Johnny Mitchell's Smokehouse

Rather unintentionally, I and several friends have formed a Culinary Connoisseurs Club, of sorts. While that sounds elitist, the reality is that we are simply a roving pack of ravenous people that descend upon local dining establishments like a swarm of locust. This Saturday was no exception. 

This week, our crew consisted of seven insanely hungry individuals who spent all Saturday morning chasing fuzzy optic yellow balls all over the new Jim Cowan Park in Euharlee. While we were playing, the heavenly scent of smoked meat continually wafted our direction until we could stand it no longer.

Johnny Mitchell's Smokehouse is located at the STOP sign at Covered Bridge Road and Euharlee 5 Forks Road, just down from the Police Station.

The owners/cooks were on site and greeted us immediately upon arrival. The service was prompt and friendly. Our party chose to enjoy the Fall temps by dining outside on the newly built deck situated under a shade tree. Audrey was our server. Not only was she efficient, she was friendly, energetic, and knowledgeable about the dishes.

During our visit, we were treated to sounds of a native American celebration (POW-WOW) being held a couple hundred yards away. The drums were beating. Chants rose above the caws of blackbirds and the hum of insects who obviously forgot the words to their songs.The breeze was softly blowing and the smell of Johnny Mitchell's smokers filled the air. 

Between the seven of us, we managed to try a wide variety of food from the menu. I had the House Salad with smoked chicken and a cup of Brunswick Stew. I am not exaggerating when I say that was the best smoked chicken I have ever had in my life. It was tender and had just the right amount of smokiness. The ranch dressing, like nearly all of their dressings, was homemade.

The Brunswick stew is unlike any I have had before. It too has a very smokey flavor as opposed to the heavy tomato-based stews we are so accustomed to being from the South. I am a harsh critic of Brunswick stew and people have to go a long way toward impressing me. Color me impressed. It had an unusual flavor, but in a good way. I highly recommend it. It isn't chunky. The ingredients are smoothly blended so that no one item overpowers another.

The meats are served with a selection of 5 sauces: Original, Sweet, Spicy, Honey Mustard, and the Smokehouse Special which tastes like a combination of the Original and Honey Mustard sauces. We sampled them all and each of us seemingly had a different preference depending upon the type of meat being eaten.

All in all, we managed had a pulled pork sandwich (which was ENORMOUS), half a smoked chicken, a brisket plate, a tofu and veggie plate, and a pulled pork plate.
Portion sizes of the meats were large. Portion sizes of the vegetables were smaller but still adequate.

Of the sides available, we enjoyed: onion nibblers (think, small individual pieces of onion rings), fried cut okra, fried squash, green beans, slaw and macaroni and cheese.

Excellent! The slaw is not sweet, which is a plus in our book. The green beans were just like your grandmother's. And, the mac n cheese consisted of ziti noodles mixed with two types of cheeses. 

We were disappointed that we couldn't try a little of everything. Also on the menu were: fried green tomatoes, fried whole okra, baked beans, garlic fries, hamburgers, steaks, and shrimp but there just simply was not enough room on the table or in our bellies.

The sweet tea kept true to our Southern tradition and there was plenty of it. Audrey made sure we had To-Go cups when we left which kept us hydrated on the long drive back to civilization. There is a nice variety of beer and wine should you be so inclined. It was fairly early in the day for us, so we stuck to the house wine of the South - the iced tea.

Even though we were all about to burst at the seams, we had to order a slice of the Coca-Cola cake to share and one of our party had to have the bread pudding with caramel sauce boxed up to take home.

People, that massive slice of Coca-Cola cake came out piping hot with chocolate and caramel drizzle dripping off the sides. I think I heard one of my friends weep upon tasting that first bite.

I only wish I had another mouth and second stomach, like a cow, so I could have tried the banana pudding and buttermilk pie. But... there is always next time! 

We will be back. In fact, we will probably be occupying tables for the next few Saturdays until we have tasted all they have to offer.

All 7 of us highly recommend this establishment. The prices were reasonable, especially for the quality and quantity of food you received. The owners and waitstaff are friendly and inviting. The variety of foods offered insures there is something for everyone, from meat-eaters to vegetarians to kids, all the way down to the most finicky of palates. And as an added benefit, a couple of nights a week, local live entertainment is provided.

So, for my inaugural critique, I am giving Johnny Mitchell's Smokehouse 4 out of 5 spoons! The only drawback of this dining establishment can also be considered one of its most desirable features. It is rather small and seating is limited. And, it is off the beaten path, to say the least. Had we not been checking out the new sports complex, we never would have found this jewel.

So, head on out and give them a try. Tell them that you heard about them from the Spinning Spoon. You will be glad you did.

Next review: Ate Track