2503 Station Grill builds on Porker’s staples
When Market Street fixture Porker’s closed, folks wondered whether owners Lawrence and Diane Mills would open in a new location. They did so in May, joined by their nephew Beau Tucker.
The trio bought the vacant Underdogs Bar & Grill on the side of Missionary Ridge, across Westside Drive from Sugar’s Ribs. After some extensive updating, they opened 2503 Station Grill, a modest little blue-stucco building that’s snuggled into the kudzu-covered ridgeside.
THE SPACE
I was amused by the interior’s three distinct dining areas, distinguished by their decor: the obviously updated bar area with hardwood floors, open ceiling and high-top tables; the second, an open, brightly lit dining space with a horizontal row of windows looking out over the ridgeside.
And the third has dark carpet tiles and beige ceiling tiles with a mix of padded booths and tables that would have given it a retro vibe if it weren’t for the two flat-screen TVs on the walls. A dozen framed Riverbend Festival posters hang around the walls, thus its name, The Riverbend Room.
I wouldn’t have been surprised if Guy Fieri had walked though the door. This place would be a perfect fit for Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”
THE MENU
Porker’s fans will recognize some of the menu’s staples: stuffed potatoes, the Boss Hogg sandwich.
But basically it’s barbecue brisket, pork and chicken sandwiches and plates with traditional choices in sides of baked beans, slaw, fries, potato salad or pasta salad. So the tomato stuffed with shrimp salad ($11) caught me by surprise.
The majority of the menu is priced between $7 and $10. The most expensive item on the menu is 1.5 pounds of St. Louis-cut ribs for $16.
The new restaurant also serves breakfast, and some of those items looked really appealing: Belgian waffles ($6-$7), one-eyed BLT breakfast sandwich ($6), quiche ($7), French toast ($6) and The Ridgeview Omelet ($8), which includes chorizo, bell peppers, onion, cheese and salsa.
THE ORDER
I ordered a smoked chicken platter, which comes with baked beans, slaw and Texas toast ($9).
Of those, the baked beans were the most flavorful — tasting like the recipe mama used where she’d doctor canned beans with onions, brown sugar and ketchup. The slaw lacked flavor. It wasn’t mayonnaise-based, but I couldn’t taste any vinegar component either.
The piping-hot chicken, which came in a generous helping, was moist, but bland. I checked for smoke streaks, aroma, smoky flavor or any indication of having been smoked, but there were none. This was disappointing since Porker’s was known for its barbecue. The waitress brought one squeeze bottle of barbecue sauce when she served the plate, but even doctoring the meat with that wasn’t much help since the sauce had a little more heat than I prefer.
THE SERVICE
My server was fast, polite and efficient. No complaints.
THE VERDICT
Yes, 2503 Station Grill has room for improvement, but I wouldn’t pan it either because everyone has an off day. It’s nothing fancy, just a solid meal for a fair price.
Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress. com or 423-757-6284.