Aaaaaaaaand I’m back with another late review! April 26th, Chelsea got a major craving for authentic fried green tomatoes, so while I was hobbling around at work she went on a hunt for a place in CNY that had some that wasn’t the typically sub-par, not-actually-southern-style poor imitation of them on their menu. She found a new place an hour and a half away so when I got home we immediately took off on our quest for some fried green tomatoes.
When we arrived, we were immediately seated which was a very nice surprise considering we got there right as the dinner rush was getting started on a Friday. Our server stopped by to introduce herself and let us know that it was going to be a short wait before she could get an order in as they were cleaning up from a very heavy late lunch push so we perused the quite large menu and discussed options. Once our waitress came back through and was able to get our order, it came out insanely fast.
We started with the primary reason for our adventure, the fried green tomatoes. They arrived very quickly and my first impression was something along the lines of “That’s it? Four very large slices of tomatoes and a ramekin of sauce?” But oh boy was I wrong. THIS is what fried green tomatoes are supposed to be. There was so much flavor packed into those perfectly cooked, crunchy slices that Chelsea started to legitimately tear up because it reminded her so strongly of being back down in Alabama. The green chili aioli was a little spicy for her tastes but I absolutely loved it. They didn’t need any fanciness or accoutrements. The last time I had fried green tomatoes on my menu I served them with a charred corn salsa and a drizzle of jalapeño remoulade and I was extremely proud of that particular dish. These blew mine and every other place I’ve ever had north of the Mason-Dixon Line clean out of the water. The breading was CRUNCHY with a light crispiness to the tomato and just the right amount of salt, pepper and oregano in the panko. You could taste the flavor of the clearly fresh tomatoes along with the panko and the green chili aioli brought just the right amount of heat to send them over the top. Perfect execution across the board.
Chelsea wanted to continue her tour of culinary memories of the south and decided on their Alabama Chicken Sandwich with a side of macaroni and cheese and corn bread for her dinner. Advertised as “Southern fried chicken, house-cured bacon, slaw, red onion, Alabama white sauce on a hard roll,” Chelsea opted for no onions and the slaw on the side. Just like the tomatoes, our entrées flew out of the kitchen in record time and with perfect timing, as the platters were set down as we finished the last bite of the tomatoes. Chelsea took her first bite and her eyes immediately rolled into the back of her head. The chicken was thick, juicy and had a great flavor to go with the crunch. The hard roll had a nice crunch from the butter sear, bacon was a touch undercooked for Chelsea’s personal preference but still mind blowing in flavor and the Alabama white sauce was immaculate with how smooth and creamy it was with just a touch of pepper. The corn bread was smooth and had a bit of honey sweetness, the mac and cheese was rich and creamy. This was perfection on a plate across the board. The only complaint either of us had was that they forgot the slaw on the side that I was planning on eating and instead brought out a side of red onions. We never brought it up because it wasn’t a big deal and the place was filling up very quickly and a missing side of slaw wasn’t a problem by any means.
I couldn’t decide on one item, so I opted for the Three Little Piggies, which is three sliders with your choice of pulled pork, sausage, smoked turkey or brisket and a choice of side. I went with one sausage, one pulled pork and one brisket with a side of macaroni salad. Of the three, the brisket and sausage were absolute standouts. The pulled pork was really good and was perfectly cooked to the point of being able to see the nice little pinkish purple smoke ring on the edges and it had a good flavor. The brisket was incredible and so tender and moist it just fell apart with each bite and had a really great hickory flavor to go along with the seasoning. The sausage rocked me through with a gentle heat and beautiful smoky flavors. All of them served on delicious little Hawaiian rolls with no sauces or anything extra to dull the flavors of the meats. The macaroni salad was just as delicious with a sweet and creamy flavor, crunchy diced vegetables and perfectly cooked pasta. I also tried two of their house-made barbecue sauces, the Original Texas and Kansas City Hot. The Original Texas was astounding with bold and smoky flavors balanced with a touch of sweet tomato, but the Kansas City Hot was mildly disappointing because it’s advertised as “Sticky sweet and tangy with hot habanero heat” but I didn’t really get much heat from it at all. Granted, that may just be because my taste buds are dulled by the ridiculously spicy things I make for myself on a regular basis. However, I got a little squirrelly and combined the two just to try it out and it worked beautifully, especially when lightly drizzled over the smoked sausage.
We also ended up grabbing a house-made cookie each to-go, with Chelsea picking oatmeal raisin and a caramel apple for myself. We forgot to grab pictures of them, but trust me when I say they were just as incredible as our meals. I even grabbed a half pound of the sausage to take home as well since Chelsea was going out with a friend the next day and I was off from work so I figured it would be a delicious dinner so I didn’t have to cook. Even the next day, the sausage was just as great. Overall, I cannot recommend Piggy Pat’s enough. I know it’s an hour drive from Syracuse and I know there is an absolutely ravid barbecue fanbase here that will fight to the death over their favorites. But I can promise you we have tried them all and some of them are great (here’s lookin at you, Ray Bros) but Piggy Pat’s took the victory for us. Tomatoes: 10/10. Fried chicken: 10/10. Mac and cheese: 9/10. Corn bread: 10/10. Sausage: 10/10. Brisket: 10/10. Pulled pork: 9.5/10. Cookies: 10/10. Service: 10/10. Beautifully scenic drive out there: also 10/10. Piggy Pat’s has nailed every aspect of their craft and the only thing I can honestly say was better elsewhere is Ray Bros’ smoked sausage is better but it’s purely because I am partial to the honeycrisp apples they put in their sausage blend and they make a bigger link. But otherwise, Piggy Pat’s is the best dang barbecue we have had in the greater Syracuse area.
3955 Edgebrook Pl.
Washington Mills, NY 13413
(315) 737-4449