Old Crow Smokehouse: Country Oasis on North Clark
After a long, hard day, you sometimes want to escape the city. Stroll down North Clark, Wrigley and all the buildings behind you, and step into a reconstructed barn, where your work and worries are miles away. Old Crow Smokehouse is something you’d find down a dirt road, complete with the welcoming “this is who I am” spirit that is country. It opened last fall for people craving authentic country culture. Its menu features the award-winning barbeque of Chef Tony Scruggs and moonshine cocktails by Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine.
The walls behind the bar glow red from lights, warm like a heat lamp on a chilly night (or a Luke Bryan video). Bright and sunny waitresses in sundresses and cowboy boots rushed smiling to tables, checking in on them as if they’d known them forever. We walked to our table to the bass of Scott McCreery. That night we also heard the music of Florida Georgia Line, Brad Paisley, Chase Rice, and Taylor Swift. Party anthems and slower serenades melt your day away so you’re ready for your evening. We sat on mile high welded stools that were very comfy. Among the guests were friends catching up, a birthday party and a first date delighted they had chemistry.
Each table had 3 barbeque sauces: Beer, Vinegar, and Spicy. I live for spicy. I like my taste buds to melt and simmer. This sauce was a nice tongue tickler. My friend, who is not into spicy, enjoyed it, saying it was tangy with a nice burn. I was surprised my favorite was the Beer Barbeque sauce. There was something warm and familiar but also new and different in its tanginess. My Memphis Tacos (pulled pork with crunchy coleslaw in tortillas, laced with the Beer Barbeque sauce) were very good. I also had the Front Porch Punch, one of the moonshine cocktails, served in a mason jar with berries. It was as refreshing and fun as pink lemonade, but smoother. The hand-cut fries were amazing, the perfect warmth and crunch.
The large welcoming dance floor sprawls in front of the stage. Not only is there regular live music, every Thursday there’s Live Band Country Karaoke. The house band plays, you sing. If dancing is more your thing, there are free Line Dancing Wednesdays. Old Crow Smokehouse is a great escape if you can’t get away. It’s fun with the strong undercurrent the excitement. Anything can happen, especially with that tall, dark stranger giving you the eye.
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Cora Vasseur | Culture & Entertainment Blogger
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Cora Vasseur | Culture & Entertainment Blogger
