at lunch time, though, and I imagine the piano I saw might bring the place more to life in the evening. With its location in a strip mall, its difficult to lose that vibe without some clever decorating although it certainly can be done.

At the end of the day, go for the meat, and stay for the meat. And stay, and stay and stay.