Pioneer Eats Here hit a new milestone with our latest stop in the series! Whitley County was the last county on the list to hit, and it did not disappoint.
The winner for the Best Restaurant in Whitley County was 1897 BBQ in Columbia City!
The story behind this place was just as good as the food they put in front of us.
Sara Chamberlain had always dreamed of owning her own restaurant, going back to when she had an Easy-Bake Oven as a little girl. She started her career in the corporate world with a catering job at 16 years old. She got tired of the politics that came with the job, and along with her husband, Norman, they sold their house and started the process of owning a restaurant.
They didn’t know what type of restaurant they wanted to start, but they had a friend across the border in Ohio who gave them the idea to start a BBQ place. They found a location on New Year’s Eve, toured it the very next day, signed the paperwork four days later, and served their first customer on January 7th.
Earlier this year, 1897 BBQ officially celebrated the grand reopening of its new location at 301 W. Van Buren Street. Here are our thoughts on the meal and overall experience at 1897 BBQ!
Belle – Pulled Pork
The pulled pork was flavorful on its own, but paired with each of the sauces, it was a perfect match. The mac and cheese was perfectly cheesy with a little bit of kick to it, the balance of cheese and noodles was perfect. If you like a sweet coleslaw, this is the place for you.
Ashton – Brisket
I really liked the brisket; it was super soft and melted in your mouth. The crust of the brisket was also delicious and slightly crunchy. The other standouts for me were the Poblano Mac and cheese, which was cheesy, creamy, and slightly spicy, and the cinnamon apples, which were a nice sweet treat compared to the other savory sides. I liked being able to mix and match the different sauces, and I was pleasantly surprised by the raspberry BBQ sauce, which brought a little sweet heat to the meat.
Hannah – BBQ Nachos with Pulled Pork
The first thing I noticed was the HUGE portion size. You could easily split this platter with 2-3 people. I loved the combination of smoked meat, spicy queso, and BBQ sauce. I also tried the mac and cheese, which shared the same spicy queso, and both were delicious!
Callie – Chopped Chicken
The chicken paired well with both the Sweet & Spicy and Original barbecue sauce. (I couldn’t choose just one!) My favorite part of my meal was the baked beans! They were nice and sweet, but the smokiness of the brisket pieces throughout perfectly balanced out the sweetness. I loved getting to hear from the owner about her journey to opening the restaurant, and all of the staff was very friendly!
Brice – Smoked Bologna Sandwich
This sandwich is a showstopper. When this sandwich was placed before me, everyone could see how thick a slice of bologna was, and nearly every mouth around the table dropped. It was almost a two-inch cut of bologna between two slices of white bread. A classic meal you might have had for lunch as a kid before you graduated to ham or turkey. Don’t get it twisted. I enjoyed the sandwich. I paired it with their original barbecue sauce, and it elevated the experience to a new level. I tried all the sides we ordered, and my favorites were the cinnamon apples, the baked beans, and the spoon bread.
Jonathan – Pulled Pork Sandwich
I had the pulled pork sandwich and their Raspberry BBQ sauce, and it was terrific!
You know sometimes, when you go to a smokehouse, and there’s not enough smoke? This was NOT the case. The food was smoky and flavorful. I loved the pulled pork, and the BBQ sauce was a great addition to the sandwich. I also tried their mac and cheese with pulled pork – literally the best I’ve had in our region – by far. If anyone has better smokehouse food in the region, I’d like to see it, as these guys set the bar. My favorite side was the cinnamon apples… perfectly cooked and really, really good!
This blog series was created to highlight the best restaurants in Northeast Indiana. If you missed out on voting the first time, make sure to follow our social media to vote for your favorite restaurant in one of our 11 counties.
Our previous stops in this series: Caruso’s in Steuben County, Albion Ale House in Noble County, Fulton & Main in Adams County, Botanas Locas in Kosciusko County, Shorty’s Steakhouse in DeKalb County, Destination 814 in LaGrange County, Harry’s in Wabash County, Mercado in Downtown Fort Wayne, The Patio in Roanoke, Sara’s Family Restaurant in Southwest Allen County, Mi Casa in Ossian, and Colombian Delights in South Fort Wayne.
Brice Vance is the copywriter and brand strategist for NEI, and he’ll be taking a break from bologna for a while.
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