“The Pepper Palace” is a backyard BBQ-ers DREAM COME TRUE as a supply source for ALL THINGS BBQ SPICE RELATED. The establishment started in 1989 in Wisconsin, then subsequently moved and TREMENDOUSLY expanded between 1997-1999 to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The Main Location in Gatlinburg is a 3,000 square foot “Flavor Packed Paradise,” which “represents the largest spice-themed specialty retail location on planet earth.” You may shop in person at any of their over 100 brick and mortar locations or shop online at: www.pepperpalace.com
The Pepper Palace is a unique find in that although they now have a world-wide presence and a plethora of physical locations, their multitude of products remain faithful to the company’s original mission statement: “To bring flavor and spice to food and to life –while passionately hand-crafting products in small batches, then sharing them with like-minded flavor fanatics.” The Pepper Palace uses fresh, all-natural ingredients in their line of Award-Winning Products. The list of scrumptious products include; Hot Sauces, BBQ Sauce, Fruit BBQ Sauce, Wings Sauces, Salsas, Glazes and Marinades, Condiments, and Horseradish. Their Seasonings and Rubs selections are IMMENSE AND INTENSE; including Salts, Dry Rubs, Pure Pepper Powders, Dried Pepper Flakes and an abundance of Seasonings Combinations. Including Pork Rubs with cutesy “tongue in cheek” names like; “Smoke Dat Butt, “Rub Dat Butt,” and “Honey Rub Dat Butt.” Their Pantry options consist of; Pickled Goods, Pepper Jellies, Drink Mixes, Dip Mixes, and Jerky.
It is truly a BBQ-ers sensory overload experience to enter The Pepper Palace specifically because: YOU ARE ALLOWED AND ENCOURAGED TO TASTE TEST ANY ITEM IN THE ENTIRE STORE! I found myself returning to the BBQ Sauces section repeatedly, trying to determine which flavor profile to choose to bring home with me. Other patrons spent over an hour sampling BBQ Rubs and Seasonings. All the while, each new customer was WELCOMED EXUBERENTLY into The Pepper Palace, and told repeatedly, “PLEASE, PLEASE- TRY ANYTHING THAT YOU MIGHT LIKE!” If there was not a sample of an item available (because it was too delicious, and shoppers had emptied out the full-size sample bottle!) all you had to do was ask for a brand new bottle to be procured. I had previously visited The Pepper Palace locale in St. Armands Circle, Sarasota, Florida. My customer service experience was top notch at that location. Incredibly, my customer service experience as a “Novice BBQ-er” at The Pepper Palace location in Kittery, Maine was EVEN MORE DIVINE: Molly.Connolly@pepperpalace.com was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and simply effervescent. A wealth of information, Molly explained to us what the Best Selling Flavor Profiles for BBQ-ers were, as well as what COMBINATIONS of Spices, Rubs, Sauces, and Pantry Items were favorited by customers. The Pepper Palace website also has tantalizing recipes: “Tried and True Recipes Featuring Our Favorite Pepper Palace Sauces and Seasonings;” Most Excellent Bloody Mary Chili, Chicken Wing Master Dip, Mardi Gras Turkey and BBQ Meatballs, just to name a few. There is also A Treasure Trove of expert tips for customers to reference, such as; “5 Ways BBQ Sauce Will Make You A Better Cook,” “Wing Sauce Like A Boss,” “The Dummies Guide To Cajun Seasoning,” “Even More Kickass Combos,” and “Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About The Scoville Scale,” and MORE!
Obviously, we each have our own preferred PALATE FOR BBQ… From Mild Hot Sauces/Seasonings and Rubs/BBQ Sauces and Salsas coming in at 100-2,500 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) using jalapeno, cayenne, and chipotle peppers to determine their signature flavors, to Medium Hot Sauces/Seasonings and Rubs/BBQ Sauces and Salsas rating 2,500-30,000 SHU with sensational flavor combinations such as fruity mango and lime, or boozy tequila, to HOT Hot Sauces/Seasonings and Rubs/BBQ Sauces and Salsas rating 30,000-100,000 SHU utilizing habanero and serrano peppers, to X-TRA HOT Hot Sauces coming in at 100,000-300,000 SHU harnessing HARDCORE MAXIMAL Heat made from Carolina Peppers, Ghost Peppers, 7-Pot Chocolate Douglah and Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Peppers: This selection of X-TRA HOT Hot Sauces are made from the hottest peppers in the world. With names like: “Voodoo Reaper,” “Scorpion Death Stalker,” and “Tr3s Diablos” The Pepper Palace guarantees you a “true mouth melting experience.” There are a few particular flavor profiles for the MOST EXTREME Heat Seeking BBQ-ers: “The End” Hot Sauce which measures about SIX MILLION SCOVILLE HEAT UNITS, “The End: FLATLINE” Seasoning, and “NASAL NAPALM; Horseradish Extreme.” You actually need to sign an official waiver in order to sample the “Nasal Napalm” in the store; The “Nasal Napalm; Horseradish Extreme,” is kept in a locked cooler…You most certainly CAN sample it…If you dare.
Whether you are a Novice Backyard BBQ-er or a more Proficient and Professional BBQ-er, I would bet Dollars-To-Donuts that you will unequivocally be able to find quintessential and unparalleled products that would absolutely STUPENDOUSLY DELIGHT you and all who you BBQ for!
