By Alaina Loughridge, with Commentary and Pictures by Crosby and Betsey
Cockspur Grill
A Seaside Eatery
Tybee has some awesome food to offer up and my intrepid crew and I
have had meals that are just flat out superb, but Cockspur Grill? I am
overwhelmed by how phenomenal their food is, from the presentation to
the taste to the staff to the owners. What??? John Branigin and Spec Hosti
did WHAT????? Hold on to your short pants, grab a cocktail and let’s get
this on!
First of all, the bartender, Sarah Conneff, is not only extremely personable,
but she knows her skills. I am amazed by this because she looks like she’s
15 years old. This girl knows the bar biz and can swing a liquor drink for
sure! So, Crosby, Betsey and I bellied up to the bar and Sarah started
out with our normal go-to while we waited for food to start crossing over
the line. Betsey ordered a Bloody Mary, which looked fantastic and had
a highlighter kick of blue cheese stuffed olives on top! I don’t even do
Bloodys, but yeah, I’m down. Appetizer drop …
Sesame Crusted Ahi hit the table and what in the name of all that is delish
was going on?? Served up on fried wontons with pickled carrots and a
soy caviar, there is a surprise smooch of Siracha, but it’s not going to kick
you in the ass. The wontons were fried crispy perfection and this is the
appetizer to get you ready for Round 2. This is (as Vincent put it) a “science
meets dinner” situation and I couldn’t agree more. We paired the Ahi with
the Marsh Grass Cocktail, made with Cockspur Rum, and is so light and
refreshing that you feel beachy. It’s also a fantastic shade of green, and
hey, who doesn’t like that?
That appetizer was followed by the Shrimp & Crab Puppies. Imagine if you
will, a hushpuppy that is so big you have to cut it in half to get at it. Made
from an ancient ancestry Hosti recipe, these pups are Spec-tacular! The
accompanying dipping sauce has an aioli siracha, remoudley feel that is
spot on and adds a fresh kick to a tartar tasting situation. The pups were
perfectly cake like and light and fluffy. We paired those with the Pulaski
Punch. I don’t even do gin, but this Punch has a smidge of this and that
10 TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | OCT 2020
with a flair of Grenadine and is an excellent complement to whatever you
want to pair it with.
Our appetizer situation was rounded out with the Pulled Pork Nachos and
I’m telling y’all right now, your football Sunday is never going to be the
same again! As Crosby said, ‘you better be good at Jenga’ so you can
get all the stuff that is piled on top of a pile of a pile of yum! It’s just huge
and the pulled pork is not shy. It’s everywhere. There is so much going on
between the pork, the queso, the tomato, guacamole, jalapenos, habanero
without seeds, a scooch of lime juice and having that pork Boston Butt
marinated to magnificent, you won’t know where to start. Once you do
start though, everyone will be fighting for that last chip! We paired the
nachos with the South Bound Mountain Jam, a golden lager considered
a local brew, and it is super crisp and refreshing. It’s also 6.5% so watch
yourself.
Entrée time and holy Hanging Steak! This 12-ounce grilled situation
surrounded a layer of roasted garlic mashed potatoes (skin on) and the
fresh asparagus is so pretty, we didn’t want to touch it, but that meat!
Amen! That steak had marinated for hours and one bite into it, we knew a
moment of silence was to follow … with a swig of one of their fine house
cabernets! That is going to be my go-to every day I go there. Forever.
Trying to slow down and not shove all the amazing, huge amounts of food
down our gullet, the Southern Fried Chicken Sammie was served up.
Seasoned with a raw, natural honey glaze with some honey bbq tossed
in, this chicken was moist (yes, I said it) and perfect juicy town with just
the perfect amount of pickle party to get you going. I’m not gonna lie,
it’s hot (my intrepid team said I was a sissy girl, but it was hot), and my
tongue was reeling, but all in a great way of simmer down and eat slower!
They paired that with another Spec-tacular ancestry recipe of Shrimp and
Potato Salad. I could eat that all day long. Light and mild mayo based with
red potato cube cut, it is a perfect side addition to any meal you order.
Sarah prepped a Moscow Mule with a Meyer’s floater to wash it all down
with. We were happy as pigs in … well, you know.
We had to take a break to just regroup as humans! It was too overwhelming
… ok … smoke break… we’re back...
Dessert! The Skillet Cookie! I don’t care if you are a diabetic, on a fasting
spree, watching your weight … whatever! This dessert is the best thing
you will ever have in your life!! It takes 15 minutes to put it together, so
when you order your entrée, order the Skillet Cookie at that time so you’re
not taking up table space for the people in line to get in there. Baked to
madness and a scoop of Vanilla Bean ice cream thrown on the side, just
another moment of silence. Be absolutely sure to ask Sarah to make you
the Sarah’s After Supper Sipper Martini to go with it. Made with Kahlua,
vodka, Baileys and some other drizzle happiness, your life is now complete.
It seriously makes you want to hold yourself in all the right places.
We staggered out of the Cockspur Grill with a smile on our face and a story
to tell. The food is really great. Jason Herndon, the head chef, is spot on.
The presentation matches the taste and that’s a rarity. Sarah Conneff, our
bartender, knows her job better than I know mine, and I got 35 years on
that girl!!! Then you have Spec Hosti and John Branigin! Do they know
what they are doing? Well, we all questioned that when they started this
shindig, but my taste buds don’t lie. I think Spec and John have got a great
thing going!!!
You can find the Cockspur Grill at 725 1st Street, otherwise known as
Campbell and Butler or at the first light to the lighthouse or also known as
next to the first Chu’s. The current hours are Tuesday through Friday from
4pm to 11pm and Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 11pm. Be a better
person and get there right now.