Percy
Street BBQ
900 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
Since I rarely have fun on New Year’s
Eve and my girlfriend was actually going to be back in Philly for once (she
normally spends it in Miami or Puerto Rico with family), I spent it with her in
the city. We made reservations at Percy Street BBQ, a gem in the empire of
Michael Solomonov, and in very close proximity to her apartment. I was very
excited to try it, having walked past it hundreds of times and smelled the
delicious aroma that emanated from its smoker.
When we were seated, I immediately loved
the atmosphere. It was very casual, as a good BBQ joint should be, with a roll
of paper towels stationed near your table, and a holder full of different sauce
options also on the table. Our waitress told us that they were having a buy 5
cans get 1 free special, so we ordered a mix six pack of Flying Dog Underdog,
Butternuts Pork Slap, 21st Amendment Fireside, Sprecher Special Ale,
Narragansett Porter, and Starr Northern Lights IPA. They put the entire
six-pack on ice for us so that we could enjoy them at our leisure. I could not
resist ordering one of the weirdest drinks I had ever heard of. It is called
the Hillbilly Gatorade, a concoction of pickle juice, Miller Hi-Life, and Old
Faithful BBQ sauce. As weird as it sounds, it was actually pretty tasty.
Nothing was too overpowering in the drink, so everything worked pretty well
together. I especially liked the pickle juice element. I hate Miller Hi-Life,
but it wasn’t so bad in this case, as the BBQ sauce and pickle juice hid the
nastiness that usually lies within its bottle.
The way it works at Percy Street is that
you can either order platters or sandwiches with accompanying sides. I decided
on the smoked pork belly with sides of burnt end beans and mustard green beans,
while my girlfriend decided on the brisket with fries and sauerkraut. Whenever
we go out to eat now we pretty much split everything 50/50, so we each get a
taste of each thing we order. The food didn’t take long, and we were quite
happy about that as we got our baskets and immediately dug in. The pork belly
was phenomenal. I never would have thought of pork belly to be served BBQ style
with a dry rub and smoke flavor, but it was amazing. It wasn’t overly fatty as
I thought it might be, but rather tender and juicy, as the fat seemed to have
rendered perfectly during the low and slow cooking process. The green beans
were nothing too exciting, just crispy blanched green beans with mustard
dressing, but the burnt end beans were spot on. Hot damn were they tasty. I
have come to really enjoy baked beans, especially with a little bit of spice
and some burnt ends dispersed throughout… there aren’t too many things I would
find more delicious.
My girlfriend and I switched plates
halfway through our meal, and I got to try out the brisket. She got the lean
brisket, as you can order lean or fatty, and it was super tender. It was
flavorful, with a great smoky taste and a really nice texture. It pulled apart
the way BBQ competition judges say it should, and melted in my mouth with each
and every bite. The sauerkraut was forgettable. It really lacked flavor and the
vinegary punch that I expect from truly good sauerkraut. The fries on the other
hand were fantastic. They were seasoned nicely, and crispy on the outside while
remaining light and airy on the inside.
You all know by now that skipping
dessert isn’t really an option, and while we usually split a dessert these
days, we decided to order two, because we each particularly wanted something.
We decided on the Yards root beer float, and the pecan pie. I am as big a fan
of root beer as anyone, so I knew I would love the root beer float. This
particular brand of root beer is made by a local beer company in Philadelphia
called Yards Brewery. It was very tasty, and the ice cream held up well in the
soda. I had never tasted a pecan pie before, a sin I know, especially since I
went to college below the Mason Dixon line, so my girlfriend told me we had to
order it. I am glad she said that, because it was a really tasty dessert. I
know it isn’t good for you, but I don’t really care because it was really good.
The pecans are really nice, and the crust is really what kicks it into another
gear. I will definitely be adding it to my list of desserts to eat more often.
Three and a half pints for Percy Street
BBQ for their excellent food, their ability to nail their mantra in a city not
known for BBQ, and their simplistic yet flawless approach to food. I really
enjoy this restaurant for many reasons, and it just further points out to me
what a great chef Michael Solomonov is. Each of his restaurants that I have been to has been a homerun, and
each of them has impressed me in a different way. They are inventive and
original and I have nothing but respect for them. You should check out Percy
Street as soon as you can! Cheers!
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