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Having done some scouting (some might call it stalking), I learned that June 26 would be opening night at the Boston area's newest BBQ joint. As luck would have it (some might call it stalking), I was their first customer ever. You can hardly call SoulFire a joint, though, because it looks pretty classy. The awning outside has an eye-catching, ready-for-T-shirt logo. The inside is clean with a high ceiling and sleek wood tables and wall trim. The stark red wine colored walls don't seem to need any art to make the room look inviting, although they've added some large black and white jazz photos. There's a bar with stools. I was surprised that a room this good looking had counter service only.

The chalkboard menu lists two kinds of pork ribs (spares and babybacks), pulled pork, beef brisket and barbecued chicken. There are a few appetizers that look appealing: honey chicken wings, chili, hot links, Southern fried mac 'n' cheese, and combinations of ribs and wings. Pulled meats are available as platters or sandwiches, and you can get a 2-meat combo platter. They also have fried catfish.

As I usually do on first visits, I tried a spare ribs and pulled pork combo, with cole slaw and collard greens. I also sprung for an extra side of baked beans. The ribs were very meaty and loaded with a rub that was strong on flavor without being too spicy. I got a nice cloves taste, and though they didn't taste mustardy, I suspect mustard was involved. Anyway, the ribs were good: very tender, with a pink smoke ring and a pleasing taste. They were a little on the fatty side and not as hot as they could be, but I was impressed. The pulled pork was served on a slice of white bread, just like they do in the South. It had an assortment of pulled strips from different parts of the shoulder, with a little bark. Some of the pieces were a little dry, some were juicy, but all had good flavor.

SoulFire serves your order on a pan lined with wax paper. Meats come without sauce, and that's a good thing, because they have enough flavor without it. Plus, their array of pump-them-yourself sauces is impressive. The brick colored SoulFire sauce is a nice compromise between sweet, tangy and spicy. The dark brown sweet sauce is sweeter, but with a good flavor balance too. The brick colored Fire sauce has just the right amount of kick and also a great flavor balance. All three of these sauces are heated below the pump mechanism to ensure that you get them warm-- a very nice touch. They also have good North Carolina (red vinegar) and South Carolina (mustard) sauces at room temperature.

On a few follow-up visits, I sampled some new appetizers and entrees, and gave the spare ribs and pulled pork an encore. The sausage links were very tasty, nicely cooked with a spicy hot mustard dipping sauce on the side. There was also some good spice to the sausage itself. Spicy honey wings also packed a nice kick. They were pink, tender and smoky under all that sauce.

For entrees, the brisket was slightly tender and moist, with a good flavor. Nothing special though. Babybacks were OK but not as good as the spares. Fried catfish was perfectly cooked and very juicy. Spare ribs were excellent again on one other try, then dry and tough and powdery on another, giving them a .667 batting average. On the same night the spare ribs were a little tough, the pulled pork was superb, a glistening pink mound bursting with juices and with good smoke and pork flavors running through it.

The sides varied. Cole slaw was very crisp and fresh, with little to no dressing on the first few visits, then kicked up a few notches with vinegar and caraway later on. The baked beans didn't have enough sauce to keep them loose, so rigor mortis set in on the first night. On another night they were perfect, with an addictive flavor straddling sweet and savory. The unorthodox collard greens were excellent every time, with big leaves cooked to the perfect doneness, lots of bacon and a sweet, pleasing flavor. If someone brought me a side order of just these collard greens and told me that was my dinner, I'd be thrilled. Cornbread was soft and sweet, with some whole kernels in it.

Parking can be tough. You might find a free spot along Harvard Avenue; metered parking is available around the corner on Commonwealth Avenue.

In the fall of 2006, I returned and it was cool to see some black and white photos up on the walls. The food was pretty good overall, with the collards a little sweeter (molasses?), the beans a little meatier, the cole slaw less vinegary and more oniony, and the catfish juicier. Ribs and pulled pork were good: not as good as the previous bests I've had there but much better than their few off nights. I tried the burnt ends for the first time, and they were decent, but tasted more like pot roast than barbecued burnt ends. The sauces were still hot and still good, with some nice new additions: hot pepper relish and a shaker of dry rub. Overall, a good meal.

In the spring of 2007, I made my first lunch visit and the spare ribs were spectacular. Very fresh tasting, with a well seasoned, well formed bark and some really juicy meat underneath. The pulled pork was pretty good and the collards were, as usual, very good.

The bottom line: a promising place for sure, with strengths in several areas. The flavors are bold, the meats are served unsauced, and they’re not afraid to use spice. There are a few kinks to iron out, but if SoulFire can keep hitting the highs they’ve already hit while avoiding the few misfires, they could easily join the ranks of the better Boston BBQ destinations.