Smoked Flavors Sizzle at Sanford’s
By Becky Billingsley
Sanford's Southern Fried Smokehouse in Pawleys Island is one of the area's best sources for smoked meats that create the character of many delicious dishes.
The restaurant's deluxe smoker is courtesy of Dwayne Christen and Rodney Long. They own the Sanford's and the building it's in at the Mingo retail center, and they also own PoBoys Discount, which is a restaurant equipment store in Georgetown. Sanford's is their original concept.
This means Sanford's is filled with a chef's dream of culinary equipment.
The Old Hickory smoker that will hold 550 pounds of meat is out in the open-air bar area, which overlooks an outdoor seating area and a pond with a fountain in it. The kitchen has a 24-foot line and is full of equipment that can handle almost any size catering job, like a steam kettle that came from the culinary school at Johnson & Wales when it was in Charleston. This steam kettle will hold 100 pounds of potatoes, 100 pounds of corn on the cob, 50 pounds of shrimp and 50 pounds of sausage to make a pile of Frogmore Stew that would make any Southern family reunion proud.
At the helm of this chef heaven is Brian Stewart, an experienced executive chef whose prior experience includes 12 years at the highly acclaimed Sassafras Southern Bistro in Greenville. He is excited about creative menu additions he can make with the use of the smoker, and says to expect Smoked Asian Mussels in the near future, plus exciting Southern-inspired smoked dishes.
But no one has to wait to try the Smoked Beef Brisket for which Sanford's is already known, or the exquisite thin slices of smoked corned beef. Smoked Chicken can be enjoyed with just an herb rub, smothered in house-made barbecue sauce or in recipes such as Smoked Chicken Quesadilla. Ribs are done right - they're tender and moist yet firm, and come topped with Tabasco Fried Onions.
The smoky flavors are also infused into dishes such as the wonderfully different Barbecue Shrimp and Sweet Potato Hash served over a grit cake; Pulled Pork Quesadilla with Jack cheese; and Smokehouse Nachos where house-fried tortillas are piled with Texas Caviar (involves black beans), pulled pork and sweet potato slaw.
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Back over on the entree side there are also dishes that don't involved smoked meat, such as Cedar Plank Salmon; Blackened Catfish with Creole Tartar Sauce; Frog Legs; Fried Chicken Livers topped with caramelized onions; Scored Whole Baby Flounder; and Shrimp and Grits. One of this reporter's favorite dishes is Filet & Mushroom Penne Pasta, which contains incredibly tender steak pieces bathed in a delicious house-made cognac sauce.
Seafood lovers have several options for building their perfect platters, which can be blackened, grilled or fried. The components include scallops, shrimp and flounder, plus fried oysters or seared crab cakes.
Part of the fun at Sanford's is choosing side dishes to go along with entree choices. They include Red Smashed Potatoes, Skin-on Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, Baked Potato (dinner only), Stone Ground Grits, Red Rice, Cabbage, Fried Okra, Collards, Macaroni and Cheese, Baked Beans, Fried Corn on the Cob, Tomato Pie (cheesy excellence), Fried Green Tomatoes, Sweet Potato Slaw, Southern Green Beans and Mandarin Oranges.
For lighter appetizers, Sanford's also offers salads including Chopped Cobb and Fried Green Tomato Salad. Two highly recommended dressings are Sweet Vidalia Onion and house-made Blue Cheese.
Sandwiches are another way to enjoy Sanford's smoked meats, like the Brisket on a Bun or the Bar B' Cuban with ham and smoked brisket. Burgers (or any of these can have smoked chicken breast instead of a hamburger patty) have southern smokehouse flair, like with the Black and Bleu featuring applewood smoked bacon; Smokehouse with shaved brisket, barbecue sauce and Tabasco onions; and Smothered & Covered with caramelized peppers and onions plus melted white Cheddar.
Want dessert? Don't pass up the Bread Pudding where thick slices of moist bread are not too rich, and bourbon cream sauce adds just the right amount of sweetness.
Want carry-out? Of course any dish can be packaged for take-out, but ribs, chicken, pulled pork and brisket are also available by the pound, you can get a whole Tomato Pie, and the side dishes are sold by the pint or quart.
Planning a really big party? General manager Bernie Miles or catering manager Wendy Levesque will hook you up.
Sanford's Southern Fried Smokehouse is at 251 Willbrook Blvd. in Pawleys Island, and the phone number is 843-237-5400. It opens for business at 11 a.m. Tuesdays through Sundays.
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