Hamaknockers

“The Original Hamaknockers BBQ”



Before I moved to Wakulla in 2005, I used to drive through Crawfordville on my way to Angelo’s or St. George Island and I always wondered about a restaurant called Hamaknockers but never took the time to check it out. After I moved to the county, I started trying all the local eateries and Hamaknockers soon became a personal favorite. In recent years, the original Hamaknockers restaurant has expanded the menu considerably. For a while, the Lowe family also ran the Hamaknockers Oasis location in Panacea but has since sold the operation to a new proprietor. Unlike the Oasis, the original Hamaknockers doesn’t have a full liquor bar or a fryer. These days, you can get a cold beer with a hand-cut rib eye steak at the Crawfordville Hamaknockers location but you won’t be able to order French fries.

The absence of French fries aside, there is no shortage of appealing menu items to satisfy your appetite at Hamaknockers. Dining at Hamaknockers is really a complete sensory experience for me. On arrival, you park in the back lot and hear the gravel crunch under your car tires. As you make your way to the restaurant entrance, your nostrils are assailed by the aroma of a full-scale wood-smoke barbecue operation in progress.

Once inside, visitors to Hamaknockers find themselves in a former house turned restaurant. There are several seating area options, including a porch. Attentive patrons will note a few details that imbue Hamaknockers with a quirky, but distinct, personality. Why does the buck’s head wear a long black wig?

This establishment is strictly an order at–the-counter operation. The staff will run food to the table but otherwise you will help yourself to drink refills, various sauces, and utensils. During the week, the menu included pork, chicken, ribs, burgers, wraps, quesadillas, loaded baked potatoes, pizza, and wraps. On Friday and Saturday nights, Hamaknockers also offers steaks.

On a recent visit, I treated a friend to lunch at Hamaknockers. We were there to sample the most recent menu addition – “hamapizza”. I had heard rave reviews about Hamaknockers’ barbecue pizza creations from several friends and, of course, had to check it out for myself.

Since my friend was a Hamaknockers neophyte, I told her we had to split an order of the macaroni and cheese, my favorite non-meat menu item, as a meal starter. The “mac ‘n cheese” at Hamaknockers is different, very tasty, but different. My friend, like me, also hails from a “foodie” family. Her father is a professional chef and, to this day, food is elevated to an art in her parents’ household. After tasting the cheesy pasta, she suggested that the distinctive flavor note came from some type of seasoning. At this point in the conversation, the friendly teenager working at the counter offered some insight regarding what makes the macaroni and cheese so delicious. Yes, Hamaknockers’ fans – the mysterious flavor note does come from a special, maybe even secret, seasoning blend. Whatever gives the mac ‘n cheese such flavor, I just know that I occasionally drive to Hamaknockers just for an order of that side dish.

What about the new pizza? The pizza, like the macaroni and cheese, is also different and offers a change from more traditional ways to serve pulled barbecue. The crust is very crisp and Hamaknockers slathers your choice of sauce all the way to the pie’s edge. This pizza requires lots of napkins if you try to eat it with your fingers! On this visit, we tried chicken with the sweet and tangy sauce. We choose mozzarella cheese (cheddar was also available) and added onions and black olives. On a future visit, I might opt for some jalapenos or mushrooms and try out a different sauce. The pizza was very flavorful. It also reheated well the second day for an encore lunch at home.

Now I have even more choices to dither over when I stand at the Hamaknockers counter. What to order? For a traditional take on your ‘cue, go for a smoked half chicken with two sides. Like Texas toast? Upgrade the accompanying roll for a minimal charge. If pulled pork is what you crave, go for a plate or add it to a baked potato. Following the Atkins’ diet? Pile chicken or pork on a garden salad.

Hosting game day at your house or headed to a tailgate party? Call ahead and order a family pack. Large carry out order options include whole chickens, slabs of ribs, and pork by the pound. Hamaknockers also has wings on the menu. Hamaknockers’ smoked “king’s wings” are huge and tasty!

One note: if there isn’t anyone standing at the counter when you walk in, you may have to holler back to the kitchen. On several occasions, I have had to interrupt animated kitchen conversations easily overheard through the saloon-style swinging doors to place an order. Once you get the attention of counter staff, however, your order will be filled quickly.