pork belly

Can a Nashville honky-tonk have true ‘cue?

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Name: Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ at Chief’s
Date:10/12/24
Address: 200 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37201
Order: Pork belly skewer, smoked wings, Whole hog Combo with whole hog, ribs, brisket, turkey plus fries, hush puppies, collards, and mac and cheese; Lil Piggie Combo with whole hog and ribs plus fries and baked beans (link)
Pricing: $$

Speedy: Seven years into my life as a Nashvillian, I’ve learned a few things: 

  1. The hottest level in a hot chicken joint isn’t worth it 
  2. Stay far away from Broadway during CMA Fest
  3. Don’t expect much from the Titans
  4. You’re in for a rough next day if you find yourself on Printer’s Alley late at night
  5. The barbecue is (sadly) better in Memphis, and finally…
  6. Don’t trust the food at the honky-tonks 

Finding out that the whole hog king Rodney Scott was teaming with Eric Church (a North Carolina boy originally from Granite Falls) to open a barbecue joint on top of a honky-tonk right smack in the middle of Broadway gave me hope that the last two might change.

Monk: The Rodney Scott/Eric Church joint venture (backed by the Pihakis Restaurant group on the food side) was originally announced in January 2022. It would open in a location that formerly housed another honky-tonk Cotton Eye Joe, which was owned by John Rich of Big & Rich fame. It was expected to open sometime in 2023 but didn’t actually open until April of this year. While the top two floors are the actual restaurant, they do have a walk-up window on the street level that serves food to hungry patrons on Broadway from breakfast through dinner. 

Speedy: Our group of six got to Rodney Scott’s ahead of the dinner rush and were seated pretty quickly on the 5th floor of Chief’s (the lower of the two floors devoted to Rodney Scott’s). The dining area is fairly small but there are seats at the bar too as well as a smoker room right off to the side. Definitely not your typical barbecue joint. In true Barbecue Bros fashion, Monk and I ordered a bit of everything on behalf of the group, which they happily obliged. Food was delivered quickly, so we dug in.

No surprises here, but the whole hog took the proverbial cake and was the crowd favorite. Peppery and tender, every bite had a bit of smoke and was as good as I’d had from Rodney Scott in Charleston (alas, I have not been to Hemingway). The whole hog alone is reason to visit Rodney Scott’s. It is a must order item and I am ready to declare it the best smoked pork in Nashville.

Monk: Best in Nashville? That’s high praise! The ribs were the consensus second favorite meat of the meal, or perhaps even 1a to the whole hog depending on who you asked. The man just knows his way around a rack of ribs. What was less successful, and perhaps expectedly so, was the brisket. Compared with the rest of the meats, it simply failed to measure up.

Turkey may not have been the crowd favorite but it was a very solid meat that gave us a respite from the other, richer meats. Another mark in the “pro” column for ordering turkey at barbecue joints.

Speedy: The wings were another standout meat, with solid seasoning and good smoke. I preferred this as an appetizer to the pork belly skewer. While I do love a good meat on a stick, I thought the pork belly was a little overcooked, and slightly tough.

Monk: As for sides, we got a few different options: collards, baked beans, mac and cheese, fries, hush puppies, and cornbread. All were above average and our group more or less finished what was there between the two platters. 

Next time I’m honky-tonkin’ on Lower Broadway, I’m going to steer the group towards both Chief’s for the drinks and music as well as Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ for food. Not to mention the rooftop bar for drinks if the weather’s nice. I mean, at what other bar can you get food from a James Beard Award-winning pitmaster?

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 3.5 hogs
Whole hog – 4.5 hogs
Brisket – 3.5 hogs
Ribs – 4.5 hogs
Turkey – 4 hogs
Sides – 4 hogs
Overall – 4 hogs

Phar Mill Brewing & BBQ in Harrisburg Shows Promise

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Name: Phar Mill Brewing & BBQ
Address: 105 Oakley Dr, Harrisburg, NC 28075
Order: 1/2 lb brisket, 1/2 lb pulled pork, and pork belly burnt ends
Pricing: $$

Monk: Phar Mill Brewing & BBQ recently joined the local barbecue scene after it expanded from a small craft brewery in Harrisburg to add barbecue smoked on a Jon G’s stick burner. The expansion has continued recently, having opened a second, larger location in downtown Concord in September a little more than a year after expanding to barbecue. I recently checked out the original Harrisburg location a few weeks back.

Long story short, Phar Mill shows some promise but is not quite there for me yet. For this visit, I ordered a half pound of brisket and pulled pork as well as an order of pork belly burnt ends.

The brisket came in a paper boat and was somewhat hacked into half slices. Underneath some more promising leans, a piece of fatty had stripes of un-rendered fat. Not sure what happened here, but not the most appetizing sight.

The pulled pork was smoky and had good flavor on the chunks of bark but I couldn’t tell how fresh it was since it was served on the cooler side. The pulled strands could have also used another chop or two in my opinion.

Continuing with the theme, the pork belly burnt ends had some good qualities but wasn’t quite there. The burnt ends were unevenly cut, cooked, and sauced but the flavor and smoke was there.

I want to really like Phar Mill Brewing & BBQ since they are smoking over all wood, and will definitely be giving it another chance (perhaps at their downtown Concord location) to try some of the other meats and beers. Speaking of beer, I tried the Enjoy Yourself American Lager on this visit but would like try some of their IPA and sour offerings. As for the barbecue, for now we’ll give it an “A” for effort.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 3 hogs
Pork – 3 hogs
Brisket – 3 hogs
Pork belly burnt ends – 3 hogs
Overall – 3 hogs

Monk’s Favorite Barbecue Meals of 2020

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Monk: Our last piece of business before we close the door on 2020, here are my favorite barbecue meals of 2020. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I’d get to a full list of 10 like I did for 2019, but even with everything going on I still had some great meals.

10. Beef rib from Midwood Smokehouse

Midwood Smokehouse has a weekend beef rib special available every weekend for the (relatively) low price of $32 per bone. Midwood charges a flat fee and compared with what you’d pay if you had to pay by the pound, that’s a saving of at least $10-15.

9. “Bird is the word” smoked then fried chicken sandwich and smoked gulf shrimp from Leah and Louise (Charlotte)

“Bird is the Word” is a smoked then fried chicken sandwich topped with pickles and comeback sauce from Leah and Louise from James Beard-nominated chef Greg Collier and his wife Sabrina. It was also one of the best sandwiches I ate all year, even if it was technically not at a barbecue joint. The other smoked item I enjoyed on that visit was the “On My Way Home” which was “big a$$ smoked gulf shrimp” in a lemon, butter, and worcestershire sauce with cornmeal brioche.

If you are anywhere near Charlotte, get yourself too Leah and Louise at Camp Northend.

8. Smoked beef tenderloin from my backyard

My big Christmas smoke this year was both a smoked turkey breast but most importantly, a smoked beef tenderloin. I dry rubbed the tenderloin with kosher salt earlier that day before rubbing it with Billy Twang’s Old No. 3 Rub (review here) as I got my Oklahoma Joe’s offset up to temp. Two hours later, I had a perfectly medium tenderloin that sliced into perfect medallions. Yet another winner to file away for future smokes.

7. Chopped pork from Rick’s Smokehouse (review)

Rick’s was the favorite of my new Lexington discoveries as part of last year’s Lexington barbecue quest, landing just below my co-favorites Lexington Barbecue and Bar-B-Q Center and the re-review of Smiley’s (see below). Nonetheless, Rick’s is a winner that carries on the Lexington tradition for a relatively new restaurant (opened in 2009).

6. Tres Amigos platter (brisket, pork, and ribs) with smoked turkey and jalapeno cheddar sausage from The Smoke Pit

Mine and Speedy’s full review is forthcoming, but we enjoyed our visit to the newest location of the expanding local restaurant chain, which started in Concord and has grown to 4 locations. Charlotte-area folks: don’t sleep on The Smoke Pit.

5. Texas Trinity and beef rib from Prime BBQ (story)

At last February’s media event for Prime BBQ (in before times), after an extensive tour of the then-in construction Prime BBQ, the group was treated to a lovely meal of brisket, ribs, and sausage (aka the Texas Trinity) and a small beef rib. Eventually I will make it back to Knightdale for an official review, but this was quite the meal.

4. Pork belly burnt ends and sliced pork belly from my backyard (story)

While I still haven’t quite lived up to my promise that I would smoke pork belly again very soon, it is very much on my to-do list for upcoming backyard smokes in 2021. I still dream about those pork belly burnt ends from time to time.

3. Chopped barbecue sandwich with hush puppies and a Cheerwine from Smiley’s Lexington Barbecue (review)

Eight years after my first and only visit to Smiley’s, I wanted to get another visit end in case it truly does end up closing due to road expansion. And what I found was a 5 hog joint in limbo, unsure of the timing when it will be forced to close. Nevertheless, the sandwich I got on that day was the perfect Lexington barbecue sandwich.

2. Beef rib, brisket, ribs, and cheddar bossa sausage from Jon G’s Barbecue (review)

You guys all know how I feel about Jon G’s by now, so not too much more needs to be written here except that you should make the trip out to Peachland, particularly if they have a beef rib on special (but be prepared to pay for it). One of my barbecue new year’s resolution is to make the trip more often and continue to spread the word of Jon G’s.

1. Pork, ribs, and chicken from Southern Smoke BBQ (review)

Southern Smoke was my favorite barbecue at the midpoint of last year and that carried on through to the end of 2020. Matthew Register and team are doing great things in Garland, and I urge folks to make the trip like I did.

The Oak Texas BBQ & Catering – Nashville, TN (food truck)

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Name: The Oak Texas BBQ & Catering
Order: 3 meat combo (brisket, beef hot link, bacon brisket) + cilantro slaw
Pricing: $$

Speedy: If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times – ordering brisket outside of Texas is a dangerous proposition. However, a few places have opened my eyes to the possibility of awesome brisket outside of Texas, and one in particular made me a believer in food trucks. So when I found out The Oak Texas BBQ was going to be outside my new favorite brewery in Nashville (shout out, Crazy Gnome), I knew I had to try. 

Monk: It’s been a fun ride watching Speedy walk back his original declaration of never having brisket outside of Texas.  

Speedy: I showed up just after noon to a small line, and I quickly got excited seeing the two large Texas style offset smokers burning large chunks of wood. By the look (and smell) of things, I was in for a treat.

Of course, I went with all three meats offered, plus the cilantro slaw on the side (skipping the cheese grits). It wasn’t long before this delicious Texas trio was delivered to my picnic table and I was able to dig in. Of course I started with the brisket. I asked for a mix of fatty and lean and was given two generous slices of brisket. The brisket was cooked perfectly, had sufficient moisture, and a wonderful, peppery bark. It didn’t quite melt in my mouth in the same way that the best brisket does, but it was definitely a brisket to be remembered. Martin’s has officially been unseated as the best brisket I’ve had in Tennessee. 

Monk: Wow, that’s high praise, as Martin’s was fantastic when we tried a couple years back and declared that it was just a slight notch below the best in Texas.

Speedy: Next up was the beef hot link. The hot link had good flavor but could have used a little more snap in the casing, and maybe a touch more heat. I enjoyed it, but it was a distant third place in terms of meats for me. 

Finally, saving the best for last, was the “bacon brisket” aka smoked pork belly. My goodness was this delicious. Surrounded by the same peppery bark as the brisket, but with that great pork flavor, this was the best barbecued meat I’d had in months. Really, really phenomenal stuff and a must order. 

Monk: I smoked a pork belly a few months back in a similar manner (in addition to pork belly burnt ends) and freakin’ loved it. I still haven’t smoked a second one yet, so I need to do that soon so I don’t make myself a liar.

Speedy: The cilantro slaw was nice and crunchy, but could have used a little more vinegar zing. However, it was worth ordering. 

Monk: The Oak sounds fantastic and definitely worth a stop next time I’m in Nashville. Will they be a regular food truck at Crazy Gnome (which I also want to check out)?

Speedy: Great question, Monk. I know they have plans to be back on September 26, but don’t know otherwise. I’m definitely hopeful that it becomes a regular occurrence. 

Ratings:
Atmosphere – 5 hogs (at Crazy Gnome)
Brisket – 4.5 hogs
Beef Hot Link – 3 hogs
“Bacon Brisket” – 5 hogs
Sides – 3.5 hogs
Overall – 4.5 hogs