Pot Smoker BBQ

Silly wordplay notwithstanding, The Pot Smoker, whose motto is “You can smell our butts a mile away,” is a bona fide BBQ parlor. It got its name in the early days when the meat was smoked in a little pot.

The cute ceramic pot is history, but Pot Smoker meats do smell of sultry smoke. The repertoire includes pulled pork and brisket on plate or sandwich, half or whole chicken, beef ribs on Saturday, and tacos on Tuesday. Ribs, sold by the whole or half rack, are so tender that they verge on gelatinous. It takes no effort to slide the bones out and have yourself a plate of rib meat. They’re good with no sauce whatever, but get better when drizzled with Carolina mustard sauce. Hot BBQ sauce and sweet BBQ sauce also are available.

Pulled pork and chicken both are extraordinarily tooth-friendly, The pork is pulled so lean and hacked so fine that while it is in fact moist, it is not all that succulent. A generous application of sauce goes a long way to remedy the situation. The same is true of chicken: admirably smoky and tender, set aglow by the application of sauce.

Side dishes are a mixed bag. Loaded baked potato salad is a fun idea — all the festoonery of an overstuffed spud, but served as a cool salad. Collard greens are limp, salty and pack vibrant vegetable flavor — a dandy side dish for any main course. Hash on rice is a satisfying melange of savory meat and slightly sweet sauce. Mac ‘n’ cheese and squash are fine, but little more than place holders, offering occasional alternatives to forking up meat.

There are two other Pot Smokers, in Columbia and North Augusta.