Fulton BBQ joint slathers on a first impression
By Christopher Malone
A handful of years ago, deducting from the information on its social media accounts because finding an article is a bit of a challenge, J & T’s Flippin’ Chicken in Fulton began its seasoning process — around the same time I began writing about restaurants for this publication.
If I’m wrong about the dates, I apologize to the J & T’s. I’m also surprised I have not come across this place sooner.
The naturally brightly lit — I went in the afternoon — wood-forward restaurant is spacious and clean. It boasts a blend of neighborhood bar and polished restaurant chain.
It’s not a diss, but the first impression told me the owners seemed to know what they wanted leading up to opening or renovating through the years.
As far as the neighborhood vibe, this is said in part because my server rhetorically asked me, “You haven’t been here before,” before going into details about the menu. She called it and I enjoy a good ribbing. Speaking of ribs and food…
The Kansas City pork shank wings (three for $15) seemed too good to pass up. Meaty bone-in pork shanks come dressed in the sauce of your choice. The yellow garlic parm sauce and the white shreds of parmesan cheese not only brighten the presentation but the visual intensity equals the flavor.
The pork boasted a lightly seasoned and slightly crispy exterior, which easily gave way to the fall-off-the-bone meat. There’s enough of the saucy puddle to slather the shanks and give that extra oomph of flavor and save some for later.
Hearing or reading something called the “Belly Buster” wrap ($12) is hard to ignore despite how easy it is to imagine. All wrapped up in a flour tortilla are macaroni and cheese and pulled pork. After the ingredients are tucked in, the tortilla is grilled — one of the few efficient ways to keep the majority of a wrap intact and its contents inside.
The cheesy macaroni with the shredded pork even without the tortilla is a winning duo for a cookout or just a meal in general. The mac wasn’t mushy and the shredded pork wasn’t dry or flavorless. The smokiness of the pork adds a pleasant, flavorful addition.
For people who don’t like their food to touch or feel the need to eat one item at a time, it may not be for them. However, it’s a perfect option to make an exception.
The Bourbon Street burger ($15) is a two-hands-needed stacked American staple. Along with the lettuce, tomato and onion, the beef is topped with thick strips of bacon, barbecue sauce and Swiss cheese.
The burger, thanks to quality meat and not just solely relying on the other ingredients, is tasty and does what it does best — fill and satisfy. It was cooked a proper medium rare as ordered.
The burger, along with the wrap and the soon-to-mention grilled cheese, come with fries. The fries are standard and satisfying. But are they crispy? Oh, yes, they are.
The grilled cheese (because there was clearly not enough cheese ordered during this visit) is build-your-own, if you so choose ($7 standard as is, $10 with brisket). I spoiled the surprise but, yes, brisket was added to this standard, ageless sandwich staple.
Pulling the triangle halves apart presents those lovely cheesy wires not wanting to let go.
Opting for dessert is very much a review-by-review basis. I’m a proponent of enjoying the savory food over the sweet. Yet, the dessert of the week had me at the words “churro,” “taco,” and “cheesecake.” Sign me up.
What came out: A churro-style taco shell cradling cheesecake and maraschino cherries ($5). The churro taco shell sides were flapped over, like wings, so tackling the dessert began with a couple angle adjustments. Similar to the thickness and chewiness of a churro, the shell’s sturdiness was promising.
The cheesecake and cherries, along with the cinnamon and sugar case, added up one flavorful bite after the next.
Before tip, the total bill came to just more than $64.
As previously mentioned, aside from social media accounts and travel/crowd source social pages, there aren’t too many articles written about J & T’s. I’m glad to contribute to the print and internet ether. It’s worth checking out — err, flocking to.
J & T’s Flippin Chicken
324 W. Broadway, Fulton, NY 13069
315-887-1278
facebook.com/jtsflippinchicken
instagram.com/jtflippinchicken
Sunday: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Wednesday – Saturday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
