Howdy, folks!

Popular State College taproom Bill Pickle’s was busy this summer, renovating the interior of the bar and completely revitalizing its food menu. Inspired by its very popular “country night” every Tuesday, Pickle’s has introduced a brand-new barbecue menu, highlighted by four house-made sauces.

Our staff couldn’t wait to get their hands on these new bites. Let’s see what everyone had and what they thought.

Mikey DeAngelis: El Loco, Chicken Wings, & Frozen Kentucky Coffee

It looks like I’m incredibly unhealthy and ordered a ton of food, which is true, but cut me some slack because this was from two different trips (specifically, two different trivia nights).

For my main meal, I got El Loco: a brisket sandwich with queso sauce, beer onions, and Green Chili Verde. I tried all four of their new barbecue sauces, but the Sweet Dixie Red and the Carolina Gold were my clear favorites. The sandwich itself was absolutely delicious, and almost played like a southern Philly cheesesteak, with the onions and cheese mixed in with the meat.

I also got a side of mac and cheese and an order of chicken wings. These were both also really tasty, but as far as the food goes, the sandwich was the best bite. I washed it down with a frozen Kentucky coffee, a specialty cocktail with Kentucky whiskey, vanilla ice cream, Rothrock coffee, sugar, and ground coffee beans. It was one of the best cocktails I’ve ever had, and I mean that.

CJ Gill: Punch & Fluff

I decided to go with the cheapest sandwich offer, the Punch and Fluff. Overall, it was really good. The bun-to-meat ratio was perfect, and that is usually one of my biggest complaints when trying new sandwiches. The barbecue had great flavor and was surprisingly crispy and juicy at the same time. Coleslaw as a side dish is usually a no-go for me, but with it on top of this sandwich, it made perfect sense. I’d recommend it to anyone who needs a good bite to go with a beer. My only complaint is most of the options are a tad bit pricy.

CJ Doebler: Hangry Butcher

Bill Pickle’s Taproom is one of my favorite State College establishments. I got worried when I saw news of renovations and a new menu over the summer — they had an atmosphere to protect.

Luckily, they did, and I recently got to try the Hangry Butcher and the macaroni and cheese. The food was a little pricey. My sandwich, which had chopped brisket, cheddar cheese, pickles, charred onion ranch sauce, and no side, was $15. However, it was the most expensive sandwich on the menu. The Hangry Butcher itself was actually pretty good, and the cup of mac and cheese I ordered with it made for a pretty filling meal. I tried all four sauces on different bites of my sandwich and enjoyed them all, although I kept going back to the Carolina Gold.

I think Pickle’s new barbecue menu is a nice addition to the downtown restaurant landscape, and I plan to try some of the other new offerings in the future.

Aidan Conrad: Punch & Fluff

I ordered the pulled pork sandwich with a side of mac and cheese and cornbread. The sandwich and cornbread were amazing, and I’ll definitely get them both in the future. I did enjoy the mac and cheese but it was REALLY cheesy, which made it difficult to eat the whole cup. All in all, I think the new menu is an absolute success.

Nolan Wick: Punch & Fluff

I ordered the Punch and Fluff, which is basically the standard pulled pork sandwich. For $10, it was on the pricier side given its size, but the assortment of barbecue sauces to go along with it brought a nice kick to the sandwich. It certainly tasted good, but you can get more food for a similar quality for less at other nearby places.

Jack Scott: Big Bob’s Slammer

Bill Pickle’s was already one of my favorite spots downtown, so the addition of barbecue to the offering looked unbeatable! I ordered Big Bob’s Slammer, a pulled chicken and ham sandwich with Alabama White sauce and, what else, pickles. Service might have been a bit slow, but bring a few friends and order a pint while you wait, it’s a taproom after all.

When my sandwich came out, I dug straight in, and the combination of meats and cheese with a soft bun and smokey sauce was pretty close to perfection. I’m no barbecue expert, but the Alabama White sauce on that super tender chicken was well worth the price of admission. It was a great meal, if not a little expensive, but with a splash of some extra Carolina Gold mustard provided in the sauce caddy to really mix things up, I don’t see a lot in State College that can beat it on taste.

Fernando Martinez: Punch & Fluff

I enjoyed the barbecue at Pickles but to be honest, I don’t think it was worth the price. I only ordered the Punch and Fluff sandwich, which had pulled pork, vinegar slaw, Memphis pub, and a special sauce called Scott’s Spicy Red.

Overall, the sandwich was good and the quality of pulled pork was too, but I have tried better pulled pork sandwiches than this one. Also, I didn’t like the fact that the sandwich didn’t come with any side like fries, which cost me $11, and I would’ve had to pay $4 for a side like Hawaiian rolls. Overall, it was a great experience, but I don’t think it’s worth the price and I think people should just go for the bar experience more than the barbecue experience.

Joe Lister: Punch & Fluff

As a person with no real life, I was blessed to live in State College over the summer be one of the first to try Pickle’s new barbecue. While I was concerned that renovations to the bar and the addition of the barbecue menu would damage the name of this establishment, I was dumbfounded by how wrong my concerns were.

I most recently got the Punch and Fluff, mostly because it’s the cheapest thing on the menu. It’s a good item. Every item on this menu is a good item. I understand concerns that the barbecue is pricey (it is), but that hasn’t stopped me from making it my most-frequented State College meal since it debuted.

Thank you, Pickle’s, for blessing my tastebuds. However, please make your sauces actually spicy.