Since its downtown Columbia addition to the Puckett’s family of restaurants this past March, the Southern-style eatery has been serving its trademark down-home recipes to the Maury County crowd—and carrying on several traditions, including its “Name That Smoker” contest.
The contest began June 3 and extended through June 17. The restaurant has since announced that Columbia resident David Paul won the $100 gift and bragging rights for his “Cherry Underwood” submission.
“We thought ‘Cherry Underwood’ was a great play-on-words: our barbecue is smoked slow ‘n’ low over cherry wood,” said Max Stephenson, Puckett’s general manager. “It put a grin on all of our faces immediately when we saw it.”
Puckett’s has won numerous accolades for its unique BBQ preparation over the years. Puckett’s Owner Andy Marshall, who has long been a competition pit master, has said he prefers cherry wood over any other fuel because it imparts a sweeter, richer flavor that only fruitwood can bring to the table.
The restaurant said it received more than 200 prospective names through social media submissions, and that they were impressed with the creativity of the batch. Other forerunners included the “James K. Pork,” “Dwight Smokem,” and “Conway Ribby.”
This is the fourth naming competition for a Puckett’s Gro. & Restaurant in-house smoker, this one a stainless steel unit that holds up to 1,200 pounds of meat. Other Puckett’s smokers are known as Sweet Smokin’ Sadie, The Hog Father, and Hoss & Lil Joe.
Puckett’s also enlisted the public’s help in naming its trolley food truck, which now goes by Ms. Trolley Parton.
“These naming contests are among our favorite Puckett’s traditions,” Stephenson said. “We want the community to be involved in as much as possible, and there’s always a sense of online camaraderie among folks vying for the title.”
The winner was announced on June 18 through Puckett’s Columbia Facebook page, www.facebook.com/puckettscolumbia. For more information, visit its website at www.puckettsgrocery.com.