IT’S ALL ABOUT THE HICKORY
One of the things that distinguishes one restaurant’s BBQ from that of another’s is what kind of wood is used in its smoking process. Not just any old tree will do. For instance, Fuel makes its own coals from hickory wood. Patterson swears by it. “This is Kentucky-style BBQ,” he says proudly, “and that means it’s vinegar-based and hickory smoked.” Patterson becomes visibly excited and begins waxing eloquent when he starts talking about smoking meat. He leans forward and his hands become a blur as he talks. Smoking the meat must be done just so.
There’s a right way to do it, and there’s a wrong way to do it; and when it comes to what is allowed into his kitchen, his way is the right way. Each step must achieve Chef Steve’s rigorous standards. Patterson loves overseeing the whole process personally. “As a matter of fact,” he says, “I’d stay out there at the smokehouse all the time if I could get away with it.” He shrugs and smiles. “But since I’m the chef, I gotta run the kitchen.”
Fuel’s menu offers crowd-pleasing favorites like smoked pork butt, brisket (chopped or sliced), Polish sausage, ribs (with the bone) and rib tips, and smoked chicken. They also have deviled farm eggs, loaded fries, chili cheese fries, wings, and Brunswick stew. The sandwiches, called “handwiches”, are available in all the varieties of smoked meat, and they also serve gourmet hamburgers and hotdogs.
The sides are classics: three-cheese mac, baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and collard greens. The desserts, in and of themselves, are worth a visit to the restaurant; they are all made fresh daily onsite by Patterson’s mother, Mama Faye. She makes caramel cake, sweet potato pie, and peach cobbler (and other seasonal cobblers).