I subscribe to Southern Living’s e-newsletters because of the recipes, and recently, I’ve noticed that many weeks, there’s some iteration with the word “Million” in it. There’s Millionaire’s shortbread, Millionaire’s candy, Millionaire’s pie, Million Dollar Chicken Casserole or Million Dollar Spaghetti.
So, I perked up when I noticed that Brink’s Tavern — in Beacon Bluff just over the bridge into North Augusta — has Million Dollar bacon on its menu.
Brink’s is the sister restaurant to Brinkley’s Chophouse, known for its huge “charcuterie” boards with steaks, lobsters and more, meant for sharing. Brink’s is a little more casual: Think of it as a sports bar — there are lots of TVs, including its signature LED wall — but with cognac leather seating, gorgeously framed sports memorabilia, a fancy horseshoe shaped bar, and a patio area for entertainment and games. In other words, it’s still an experience.
Read more: Dine and Dish: Smoke & Barrels
Instead of the boards, Brink’s offers special seafood towers, served warm or cold, with everything from Maine lobster tail and Jonah crab claws to oysters and sashimi tuna. Other special items include its premium oysters, served with three sauces; its duck confit and andouille gumbo with Carolina gold rice and crawfish; the grilled swordfish with tasso ham and white bean succotash; or a grilled pork ribeye with goat cheese and pecan praline sweet potato mash. There’s also a steak, with blue cheese butter and Voodoo fries, and salmon filet, too, served with dirty rice and collard green salad (a fun combo).
But it also serves up fried chicken, burgers, a fish fry and other seafood, sandwiches and wings. And for lighter appetites, there are salads and a huge array of small plates, from stuffed oysters and pork rinds with queso fundido to mozzarella sticks and a Bavarian pretzel with bratwurst and beer cheese.
READ MORE: Dine and Dish: Tifudi
Which brings me to the Million Dollar bacon. As a small plate, it was a perfect afternoon snack for me — and really shows off how inventive the Brink’s menu is. It was presented with a flourish, five beautifully bronzed strips of candied bacon, hung vertically from a wood and metal rack in all their shiny, sticky glory. And below them, in the custom-designed board, were slots for six deviled eggs.
I sampled an egg first. It was perfectly cooked, with tender white and a fluffy, creamy yolk. The filling was generous and richly flavored with pimento cheese and a scattering of scallions.
Then it was time for the bacon. The title of Million Dollar is well deserved. It’s thick-cut bacon and a little chewy, but all the better to enjoy the rich saltiness, layered with the sweet caramelization.
READ MORE: Dine and Dish: DiChicko’s Peri-Peri Café
I could imagine ordering a cocktail — perhaps something with a little tang, like the “To Pimp a Butterfly” — Tito’s vodka, Planteray rum, lemon, apple-cinnamon shrub and vanilla ube foam — to go with the dish. (The cocktail menu is one of the best I’ve ever seen, with unique drinks and terrifically imaginative names!) Or I could enjoy my little snack and get back to the office—and return later for a date night, dinner with the family, or a get together with the girls. Either way, Brink’s is a great choice. And no matter what you order, you’re sure to leave feeling like a millionaire.
Make your reservation
Brink’s Tavern
200 Georgia Avenue, Suite 101, North Augusta
Entrée cost: $12 to $40. Seafood towers start at $50.
