Dakota Jacks’s Hawg Pit!
Last night after a hard day of working on cabins we were too tired to cook. So we got in the car and headed down to find someplace new to try in Wears Valley. We came across a little place in a unique building called Dakota Jack’s Hawg Pit and some BBQ sounded like it would fill the order, so we swung in to give them a try!
The building is up a few steps from the parking lot and once inside, sort of circular with dining area’s toward the outside windows and a little open kitchen area in the center. We meet the owners, Jack and Paula, and found out they have been serving up BBQ in the Wears Valley for a little more than a year from another location and that they had only just recently moved into this building because it made them easier to find. I had to agree with them on that point because I had not heard of them before!
I like to blog on local eatery’s so my hopes were running high and we set out to take a look at the menu. Dakota Jack’s is true to its name. The menu was limited to just a few items, all Bar B Q! There is chicken, ribs, brisket, pulled pork and something called a sausage dog. Jack serves up three side dishes, potato salad, cole slaw and baked beans.
It’s never easy when ordering for the first time off the menu and while I was eyeing the rib choices my wife, Margaret, was reading off something called a Picnic for Four. It sounded like it a sampler of everything off the menu and so we quickly agreed we take a Picnic for Four home with us, leaving us with leftovers just in case it was really good or we were really too tired to cook again tomorrow. Paula let us sample the cole slaw and beans to help us decide which side we wanted to with our first selection, the potato salad. The cole slaw was good, but the beans hit the spot, and from tasting those I knew we were in for a treat!
Jack got our order put together in no time and we were out the door and on our way back to the cabin for supper! Our Picnic for Four contained a half a slab of BBQ’d ribs, one pound of pulled pork, 4 buns, potato salad and baked beans. There was easily enough for four to eat and the cost a very reasonable $22.
It was really good! The ribs were perfect. Not falling off the bone and overcooked, they were just the way I like them, tender but with a slight bite. A long way around of saying the meat was still on the bone but cooked to perfection. The pulled pork was positively excellent! BBQ’d to perfection and very tasty! And the sides complemented the meat. Everything was fresh and fully seasoned.
I would have to put Dakota Jack’s right up there with the best of the best! What impressed me the most was actually the side dishes. I expect the BBQ to be good, but it is rare for me to find a place where the side dishes are prepared with as much care as the meat. Dakota Jack’s had no weak link. It was all very good and that was a very pleasant surprise!
Thankfully we have leftovers for today! Dakota Jacks is easy to find, located right in the center of Wears Valley at 3269 Wears Valley Road, or just give them a call at 865.679.3083 or 865.429.2123 they are open year round, Wednesday to Saturday.
We highly recommend them for lunch or dinner and especially for a wedding reception or a catered event!
Smoky Mountain Golden Cabins has cabins located near Dakota Jacks BBQ in Wears Valley offering cabins from 1 to 6 bedrooms, secluded, mountain views, budget-friendly or upscale! Visit our website or just call 865.202.7657
