“You Could Have Dredged in Sand and I Would Eat It”
That’s what Guy Fieri had to say about the Pickle Chips at Pickle Jar Kitchen in Falmouth, Massachusetts — and when Guy says something like that, you know the food has reached another level.
Nestled on the main drag of this Cape Cod town (population 200,000 in season, dropping to just 30,000 in the off-season), Pickle Jar Kitchen isn’t your typical coastal restaurant. As the owners put it: “We aren’t like your typical Cape Cod restaurant. We don’t serve fried clams.” What they do serve is creative comfort food that had Guy coming back twice in the same day — breakfast and lunch, since dinner isn’t on the menu.
The Story Behind the Pickle Jar
The restaurant is run by two couples: Kevin and Elizabeth Lay, and Ben and Casey Gowen. Three of the four met at Johnson & Wales culinary school, and after a couple of decades, these culinary school grads reunited to open Pickle Jar Kitchen together in 2013. There’s an energy when you walk in — the kind that comes from old friends running a kitchen together and treating every dish with respect.
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Those Legendary Pickle Chips
A place called the Pickle Jar ought to have fantastic pickle chips, and Guy confirmed they absolutely deliver. Thin, perfectly seasoned, with incredible crunch — Guy compared them to potato chips: “You do not eat just one.” His reaction was pure enthusiasm: “Oh my gosh dude… balance flavor, perfectly seasoned… and the crunch.” Then came the dip, and things got “ridiculous.” Guy declared them “outrageous” and “highly addictive.” Similar to how fans obsess over the ‘Porkcules’ Sandwich, these pickle chips are the kind of thing that brings people back again and again.
The Five Chili Barbecue Pork on a Cheddar Scallion Scone
The real showstopper was their open-face pulled pork sandwich. Guy called it “incredible” — pulled pork on a chai-flavored scone that he admitted he “actually thinks about a lot.”
The preparation is meticulous. The pork butt gets rubbed with an impressive blend: house smoked kosher salt, sherry peppercorn, summer savory, granulated garlic, smoked paprika, Spanish paprika, New Mexican chili powder, ground cumin, cayenne, chipotle powder, celery seed, juniper berry, brown sugar, and ground coriander seed. Guy’s response to that spice lineup? “Show everything that you own or have ever heard of.” The pork sits overnight with the rub, then braises at 350 degrees for about seven hours with fresh garlic and Spanish onion.
The cheddar scallion scones are made fresh — all-purpose flour, baking powder, kosher salt, shortening and butter mixed together, then cheddar cheese and scallion folded in with heavy cream and eggs. They bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
The assembly brings it all together: braising liquid with Spanish onion, jalapeño peppers, green peppers, and poblano peppers, piled with the fork-tender pork, drizzled with five chili barbecue sauce, topped with smoky cheddar sauce, and finished with house pickled red onion.
Guy summed it up perfectly: “That’s sophisticated right there.” The combination of the fresh baked scone, the pulled pork, the sofrito, and that cheese sauce put it “over the top.” For fans of bold, layered pork dishes like Spicy Pork Bulgogi, this Cape Cod creation delivers similar depth in an entirely different direction.
The Verdict
“If people are coming downtown, the Pickle Jar is a place to come,” Guy said. “It’s different, it’s refreshing, it’s creative, and you guys treat it with a lot of respect.”
Find Pickle Jar Kitchen and more Triple D spots in our restaurant directory.