This Savannah Streamliner Is Home To Amazing Barbecue

When you get a hankering for good barbecue while visiting Savannah, Georgia, let your nose guide you to a vintage Streamliner in the city’s Victorian District. The winged pig on a tall neon sign will let you know you’ve arrived at Sandfly BBQ.

Let’s start with the location. You’re likely to see a lot of college-age students hanging around. It’s across the street from an elegant 1892 Queen Anne Revival style building known as Eckburg Hall. While it started out as an elementary school, today it’s used by the Savannah College of Art and Design — or SCAD, as everyone refers to it here.

The college originally purchased the 1938 Streamliner in Massachussetts and brought it to Savannah in 1990. For years, it served primarily students and faculty wanting a quick meal between classes.

After sitting empty for a while, it was purchased by Sandfly’s Keith Latture, who had been operating a successful location outside the city’s historic district since 2007.

Latture cut his culinary teeth in Memphis, one of a handful of American cities synonymous with barbecue. He likes to describe Sandfly’s take “Savannah-style,” noting that it fits right in with the eclectic tastes of the Lowcountry.

Eating inside this cozy space is a real treat. The vibe of the restaurant is laid-back and unpretentious. Sit on a stool at the counter or grab one of the original mahogany booths where you can people-watch out the large windows. It seems students are always running to class (probably late) with a project in-hand.

The Sandfly’s menu gets the job done! Try the “World Famous” Brunswick Stew in a cup or in a bowl, a Sandfly sandwich (pulled pork, beef brisket, pulled chicken, smoked sausage) or, if you haven’t had a decent meal in days, the Hog Wild Platter, which includes pulled pork, beef brisket, pulled chicken, smoked sausage, 2 ribs, 2 sides and Texas Toast.

Sides include: baked beans, coleslaw, collard greens, mac & cheese, hand-cut french fries and potato salad. Wash it all down with an iced tea or bottled Mexican soda.

But the real fun happens when applying Sandfly’s special sauces. The flavors are out-of-this-world good. According to the restaurant’s website, the sauces are a reflection of their regional travels. There’s a Memphis-style sweet sauce, a zesty, mustard-based Savannah sauce, and a spicy, vinegar-based Western North Carolina sauce. The sauces only enchance the flavor of the meats, which are traditionally seasoned and smoked over a combination of pecan and hickory.

There’s never a rush on the bill. But when the server brings it, the ticket will probably be in a vintage tin cup of some sort. Neat touch!

Most menu items range in price from $6.50 to $13 for some of the plates. If the Hog Wild Platter is calling your name, you’ll pay $23. Not bad for all the food you get.

The downtown location of the Sandfly is at 1220 Barnard Street. Hours are Monday-Saturday 11am until they run out.

Miami Hot Dogs: Nathan Has Nothing on Edgar

Some rituals never get old. Such was the case when I lived in North Miami a few years ago and would pay a visit to La Perrada de Edgar almost every Friday night.

Nestled in a row of shops along Collins Avenue just south of 71st Street, Edgar Gomez’s hot dog shop is a little bitty place famous for putting a new twist on an American classic. He elevates the hot dog to an art form like the vendors in his native Colombia.

I paid a visit to my favorite South Florida eatery on a recent visit to the area and everything is just as I remembered. The red, white and yellow interior screams “hot dog shop.” A red tile bar with metal stools runs the entire length of the store on one wall, while behind the high counter on the other side is where all the magic happens. This is where Edgar and his team create Colombian hot dogs.

In Colombia perros calientes are sold in street stands with ketchup, mustard, salsa rosada, mayonnaise, pineapple sauce, cheese and crumbled potato chips. Some add a cooked quail’s egg on top. In the coast, it’s common to also add some finely shredded lettuce to the bun, giving it a refreshing touch for the coast’s hot weather. There is also a version called “perra”, it usually has the same other toppings but it’s made of chopped bacon and barbecue onions instead of a sausage.

– from Wikipedia

Pictures of menu items dominate both walls as well as images of Edgar posing with his celebrity friends, including television star Anthony Bourdain who once profiled the restaurant on the Travel Channel.

By now, you’re probably asking, “What makes this hot dog place so special?”

Maybe the best answer is Edgar’s imagination. You won’t find a boring hot dog on the menu. Instead, Edgar adds a little bite to each dog, piling them with a smorgasbord of unique toppings and sauces from all over the world.

“From bacon and chorizo to salad, onions, peppers, pineapples, potatoes, and even eggs. Suddenly ketchup and mustard seem so passé,” Edgar writes on his website.

I was happy to see they still served my all-time favorite, the Italian Hot Dog. The plump, juicy sausage is put in a bun and topped with mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, bacon, Edgar’s special blend of Italian sauces, cheese, ketchup, potato sticks.

These things can be a little messy to eat. When I tried to eat my hot dog with a knife and fork (a big no-no), Edgar came to the table and showed me how to eat it properly using just the foil wrapper, just as he did when he caught me trying to use utensils years ago.

The menu of hot dog varieties at La Perrada de Edgar is endless. There’s a Venezuelan Hot Dog, Mexican Hot Dog, Argentinian Hot Dog, French Hot Dog, Roman Hot Dog, Greek Hot Dog, Spanish Hot Dog, Chilean Hot Dog, Brazilian Hot Dog, and several American Hot Dogs with his own special touch.

In recent years, he’s added a number of Asian-inspired hot dogs to the menu. Topped with ingredients like rice, sesame seeds, zucchini, wasabi, and even teriyaki chicken, the countries of Japan, China, Thailand and the Philippines are well represented here.

And the menu isn’t limited to just hot dogs. There’s quesadillas, burritos, arepas, personal-sized pizzas, tamales, smoothies and desserts.

The hardest part about eating at La Perrada de Edgar is making a decision on what to order. If you want to do it like the Colombians, order the Edgar Special Hot Dog. The sausage is topped with mozzarella cheese, pineapple, blackberry, plum, sauces and whipped cream. Might sound a little off-putting, but it’s oh so good!