By DAVID ERSOFF, Journal Contributor 

I avoid Airline Drive as much as possible, as I am sure many others do that don’t live up that way. However, I’ve recently been working on a project for the house, so trips to Home Depot and Lowes have made that impossible.

In my frequent trips on Airline, I have passed Naaman’s BBQ, 2157 Airline Dr., Bossier City so many times, and often I can smell that barbeque restaurant aroma. This told me that I just had to try them one day soon.

A friend of mine had never been as well, so we met for an early dinner last week. Inside was a bar area as well, which I was not expecting, but information I will keep on a day when I’m hungry and have a game to watch on TV.

I have always judged a barbeque restaurant on two items: Ribs and baked beans. If their ribs can come out juicy and full of that slow barbeque flavor, then the rest of the items have always been great as well. With that in mind I ordered the ½-pound rib plate, with green beans and the baked beans with brisket meat. The ribs were perfectly prepared, with a dry rub with the right amount bite to it. They were juicy, even when I got to the last one, 20 minutes after I received my order — big bonus points for that.

My friend pulled a switch on me when he ordered a chicken wrap. Perhaps he started eating healthier that night. He enjoyed his wrap; it had good flavor and fresh ingredients that make or break a good wrap.

As we sat there, I felt like I needed to get something else, just to get a good range of tastes. I met my daughter shortly after. She has a love for tacos. To my surprise tacos were on the menu, so I ordered her one.

I gave it to her, then didn’t hear a peep out of her until the whole taco was gone. I wasn’t sure I even needed to ask her how it was, but I did anyway. She could not believe that it was a taco from a barbeque place. They are priced to sell, I think they won over my daughter on the tacos.

I will avoid Airline much less, now that I have found great ribs. I don’t think a better case can be made for trying Naaman’s.