Sassafras is a type of tree in North America and Asia, the primary ingredient in traditional root beer, and a restaurant serving great southern cuisine in Sassafras West Palm Beach. Southern food’s never really been on my radar, other than fried chicken, and although I could find at least one dish in every country that I like, I tend to lean towards Asian, Latin and standard American fare like steaks and burgers instead. But alas, I do live in the South now, and why not try southern cuisine?
I’ll admit, the big, neon “EAT” sign got me curious, so I checked out the menu and went there. Sassafras, a restaurant serving modern Southern cuisine, is part of the SubCulture Group, which also has Kapow! Noodle Bar and Subculture Coffee under its umbrella. Try the chai latte at Subculture. It’s amazing!
A Beautiful, Welcoming Blue and White Interior
The interior looks like a tourism ad for Charleston, South Carolina. There was a lot of blue and white and pastel colors throughout, which combined with chillout music helped to create one of the most relaxing and inviting restaurant ambiances I’ve ever been in. I sat on a bench-like seat, which if not for the removable cushion, wouldn’t have been relaxing. Each table had some flowers and an electric candle, and there was a lot of electric blue at the bar. I can only imagine how much more beautiful it would’ve been if I had gone on a sunny afternoon.
Hush Puppies
This was my first time trying hush puppies NOT on my feet. (If you get this reference, let me know.) These were one-size-fits-all and reminded me of falafel, but American, and made of cornmeal and corn niblets instead of chickpeas. The hush puppies had thin, slightly-crunchy delectable pickled red onions, and some type of green sauce drizzled over it. Praise the lord! They were so good!
Fried Green Tomatoes
The fried green tomatoes were off the hook! I expected them to be round like the fruit (or is it a vegetable?), but they were puffy and squarish instead. I thought this was odd, but then again, “It’s hip to be square” according to Huey Lewis and The News. They were put on a bed of fresh ricotta cheese, and topped with fried basil. They tasted great, especially when dipped into the Calabrian chili honey.
I ordered Sassafras’s Wednesday fried chicken special, which included a cheddar buttermilk biscuit and two sides. I took advantage of this offer and chose dirty rice and grits as my sides. The biscuit was excellent and thick and great to have after the slightly-spicy fried chicken. My side of dirty rice had minced chicken and beef mixed in throughout and was slightly spicy and tingly. The grits were a little cheesy, with tiny pieces of corn throughout. Think of it as cheesy slightly chunky creamed corn. The fried chicken breast and thighs were brined in sweet tea and were decent, but nothing to write home about. I prefer crispy fried chicken. The real stars were the sides.
A Not-So-Convincing Dessert
For dessert, I had their peanut butter chess smore pie. While the smores part was decent, the rest of the pie left much to be desired. It was a little hard, low on taste, and even though I’m a HUGE peanut butter fan, it wasn’t enough to save the rest of the pie.
The Wind-Down
Would I return? Yes. Would I have the fried green tomatoes, hush puppies, grits, dirty rice and biscuits again? Yes. Would I try other selections and skip dessert? Yes. All in all, I recommend Sassafras for solid, modern southern food in a beautiful, relaxing southern setting.
Where to find Sassafras West Palm Beach
Sassafras
105 South Narcissus Avenue
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
(561) 323-7007
sassafraswpb.com
www.sub-culture.org/locations/