Meatloaf once sang, “I want you / I need you / But there ain’t no way I’m ever gonna love you. / Now don’t be sad / ‘Cause two out of three ain’t bad.” Although it was an honest sentiment, the object of his half-baked affection probably didn’t receive it that well. But as I sat in Poppy’s Smokehouse on Signal Mountain chewing on a rib, his lyrics came to mind.
I was loving the meaty bites. I’ve had my share of ribs where I felt like the lady in the Wendy’s commercial, asking, “Where’s the beef?” I ripped off a mouthful, and there was plenty left on the bone for a few more bites.
I was loving the sauce, too. Poppy’s offers four, including a thin sauce that’s perfect for pouring over a pulled pork sandwich. I had done this the day before, and then watched it soak into the meat before taking a juicy bite. Poppy’s patrons can also select a spicy version of the same sauce, a Carolina sauce with a mustard base, and a thick-as-molasses version. I was pouring dollops of the latter sauce on each bite, and marveling at how good it tasted. Poppy uses a proprietary blend, and it tops the excellent sauces at other local restaurants.
But I was having trouble getting past one thing: the meat was a tad too dry. Owner David Soloff had taken me out back, where he uses hickory and oak pellets to smoke his meats in a massive grill. I had seen how the individual racks allow the juices from one rack of ribs to drip down and marinate the slab under it. And I had watched David stab the meat with his thermometer to make sure it was thoroughly cooked. I imagined there’s an art to getting the meat hot enough to serve yet retaining the juiciness, but these ribs had just missed that bull’s-eye.
Fortunately, Poppy’s chicken wings made up the difference. They were a meaty mouthful, and slathered with David’s in-house sauce. Poppy’s doesn’t serve thawed Buffalo wings, but honest-to-God cooked-out-back wings, with the grill marks on the skin. The taste was perfect.
As I wiped sauce from the corners of my mouth, a couple sitting at an adjacent table was raving about their burgers. The day before, I had asked the guy behind the counter what a first-timer should eat, and to my surprise, he said a burger. Later, David told me he puts his rib rub into the ground beef as he’s making the patties, which sounds like a neat trick.
The burger lovers told me they go from restaurant to restaurant trying hamburgers and then posting their thoughts on Urban Spoon. The woman said she’d never stopped eating to write a review before, but Poppy’s burger was so good, she was compelled to whip out her iPhone and express her enthusiasm after only a few bites.
I recommended they also try Poppy’s pulled pork sandwich, which comes piled high with meat and has a nice homemade coleslaw crunch. It could taste smokier, though.
Overall, Poppy’s has tremendous potential. David told me about how he operated out of a trailer for four months before setting up in what had been a Chinese eatery. He scrubbed the place clean, gave it a woodsy smokehouse atmosphere, and three months ago opened his doors for business, only to get slammed his first night. He immediately shut down to regroup because he didn’t want people to get the wrong impression of his service.
I came away with good impressions of the service. During my first of two visits, a young lady behind the counter greeted me with a smile as I walked in and then took my order. I had a discombobulating moment has I tried to figure out what to order, as Poppy’s menu is spread across several chalkboards and posters, but I got through that, drew my soda out of the tap and then claimed a seat. A few minutes later, my sandwich was ready for consumption. I took it over to the far side of the counter, where the condiments are located, pumped some sauce onto the meat and then enjoyed a peaceful meal in the spacious dining room, despite the gathering lunch crowd.
David has also taken his menu beyond the typical smokehouse fare. There are plenty of sides, including a delicious cheesy squash casserole. Scribbled on a chalkboard outside was his smoked turkey breast, and on another board next to the counter, he’d listed his meatloaf plate, which looks like it could warrant a third trip up the mountain.
If I had a second wish for Poppy’s beyond juicier ribs, it would be that they consolidate their menu to make it easier to see what’s available.
Even though the words of Meatloaf are still echoing through my head, I have to say the song really doesn’t apply to Poppy’s because, with a few tweaks, I could easily love the place. You might want to give it a try in the evening to see if the ribs aren’t more succulent than the ones I had. David cooks his meats fresh every day, throughout the day, so you’ll certainly get something hot off the grill.
Email David Laprad at dlaprad@hamiltoncountyherald.com.