It was lunchtime at Nooga-Q Smokehouse & Grille. The dining area bustled with folks in ball caps and coveralls and grannies with their grandbabies snugly seated on their laps. It was as if I’d been transported to Everyman, USA, and it smelled of barbecue sauce and wood smoke.
I slid into a back booth and continued taking in the scene. The corrugated walls were hung with faux old-fashioned wooden signs emblazoned with contemporary sayings such as “Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.” Another read, “Life is short, eat dessert first.”
With impeccable timing, owner Tami Smith approached my table. She placed a bowl of banana pudding before me. It is one of Nooga-Q’s staple desserts. The creamy confection, topped with bananas and vanilla wafers, featured ingredients so fresh, they permeated the air around me. It was as if I’d crushed the bananas and crumbled the cookies myself.
Banana pudding available at Nooga-Q restaurant on Signal Mountain Rd. The dessert was divine. But when dining at Nooga-Q it is pertinent to not completely spoil one’s appetite – particularly on Fridays and Saturdays.
Every Friday from 4 p.m. to close, Nooga-Q offers all-you-can-eat fried catfish fillets. The fish is hand-breaded to order and served with two sides, toast and hushpuppies for $10.95. From open to close every Saturday, Nooga-Q serves all-you-can-eat ribs. The smoked pork ribs come with two sides, toast and a drink for $14.95.
Throughout the week, Nooga-Q offers up even more satiating deals. Every Tuesday and Thursday, families of four can dine in for under $20 with the Family Four Pack special, featuring 1 pound of smoked meat, three pint-sized sides, buns or Texas toast, and sauce. Prices start at $19.75. For larger families there is the Family Eight Pack, which begins at $36.95 and comes with 2 pounds of smoked meat and three quart-sized sides.
Nooga-Q’s family packs are available to-go any night of the week. And if that is still not enough food, Nooga-Q caters! From weddings to school events to business luncheons, the smokehouse offers full-service options that range from drop-off to wait staff.
To find out more about Nooga-Q’s catering options or to view its catering menu, visit nooga-q.com. Or, stop by the store and mull your options over a decadent serving of scratch-made banana pudding. After all, life is short. Might as well eat good.