SMOKE POINT
Seasonal waterfront eatery in Poquoson has big flavors, scenery
On the edge of Poquoson, four friends’ experiences and a few regions’ notions of barbecue converge in a single tin building at The Point BBQ.
It’s housed in a tin building on Messick Point, where the road ends and boats are docked and stored on the Back River. The seasonal restaurant is open until Thanksgiving; it closes during the winter months.
The waterfront eatery offers pulled pork, turkey, brisket, chicken salad and country sausage with sides such as smoked brisket chili, chicken fried potatoes, and Cheesy Gritters — grits. Sandwiches are also available.
The owners — married couples Catherine Owen and David Pecor Jr. and Christa and Craig Lang — operated The Point for the first time last year, from August to December. All were raised in Vermont and moved to Poquoson by way of Texas. Pecor’s parents have lived in the area for 25 years; he wanted to spend more time near them. His background is in hospitality.
“I worked in the food industry for decades,” Owen said. “Opening a restaurant was the next level.” The
Langs, who both have years of experience in management, liked the idea of running a restaurant and followed their friends to Poquoson.
I visited The Point recently, and the owners greeted me as I came through the screened door. The open space had a kitchen on the left and seating on the right with a couple of tables and chairs. But I didn’t drive that far to stay inside — even on a drizzly day. I ordered a three-meat platter with mac and cheese and maque choux (smothered corn) and headed to the deck. Owen carried my tray for me.
Seven bar stools were arrayed around the edge of the wooded structure. I decided to rest at one of the three tables on the deck.
Inside the brown to-go box were the smoky, aromatic meats. A bitesize pimento cheese sandwich with big flavor sat on top for garnish
— a nice surprise. I devoured it in seconds. Next on my eating tour was the herbaceous turkey, which I picked up with my fingers. It was tender and juicy. All I wanted to know was: Can I order a whole bird and how many months until Thanksgiving — yes and seven. The turkey was my favorite bite because of the combination of rosemary, thyme, sage and other earthy notes.
Pecor, the pitmaster, had taken his time with the brisket. It was delicious and had the right amount of fat to give the beef flavor without being slimy. I liked the pulled pork too. No sauce needed. Can’t go wrong with slow cooked seasoned pig at The Point. Yum.
The sides came in separate containers. The maque choux (pronounced “mock shoe”) is a Cajun corn dish with peppers, celery, tomatoes and onions. I never tried it while living in Louisiana, so I gave it a go. It was good, but I wanted a little spice to go along with the sweet and savory.
The macaroni and cheese was delightful. I loved the creamy white sauce topped with panko. It provided me with comfort and happy taste buds.
I looked toward the water in the distance and enjoyed the calm and quiet of my surroundings. A cool breeze gave me relief from the mugginess.
“I bet the two tables near the river would’ve been better,” I said to myself.
They sat in a grassy area under a few trees, providing shade when the sun decided to make an appearance.
Next time.
Rekaya Gibson, rekaya.
gibson@virginiamedia.com, 757-295-8809; on Twitter, @gibsonrekaya
IF YOU GO
Where: 435 Messick Road, Poquoson
Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays Prices: Platters $19 to $29, sandwiches $15 to $17 Details: 757-231-1044; facebook.com/ get2thepointbbq