Tom and I try to do one new thing every week. A couple of weeks ago our one new thing was eating at Phils Dream Pit in Kingsport, Tennessee. We had a reason for heading to Kingsport, which I will write about next week. I knew we would be gone over lunch, so I looked for a new restaurant to try while we were out and about. I found a top rated BBQ restaurant close to where we were going. A new BBQ joint to try? Yes, please!
Phils Dream Pit started as a dream. Always wanting to cook barbeque for others, Phil bought a smoker in 2007. While keeping his full-time job, he smoked meat for friends and neighbors and catered a few events. Everyone raved about his food, encouraging him to open a restaurant. When his job moved out of state, he bought a vacant restaurant close to his house and began the “quest for perfect BBQ.” Phil retired in 2022 and his nephew Brian now owns the place, with plans to expand into Elizabethton later this year.
Tom and I knew this would be a great BBQ place from the moment we pulled into the parking lot. To start with, there were lots of pickup trucks in the parking lot, which meant local workers. The restaurant doesn’t look like much. There is a small, inside dining area with green and white linoleum squares. The outside dining area is picnic tables with a selection of BBQ sauces on the tables.
We stood in line to order and the line snaked out the door. It moved quickly enough but gave us time to study the menu so we were ready to order when we got to the front. I ordered the brisket plate with sides of cheesy hash brown casserole and creamy slaw. Tom got a pulled pork sandwich. By the time we filled our drinks and found a table outside, our food was in front of us.
It is hard to describe how delicious the meat was. The brisket was melt-in-your-mouth tender. I tried the blackberry BBQ sauce, which was really good but didn’t stick to the meat enough. Then I tried the Original Sweet and found my winner. The perfect combination of sweet and tangy. Tom also tried the Sweet Fire and Smokin’ Hot, but came back to the Original Sweet. Tom said the creamy slaw may have been the best he ever tasted. I thought the cheesy hash brown casserole was the perfect compliment to the brisket.
Phils Dream Pit has banana pudding, brownies, and cookies for dessert. Tom and I debated getting a cookie or some banana pudding, but we were too satisfied from our excellent meal to eat more.
Since we ate at Phils Dream Pit, we have been recommending it to all the rangers. We are looking for an excuse to go back. It is about 90 miles from us, which makes it a little far to go just for lunch. It is located just south of the intersection of I-26 and I-81, which makes it on the way for lots of places. We just have to find another new place to go that happens to be close by. Check it out if you are driving through. We haven’t found better BBQ in the tri-state area.
