Nostalgic BBQ Lunch at Sandfly BBQ

Tom Petty and The Heartbreaker's Free Falling blasts from the stereo as I walk into Sandfly, Georgia's aptly named BBQ joint, Sandfly Barbecue. Vintage license plates from states like Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee line the walls. In the small dining room, cherry red booths cozy up to framed pictures of music legends like Elvis Presley and Hank Williams. The Beach Boys and The Rolling Stones.

The Dining Room

Hank Williams

Like its decor, Sandfly Barbecue is a little bit nostalgic, a little bit rock-and-roll. The chalk-written menu behind the counter has all the familiar BBQ favorites you'd expect--pulled pork, ribs, mac and cheese, Brunswick stew--making it the kind of place you used to go with your grandparents after church. Back when you still had to wear a napkin tucked in your shirt collar. Or the kind place you might stop to eat on a cross-country road trip across southern Americana. Sandfly's menu is as extensive as it is classic, so I've broken down my favorites below:

THE MAIN DISH // THE BEEF BRISKET JR. SANDWICH

Beef Jr. with Fried Okra

 It's approximately six ounces of tender, chopped just-salty-enough beef brisket on a classic hamburger bun with sliced pickles on the side. The meat is juicy (not greasy), smoky, and flavorful-- you don't even need sauce.

But the sauce  takes this little sandwich over the edge. On the table, you've got three sauce options. A creamy yellow-orange one--a sharp mustard-based Carolina style (if you opt for the Pork Jr., I highly recommend the Carolina style).  A reddish one that doesn't even need to be labeled HOT. I can see the red pepper seeds through the bottle. And a maple syrup colored one. It's a sweet, slightly tangy--more of a Memphis style. If you're a fan of "Memphis Style" barbecue sauce like me, pick the last one.  A little goes a long way. I drizzled on just a teaspoon or so, and the sweetness really heightened the flavor of the beef.  

THE DESSERT// HOUSEMADE COCONUT CAKE

The kind of cake that starts a fight. If you're lucky, you come to Sandfly Barbecue when they have a freshly baked coconut cake sitting on a stand at the order counter. Get it before it's gone. Trust me. This ain't your synthetically sweet grocery store-bought cake. This is a cakewalk style, state fair blue ribbon-winning coconut cake. The best I've had at any bakery or restaurant in Savannah. 

It's sweet, but not too sweet, fluffy white cake frosted with thick, coconut flecked frosting. It's never dry, with a hint of pineapple if my taste buds aren't fooling me. The whole cake is topped off with an indulgent flurry of shaved coconut. They serve up generous hunks of this creamy coconut cake on green checked parchment paper. If you happen to order the last slice of cake like I did, I'd watch your back. 

Come for the barbecue, stay for the coconut cake. Either way, if you don't usually venture outside of the downtown area for a good meal, I highly recommend you grab the car and hit Truman Parkway for a short road trip to Sandfly, Georgia. Roll down the windows, put some Neil Young on the radio. The nostalgic, rock-and-roll- road-trip meal awaiting you at Sandfly BBQ won't disappoint.

Sandfly BBQ

8413 Ferguson Avenue
Savannah, Georgia 31406
(912) 356-5463
OPEN Monday – Saturday 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
Price: Meals range from $7-$15

Not Your Mother's Blueberry Muffins

Forget everything you know about blueberry muffins. Those blue-dotted yellow cake crossovers often found gracing the baked cases around town. Those muffins with batter so sweet the berries seem sour in comparison.  Make way for Great Harvest Bread Company's Ultra Healthy Muffins that have more in common with a wholegrain slice of bread. And I mean that in the best possible way.

The Muffin

In these wholesome muffins, plump, juicy blueberries take center stage. Berries abound in every bite and the batter doesn’t upstage them—it’s packed with bran, whole-wheat flour, a touch of oil, and only lightly sweetened with orange juice and brown sugar. The rest of the recipe, the owner explains, “is confidential.”  And you won't find any paper cupcake wrappers here. They serve these muffins naked, fresh from the pan.

The Experience

Tucked away in Sandfly Georgia's Norwood Shopping Plaza, Great Harvest Bread Company quietly bakes up bountiful breads and other wholegrain goodies.  And they’re more than willing to slice up a free sample of their sweets and breads. Just ask! Their prime location, right next-door to Savannah Power Yoga makes Great Harvest Bread Company a great spot for a post-meditation munchie. I dropped by last Saturday before heading to the Lake Mayer, a nearby park for a mid morning run. I ordered an “Ultra Healthy Muffin” slathered with butter and an iced tea.  The muffin had the stick-to-your-ribs sustainability you usually get from a bowl of oatmeal. It was satisfying and delicious. I felt energized for my entire run. 

Eating a muffin named “Ultra Healthy” definitely does something to your psyche. You feel like you’re eating the “right” thing, like you can enjoy it without the guilt of indulgence. And for that, the folks at Montana-based Great Harvest Bread Company are marketing geniuses.

Ultra Healthy Muffins are available in the baked case on select days. Butter is available upon request. Visit their Savannah website for a complete bread and sweets schedule.

Looking for an ultra healthy muffin that’s also ultra delicious? Fork this, Savannah!

Great Harvest Bread Company
7360 Skidaway Road
Suite J -1
Savannah, Georgia 31406
(912) 777-7263
M-F 6:30am-6:00pm
Sat 7:00am-4:00pm