If it’s July, it must be time for “Burger Month,” which is quickly becoming a tradition with my regular offerings of potential dining destinations in Northeast Tennessee, Western North Carolina and Southwest Virginia.
Last year’s “Burger Month” focused on the best burgers in Tennessee’s Carter County. I’m traveling farther afield this year, although I kicked off this summer’s burger destinations with my recent blog on Sycamore Drive-In in Elizabethton, Tennessee.
My first recommendation this year is to advise readers to make a visit, posthaste, to Pilot Hill General Store in the Philadelphia community of Washington County for some really delicious, done-right burgers.
It’s not just burgers, however, that are giving this establishment its well-deserved reputation for serving some flavorful food to really give the tastebuds a workout, as I will point out.
According to the story about the store’s origins (printed on the back of the menu), Pilot Hill has served as a country store as well as a post office and courtroom for a traveling magistrate for more than a century. George Walters, a Union veteran of the Civil War, built the store in 1902 after he received a land grant once the war ended. The store’s current owners, Donnie and Denise Hall, have created a must-try destination in the middle of the rural countryside of Washington County.
Customers dine in a painstakingly recreated version of a turn-of-the-last-century general store, with long counters and cubby-hole shelves stocked with a long list of assorted goods. There’s a conversation starter for nostalgic customers in any direction they happen to glance, from old-fashioned varieties of candies to toys, dolls and games.
The choice of burgers includes the Hammer Burger and Hammer Cheeseburger (single patty), Sledge Hammer and Sledge Hammer Cheeseburger (double patties), as well as a Lil Jenny Hamburger and Cheeseburger. There’s also a Philly Burger for the meat-lovers, as well as a Mule Burger, which features thick-cut Amish bologna, fried or cold, served with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise on Texas toast.
Pilot Hill also serves some fantastic barbecue, including a Pork Loin sandwiches and platters, BBQ Chopped Pork Sandwich and a BBQ Sundae. This inventive item starts with a Mason jar filled to the brim with layers of barbecue pork and homemade slaw and baked beans. Best of all, Pilot Hill serves slow-cooked, dry rub St. Louis-style ribs on Fridays and Saturdays.
Burgers remain my main focus, but this is some really first-class barbecue. A friend ordered the ribs and, after some good-natured but determined coercion, shared a sample. They were finger-licking good, to borrow an old but accurate phrase.
Like the ribs, the burgers could be a messy proposition, unless you simply shed any inhibitions about manhandling your meal. Sure, some toothpicks through the bun take a stab at holding everything together, but these are two-handed burgers so just pick them up and start eating.
You cannot really beat the Hammer Cheeseburger, unless it is with the Sledge Hammer Cheeseburger. I have also tried the Philly Burger, which is going to meet your daily caloric intake in one sitting with its three ounces of grilled sirloin added to two grilled patties, complemented with grilled onions as well as American and mozzarella cheese. I sometimes think there’s a definite correlation between messy and tasty. At least that’s the case with this juicy, vibrant burger.
The menu also offers some appetizing sandwiches, including a Philly Cheesesteak, Chicken Parmesan Sandwich, Nolichucky Chicken Sandwich and a Big and Nasty BLT (yes, that’s really its name), as well as a couple of hot dogs, including the Snapp Dog, which is wrapped in bacon and deep fried for, as the menu describes this item, “O’Brother, what a dog.”
The menu is rounded off by some platters, including a Hamburger Steak Plate and Chicken Strip Plate, as well as some salads, including a Buffalo Chicken Wedge Salad and a BBQ Pork Salad.
You’ll want to leave room for some out-of-this-world desserts, including a variety of homemade pies. Some of my favorites have included the Apple Pie (just a heavenly version of this All-American favorite and Butterscotch Pie.
My friend, the one who enjoyed the ribs, also had a slice of Apple Pie and declared flatly after the first bite that it was “the best apple pie he has had in Tennessee.”
In preparation for making your first visit — don’t delay, trust me — be sure to take cash. Pilot Hill General Store doesn’t accept plastic or checks.
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Pilot Hill General Store, 826 Snapp Bridge Road, Limestone, Tennessee. Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. 423-202-0289. Cash only.
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