Great American Pub Awaits Train-Shaped Smoker

At the Great American Pub, menu items will never cross the $20 price line.

Owned by Chuck Hemcher, the Paoli restaurant marks the third location in the family-run corporation, which also has spots in Wayne since 2001 and Conshohocken since 1993. The Great American Pub in Paoli opened on King Road in March 2011, serving up American cuisine and a full bar to families and those who come for the beverages.

A lifelong Main Line resident, Hemcher has owned between 10 and 12 restaurants throughout the years, with his line of pubs taking precedence now. There is a family member on duty at each pub spot, carrying on the legacy of 79-year-old “Big Chuck.”

“Anything You Can Smoke”

John Sakos, the head chef at Great American Pub, anticipates the arrival of a brand-new smoker in mid-August. The smoker will be shaped like a train and parked out front, where Sakos plans to whip up an entirely new menu in snow or shine.

Complete with a whistle, attached wheels and trailer that Sakos can hook to the back of his Jeep, the smoker can run on charcoal, propane or wood. Its portability makes it available for catering events. With multiple shelves along with a lower smoker and upper smoker, the newfangled appliance will smoke beef, chicken, beef brisket, ribs, wings or pork shoulder along with veggies, cheese, baked potatoes or pizza.

“Even a vegetarian can be happy with this thing,” Sakos said, noting that meat can be separated from vegetables or dairy products.

The smoker will cook “slow to low” up to 14 hours depending on the desired dish and temperature, and does not require consistent attention like an outdoor grill. The new cooking method will create “hickory-smoked bar-b-que”, drizzled in a sweet house sauce or golden mustard-based sauce.

“Depending on the area that you’re from, there’s a different style of barbecue for each city. In the south, it’s vinegar. In the midwest, it’s sweet,” Sakos said. “We’re trying to bring the best of the cities and blend them together.”

Revival of Horse Country

The Great American Pub evokes an old-fashioned, midwestern feel with its primarily oak interior accented with stone, brick and decorative green shutters.

“Big Chuck used to own a horse,” said Joe Carr, general manager and Hemcher’s son-in-law. Carr noted that the restaurant is planted at the tip of Willistown Township, where farmland is not uncommon.

Last month, Hemcher added a Country Loft Room which extends out the back of the restaurant. With windows and skylights on all sides, the loft provides open-air dining during the warmer months for patrons along with corporate events, baptisms, christenings and birthday parties. It can accommodate banquets up to 60 people.