By SERENITY JOY MILLER
Every day, Puckett’s Boat House brings in fresh seafood on ice from Louisiana’s Gulf Coast. Their menu offers a wide variety of flavors inspired by the cuisine of the Big Easy, the Gulf Coast, and the South. The Marshall family incorporates their Nashville and Memphis roots by bringing in their own unique style to comfort food and barbecue. All of their salad dressings and tasty sauces are made in house. Puckett’s Boat House features delightful handmade desserts, as well.
For my review, I wanted to try a few of the specialties and new items on the menu. I started out by ordering a Founders Oatmeal Stout on tap, which is one of my favorite beers. Then, my attentive and friendly waiter Ben brought out an appetizer of Puckett’s Boat House signature Shrimp & Grits Hushpuppies and a new menu item, the Buttermilk Fried Green Tomato. Both of these starters were tasty and distinctive. The hushpuppies were made with a savory blend of cheese grits and fresh shrimp, and they had a nice, creamy consistency. They were served with a side of sweet and spicy mango pepper relish, which added an unexpected pop of flavor to the dish. The Buttermilk Fried Green Tomato starter is craveable with a lightly breaded tomato topped with rich, tangy cheddar pimento cheese and scrumptious bacon jam. If you like bacon, and you’ve never experienced bacon jam, you’re missing out. On my next visit to Puckett’s Boat House, I just might have to try their Classic Burger with bacon jam on top!
For the entrée, Ben brought out The Rusty Bucket, which consisted of several fried favorites – shrimp, oysters, catfish strips, hushpuppies, and thin hand-cut fries served in a silver bucket accented with red-and-white gingham. The cornmeal-breaded catfish strips were light, flakey, and moist; the tasty, large fried shrimp had an enjoyable texture; and the fried oysters tasted fresh and delightful with a splash of lemon juice. The tangy, housemade cocktail and tarter sauces complemented the fried seafood to a tee. The Rusty Bucket is definitely a shareable menu item and would be a perfect appetizer for several people to split.
Although I was pretty full, I decided to order the Hummingbird Cake for dessert based on the description in the menu, and I was not disappointed. This pineapple and banana-spiced cake was everything a cake should be – moist, fluffy, light, not too sweet, and topped with smooth cream cheese frosting. The pecans added a nice crunch, which perfected this decadent dessert.
On my first visit to Puckett’s Boat House, I ordered a succulent Salmon Burger, which was ideally cooked and seasoned. On another occasion, my friends and I were in search of cool libations, and the Bloody Mary was the best one I’ve ever tasted. There are several signature and new menu items at Puckett’s Boat House that I look forward to trying in the future, including the Avocado & Blue Crab Salad, Bloody Mary and Palm Beach Oysters, Mud Cat Mac & Cheese, White Cheddar Whiskey Grits, Jack Daniels Pecan Pie, and their popular Key Lime Pie.
Puckett’s Boat House is located at 94 East Main Street in downtown Franklin in the building that used to house the Boat Locker and Freeman’s Flowers. They offer live music in the evenings from Tuesday through Saturday. Reservations are encouraged, especially during the shows. Puckett’s Boat House is open from 11 AM to 9 PM Monday through Thursday. Friday and Saturday, they are open from 11 AM to 10 PM. On Sundays, they offer a delightful brunch from 10 AM to 1 PM, and they remain open until 9 PM. Visit www.puckettsboathouse.com to check out their menus, events, catering options, and more. They also host small catered events in a private dining room upstairs, so be sure to keep them in mind for anniversary dinners, wedding and baby showers, birthdays, and other special occasions in your life.
[scroller style=”sc1″ title=”More Food & Wine Stories” title_size=”17″ display=”cats” cats=”31″ number_of_posts=”12″ auto_play=”5000″ speed=”300″]
