Reviews

At Puckett’s Restaurant, go for the live music but not the barbecue

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Name: Puckett’s Restaurant
Date: 7/19/24
Address: 2 W Aquarium Way Chattanooga, TN 37402
Order: Puckett’s BBQ Platter, smoked sausage and cheese plate (link to menu)
Pricing: $$

Monk: Puckett’s Restaurant is a Tennessee-based chain that started in Franklin in 2004. They are a southern restaurant that serves barbecue and is also known for their live music at each of their restaurants, and in particular the downtown Nashville location which has a large stage and capacity for up to 150 seated guests in the Music City.

In the past 20 years it has expanded to eight total restaurants, with most being in the middle and central part of the Volunteer State, with the exception being located in Cullman, Alabama about 60 miles south of the Alabama-Tennessee border.

Nearly 10 years ago the Chattanooga location of Puckett’s was the fourth to open, located in the Riverfront District near the Tennessee Aquarium. It is actually the largest location of any of the eight Puckett’s.

On our visit, the Monk family was seated at a four top near the stage, where a lady duo played some fun bluegrass covers. I ordered a Tennessee whiskey cocktail and Mrs. Monk ordered a Mexican Mule and we were off to a great start.

From there, we ordered a Smoked Sausage and Cheese plate for an appetizer. Mrs. Monk and I were hoping it was along the lines of a Memphis-style meat and cheese plate that we learned about from our current neighbors in Charlotte who used to live in Memphis. Unfortunately, the cheese was sliced instead of cubed and the pickles were chips instead of spears. Not to mention there was only three pickle chips. So it was all wrong for me. The red flags began to show themselves.

The Puckett’s BBQ Platter with pulled pork and brisket was my choice and while all of our food came out nice and quick, I quickly found myself disappointed. Of the two meats, the pulled pork was the better of the two but did not have much of a hint of smoke and was on the dry side. And each of table sauces were thicker, molasses-based sauces so neither were going to be of much help there.

The brisket was partially sliced and partially chopped. Or more accurately, the chopped bits were likely collected from some of the scraps of the slices from the cutting board. And they were even drier than the pork. I found it to be disappointing and mostly inedible.

The sides of sweet potato fries, baked beans, and cole slaw were nothing to write home about.

Next time I’m near one of the other seven locations of Puckett’s Restaurant in and around Middle Tennessee, if I do make my way inside I’m skipping their barbecue and going for their southern food fare while I enjoy live music.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 3.5 hogs
Pork – 2.5 hogs
Brisket – 2 hogs
Sides – 2 hogs
Overall – 2 hogs

Charleston’s Palmira Barbecue has made the smooth transition to restaurant

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Name: Palmira Barbecue
Date: 2/4/24
Address: 2366 Ashley River Rd Building 1, Charleston, SC 29414
Order: Whole hog barbecue, hash and rice, beef cheek, slaw, and collards (link to menu)
Pricing: $$

Note: a version of this review originally appeared earlier this year in The Smoke Sheet, a great national barbecue newsletter that I regularly contribute to. For more information on how to subscribe, visit bbqnewsletter.com.

Monk: From the moment I first tried Palmira Barbecue at the former Port of Call food hall in Charleston in 2022, I knew pitmaster Hector Garate and Palmira were destined for bigger things than simply being one stall in a small-ish food hall (which has since closed and converted to event space). Garate was doing whole hog from locally sourced pigs, and it compared so favorably even after trying it right after spending time in Pitt County, NC. And just in case you aren’t familiar, Pitt County is home to such heavy hitter whole hog restaurants as B’s Barbecue, Skylight Inn, and Sam Jones Barbecue, all of which I tried mere days before Palmira. And yet, I continued to look back fondly on what I ate from Palmira Barbecue after that trip.

So it was no surprise to me when it was announced in late summer of 2022 that Palmira (named for Garate’s grandmother) would be moving to a permanent location in West Ashley. The original targeted opening date of March 2023 didn’t happen and in the meantime Garate went back to pop-up mode, both around Charleston as well as travelling across the country and collaborating with folks like Interstellar Barbeque in Austin, Khoi Barbecue in Houston, Bark Barbecue in Brooklyn, and Tropical Smokehouse in West Palm Beach, among others. He also helped out Khoi in the Texas Monthly BBQ Fest in Lockhart last fall. Needless to say, Hector Garate stayed busy while the build out of the restaurant dragged on.

As luck would have it, I happened to be in Charleston on opening weekend in early February and was able to check out the new building on that Sunday before heading back to NC. In short, I’m happy to report that the transition from a pop-up to a brick and mortar is going smoothly from a consumer’s perspective.

Whole hog barbecue is a “standard” at Palmira, meaning its always on the menu (unless of course they have run out for the day). Garate partners with fifth-generation farmer Marvin Ross to source heritage hogs from Peculiar Pig Farms located an hour away in Dorchester. That quality certainly shines through in the meat.

Beef cheeks are another standard, and they were not available for my first trip. This is not something you typically see even in new school Texas-style barbecue joints in the Carolinas. This tender cut of meat reminds me of brisket in the way they are aggressively rubbed with salt and pepper, but they are much smaller, much more tender, and have a richer beef flavor. At Palmira, they are a must order.

In terms of other meats, barbacoa, house sausage, and ribs are the other standards with brisket, pork steaks, chicken, and beef ribs rotating in and out of the menu depending on the day.

Garate told me in 2022 that he ate hash and rice daily and while I’m not sure if that is still the case, his version continues to be one that is worthy of that distinction. Next time I stop in I will be sure to try more of the rotating sides, many of which are heavily influenced by Garate’s Puerto Rican and Cuban heritage.

On this Sunday of opening weekend, the line was out the door well before opening but the line moved at a nice clip through the meat and sides line. The restaurant itself looked great, and a beautiful mural greets you on the side of the building as you enter.

For me, Palmira Barbecue was the biggest barbecue restaurant opening this first half of the year in the Carolinas and perhaps the entire Southeast. I plan to go back imminently with a bigger appetite. Based on what I experienced, it more than delivers from the jump. Run, don’t walk, to Palmira Barbecue in Charleston.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 3.5 hogs
Pork – 4 hogs
Beef cheek – 4.5 hogs
Hash – 4.5 hogs
Sides – 3.5 hogs
Overall – 4.5 hogs

Palmira Barbecue’s Brick and Mortar has Opened in Charleston

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Monk: Palmira Barbecue’s West Ashley location in Charleston opened its doors early last month. In my latest for The Smoke Sheet published a few weeks back, I recap my experience on the Sunday of opening weekend.

While my experience was fairly smooth (minus a few hiccups at the cash register), it sounds like there have been mixed reviews of Palmira since it opened. Or at least that’s how it appears based on feedback I’ve received on my Best Barbecue Joints in Charleston post.

Have you tried Palmira Barbecue yet? How was your experience?

That article is exclusive to The Smoke Sheet. Want to read the full article? Subscribe over at The Smoke Sheet.

Previous coverage of Palmira, both here as well as from friends of the blog:

Alston Bridges is more than just “the other Bridges”

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Name: Alston Bridges Barbecue
Date: 3/1/24
Location: 620 E. Grover St, Shelby, NC 28150
Order: Small chopped barbecue plate (with red slaw, hush puppies), Sun Drop
Pricing: $

Monk: While it’s no secret that we are a big fan of Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge here at Barbecue Bros, there is another Bridges restaurant in Shelby (no relation) called Alston Bridges. I had only visited once before, in May of 2013, so I was more than overdue for a return visit. Especially when I have a lot of Shelby natives in my life telling me that Alston’s is their preferred barbecue place and perhaps even the choice of locals. You see, Alston Bridges is tucked into Shelby and not located off a major thoroughfare, so you’ve got to work a little bit to get there. Or, of course, be a local that has been going there for a few decades.

I had even made a pledge last summer to get back to Alston Bridges so on a rainy March 1st, I finally made good on that pledge. On my return trip, I had a very similar order to what I had previously, a chopped plate with a Diet Sun Drop.

A slight diversion on Sun Drop if you will allow, as I recently realized that while North Carolina favorite beverage Cheerwine has expanded beyond its initial cult following perhaps Sun Drop is still a bit of a secret (at least based on the reaction from The Smoke Sheet duo Sean and Ryan at a separate restaurant). The original Sun Drop bottling headquarters was located in nearby Gastonia for 50 years until 2016, and along with Cheerwine I’ve long thought of it as a perfect drink to accompany a Lexington-style barbecue plate. Sun Drop is currently owned by Keurig Dr Pepper and apparently distributes it nationwide so perhaps you’ll see it soon if its not already in your market. Highly recommend, especially if you come across the cherry lemon variant.

As for the barbecue, Alston’s barbecue is very good. It’s tender and moist, with the dip mixed in providing the nice bit of tang to the meat. A small Styrofoam cup comes with some additional hot dip to add in if needed (that wasn’t the case for me). Mix in the chopped red slaw and some Texas Pete to the barbecue and its a very good bite of food.

Unfortunately, the one thing missing is the smoke, which is as a result of Alston moving away from pit smoked to gas some years ago. While I don’t know the reasoning behind the decision and while I also greatly enjoyed my meal, for me it will always be a notch less than a Red Bridges or any place that smokes over wood for that matter. I certainly don’t fault loyal customers for favoring Alston’s over Red as barbecue tribes are formed early on and are hard to break.

That said, I don’t think it will necessarily take another 10+ years before I stop at Alston’ Bridges because as I alluded to above it is a good plate of food. I stop in Shelby enough where I can mix up my visits between the two historic “Bridges” restaurants a little more equitably.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 3 hogs
Pork – 3.5 hogs
Sides – 3 hogs
Overall – 3.5 hogs