Like a summer breeze that makes your soul shiver, let's get some barbecue!
Welcome to The Pompous Pig, located along the well-traveled commercial strip off Interstate 85 in Anderson, South Carolina. Started by Kim and Chet Newsom as a backyard dream in the Atlanta area, their cult following led to the opening of a restaurant in a small plaza in her hometown. Today, their combinations of burgers, smoked meats, and sides make for a popular location to visit or take-out six days a week, assuming they have enough product remaining on the weekends; a good problem that the most successful barbecue locations have.
Out visit took place during their brief Sunday brunch service, although they offer the full menu along with their relatively brunch special of biscuits and different combinations of gravy, eggs, chicken, and brisket. The Pompous Pig is a casual counter-service restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, the latter being dog friendly without too much noise from the nearby highway. The biscuit special is a developing offering with a need to thicken the gravy during the early parts of the service, although their special seasoning is on point. The brisket reuben is a perfect match for barbecue, using their in-house mustard sauce instead of the typical Russian dressing. The brisket, chicken, and ribs have the proper tastes and "tugs" that you expect from a good barbecue restaurant, and their sides, especially the in house macaroni and cheese, rival some of the best across the country.
If you're anywhere in the upcountry area of South Carolina, or even visiting nearby, The Pompous Pig is worth the trip to visit. Not only is the quality superb, but the price doesn't break the bank as it's competitive with other top quality barbecue restaurants. There is no sampler platter of all of the meats, meaning you'll have to make a few visits to enjoy the entire main portion of the menu. With this place, it will definitely be worth the return trip. Keep an eye on the hours, as there is some prep time between lunch and dinner during the weekdays, and the Sunday service is rather short, using their lunch-only hours.
So the next time your Internal Compass takes you to Upcountry South Carolina, give The Pompous Pig a try, as it's sure not to disappoint.
Looking for a nice breakfast spot? Try this place on for size.
Welcome to Papa Pete's, Home of the Giant Pancakes. Papa Pete's is located along the Molly Stark Trail (State Route 9) near Bennington, Vermont. Travelers heading into or out of New England while looking to route their way around Bennington won't miss this conveniently located place. The building itself is a bit on the small side with limited parking if they're busy and you happen to be towing your home. Though they've since limited their hours to mornings from Thursday to Sunday as of the time of writing, it is going to be worth the wait even if they happen to be crowded.
When Papa Pete's says they are Home of the Giant Pancakes, they aren't joking around. Instead of a traditional plate, these pancakes will be served to you on a pizza pan. As for utensils, you can forget that knife that comes with traditional flatware, as they'll provide you with a pizza cutter. Naturally, because you're in Vermont, the pride of the state in pure maple syrup is included. They do have a "full stack" challenge of three pancakes if you dare, although some of us have difficulty with two. Even if you're not in the flapjack mood, there are plenty of other breakfast options available.
Overall, Papa Pete's brings great food and great value to the table. We found this place by accident, but were glad we did. Granted, our last visit was prior to the drop in hours so the lunch menu items likely won't be available, but it's still worth a return trip with the friendly staff. Even if you want to try their challenge, it's not going to break the bank, unlike some of the other popular "pig out" locations across the country. They do take pride in their cooking means, and it shows in the taste of their food.
So the next time your Internal Compass takes you to New England, give Papa Pete's a try.
When in the south, one of the cuisines that comes to mind is Barbecue. Perhaps this place is a winner.
Welcome to Swadley's BBQ, a regional chain of barbecue offerings within greater Oklahoma City, along with a couple of locations to the north and south. Swadley's is a family-owned business that first began from the popularity of a Texas general store owner back in the 1930's and 40's. Since then, four generations of the family have been smoking meats and offering home cooking to the people of Oklahoma. In addition to the restaurants, Swadley's is also committed to their disaster relief efforts, as the wild weather of Oklahoma takes its toll on the area.
One visit has been had to Swadley's at the Midwest City location, on a weeknight near closing time with the trailer in tow. We were able to get our rig into their easy-off easy-on location, but would not recommend trying to do this during peak times, as the parking lot is moderately sized but maneuverable. Both the outside and the inside seemed like a cookie cutter of a popular southern-style steakhouse, but there is more to a restaurant than what the eye shows you.
Swadley's offers an array of different products that would make any barbecue lover know that they are at home. If you're not quite sure what you want to try from their menu, get a sampler of their several meats at a reasonable price for what they offer. As they do smoke their meats fresh daily, they will run out of product closer to the end of the day, but is a sign that they value quality over quantity. Professional critics have come to notice this as well, as barbecue awards and other accolades were won by Swadley's in 2020.
So the next time your Internal Compass takes you to or through Oklahoma City, make a stop at Swadley's, as they will positively satisfy any barbecue craving.
No matter the size of a city, one typically pines for a great food truck scene. Even within the relatively small Mountain Home, Arkansas, there are plenty of options available, and here's just a taste of what's offered.
First, we take you to Plaza Center on the east side of the city, where the middle of the parking lot is home to several semi-permanent food-truck-like kitchens. One of these is Ozark Mountain BBQ. Run by Doc, Dennis, Dallas, and staff, Ozark Mountain offers generous plates containing one of several meat options from their nearby smokers, a selection of sides bound to make most happy, and a couple of sauces making you want to have more. One highlight to their menu is their version of a "Frito Pie", an entrée that will remind you of nachos, but take you on a tour of their menu. Bring your furry little friend with you, as the purchase of a meal may come with a "pup cup", a small container of non-sauced pulled pork. We did notice that as much as the original three have done a great job, the introduction of staff let quality slightly slip. However, if you want good barbecue, this is a great place to go.
Heading closer to the center of the city, take a quick trip south of the border to Dos Gringos in Mountain Home. Dos Gringos offers a wide variety of wet and dry burritos, along with tacos, quesadilla plates, and breakfast specials. Although several Mexican establishments adorn the city, Dos Gringos provides quality food at a reasonable price without worries pertaining to shellfish allergies. Call ahead if planning a visit, as this establishment will tend to close on certain regular days in order to cater another event. However, once you're able to find them on an open day, this is one fine place to visit.
When you're ready for a dessert course, head back to Plaza Center for Sno Biz shaved ice. First starting in Minnesota, Sno Biz has expanded all across the midwest and south with several locations across the greater Ozark area, offering a wide variety of shaved ice concoctions. This is a seasonal business in Mountain Home, so don't expect to be able to buy any product during the winter months. When they are open though, Sno Biz continues to offer reasonable prices for all to enjoy. Try adding vanilla cream to even some of their regular offerings, or be creative and combine your own choices of syrups. If you're worried your shaved ice might collapse outward, add a spill stopper. You may even be lucky enough to find their mobile food truck in the Harps' parking lot, or somewhere else in town.
So the next time you Follow your Internal Compass, make a stop at some of the food trucks in the local area.
Looking for a good burger? Try this place on for size.
The next time you head to Billings, Montana, make a stop at The Burger Dive. First opened in 2010 by Brad Halsten, the Burger Dive has been the quintessential place to find a good burger while driving along Interstate 90. While there, choose from a variety of burgers, fries, and milkshakes, along with a few other options that may be to your liking. The Burger Dive has won several awards both locally and nationally, including Best Burger at the World Food Championships in 2016. Television foodies may recognize this place from one of their favorite food documentary programs.
We had made two visits to this place way back in 2016, before the burger award was given, as part of our trip to the Pacific Northwest. The inside of the restaurant had a bit of a "retro" feel to it, but unlike similar major chain restaurants, had its own unique stamp. It was a convenient lunch stop both times, but the very good quality of burgers that made us want to stop again on the way back.
The awards that The Burger Dive received are definitely well deserved, and we can see why they attracted the attention of a food documentary program. From what we understand about this place, the popularity has risen immensely to where our judging of visit would be unfair from then to now, the prices have doubled since the last time we were there, and there were newspaper rumors of a change in location within the city. If it's anything like what we experienced then, this will be a terrific place to have another great burger.
So next time you're driving through Montana, Follow your Internal Compass right to The Burger Dive.
Get ready to take your taste buds south of the border.
Scattered throughout south Texas is a regional chain of restaurants called Taco Palenque. Taco Palenque started as one humble restaurant in Laredo, TX in 1987 by Juan Francisco Ochoa. Armed with several authentic Mexican recipes, Ochoa sought to bring his fast food concept to the people of Texas. The several entrées at Taco Palenque are made to order, each coming with an endless side of tortilla chips and salsa. As of the time of writing, over 30 locations are spread throughout south Texas, including one Mexican location should you wish to enjoy this food while south of the border.
Thus far, our visits have brought us to several locations during the lunch, dinner, and late night dining services, as some of the Taco Palenque locations run for 24 hours. The bilingual counter service is quite friendly and easy to understand, while the menu is easy enough to follow. One of their most popular offerings is the Matamoros combo, although the fajitas, quesadillas, and chicken flautas are also great choices. Although you could use their drive-thru option to pick up your meal on the way home, take some time to stop inside for either a dine-in or to-go order, and while you wait, enjoy the endless chips with their avocado-based salsa, a medium-spiced salsa that will make you addicted to this restaurant for many months. If the avocado doesn't speak to you, there are a multitude of other salsa, pico de gallo, and vegetable options available at the chips station.
Taco Palenque has been voted as the Best Fast Food in Texas by Food & Wine Magazine, and this is no fluke. When you have their offerings, you wouldn't think you were in a fast food joint. Be prepared to spend a little more than you would at similar locations, but the quality of what you receive will be well worth the cost. This quality doesn't seem to diminish as you head to different locations whether near or further north from the border, either.
The more time your Internal Compass sends you to south Texas, the more you'll likely be seeking out Taco Palenque.
Looking for a bowl of ramen? Have we the place for you!
Nestled within Downtown Rapid City, South Dakota is Bokujo Ramen. Bokujo is owned by celebrity chef and Food Network star Justin Warner, along with his lady Brooke Sweeten, and has been open since March of 2021. Bokujo offers a number of ramen choices made to order, along with an assortment of other Asian offerings, using locally sourced ingredients during their brunch and dinner serving times Tuesday through Saturday. Patrons are able to dine in, as well as place a "to-go" order online or in person, with an event room for large gatherings and karaoke.
Our visit took place at the tail end of a weekday brunch service, with her making a quick to-go order while he was circling the downtown area for parking options. The atmosphere was Japanese inspired with shirts and other memorabilia adorning the walls. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the menu offerings are friendly towards those with peanut and shellfish allergies, as confirmed by the staff. The chef recommended a good choice based on our likes, and was happy to customize based on the same. Along with a few Oko buns, a Chilled Bison Shoyu and Bacon Mazemen were an excellent choice. The restaurant includes assembly instructions with each of their to-go orders to keep the integrity of the ingredients while ensuring best experience.
Overall, Bokujo has some of the best tasting food we have had thus far. The menu is a little pricey as is expected with most celebrity chef restaurants, but is well worth the cost at this location. Portions were of a sizable amount that you would expect for the price, even without the name notoriety. Although celebrity restaurants are usually reserved for once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and one which should definitely be experienced, Bokujo makes for a great location for a business lunch or dinner. The owners have also opened a second place around the corner, BB's Natural Wine Bar.
So next time your Internal Compass takes you to Rapid City, be sure to check out Bokujo for a great food experience.
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