Piedmont’s the place for beer, brisket and bocce ball

Walk into Piedmont Brewery and Kitchen, in a former five-and-dime store location on Third Street, and you’ll see a set of stairs going down to the game area. Resist it for now and go sit at one of the comfy booths.

Order your appetizers and dinner at the same time, then traipse down to play video games and foosball while you wait for your food. Beer is served upstairs all the time, and downstairs during busy times.

After a few rounds of games, head back up to see your appetizers waiting for you. The Grit Fritter for $9 is a meal in itself, with pulled pork and barbecue sauce sitting atop three fried medallions of grits.

The pork rinds with a hot honey drizzle for $6 are tasty, but the blue cheese mousse is a bit heavy to me. I preferred to use the pork rinds with my Tunisian hummus ($6) instead of the thick chewy pita that comes with it. The andouille corn dogs are also meal-size for only $6 and are a great option when you’re only peckish.

One of Piedmont’s most popular items is the smoked wings, available in unusual flavors like “dry rub” and white barbecue, for around $1 each. Their brisket is also very popular. It’s used in their bahn mi, with pickled daikon and cucumber on a baguette, and in their philly, with beer cheese and peppers, either one for $8. They also have a pork burger at $7 for a single or $12 for a double.

My favorite entree is the smoked chicken salad sandwich, filled with grapes, candied pecans and raisins for just $7. We also tried the $12 beer-battered fish and chips. I enjoyed the thick battered cod and generous serving, but I’d rather have thick cut English “chips” than waffle fries. If you’re really hungry, get a PBK platter and choose one ($14) or two ($16) meats and two sides, like potato salad, pasta salad, or mac ‘n’ cheese.

Desserts include a chocolate stout cake, nutter butter pie and a root beer float. If you’re into beer, brisket and bocce ball, Piedmont Brewery and Kitchen is your new home away from home.

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This story was originally published June 7, 2017 at 3:11 PM with the headline "Piedmont’s the place for beer, brisket and bocce ball."