How Athens' Pulaski Heights BBQ's famed ramen night came to be

Joshua L. Jones Ryne Dennis
Athens Banner-Herald

Chuck Ramsey has added his spin on ramen noodles for several years, incorporating collards, bacon and your choice of pork, chicken, rib, brisket or tofu into the juicy soy broth.

Seems a bit odd for a BBQ joint to have such a unique item on its menu, doesn't it?

Ramsey came up with the meal during an Athens summer movie showing of the Japanese comedy Tampopo, jokingly called a "Ramen Western" because of its satirical premise and plot featuring a ramen noodle shop.

Ramsey whipped up ramen for the crowd at the Athens viewing of the movie, and reviews were so good that he added it to the menu. The rest, as they say, is history.

Pulaski Heights BBQ ramen special.

Located in the Leathers Building on Pulaski Heights Street, Pulaski Heights BBQ has been doling out BBQ for eight years now after Ramsey spent years perfecting it for friends and family.

What started out as smoking meat over a Weber kettle grill turned into larger cooks over wood pits and eventually into what he's built today at the Pulaski Street location.

Serving the BBQ ramen only on Wednesdays, Pulaski Heights asks customers to call in and place their orders early, as it'll serve all of its food until it runs out. With the ramen, that sometimes can be early in the night.

At Pulaski Heights' Instagram account (@phbbq), the restaurant commonly posts pics of the ramen, leading one customer to say "My weakness in a picture," and another to ask a friend along for a "ramen date night."

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