Tim Myers has a passion for peppers.
The Carlisle businessman went from dabbler to enthusiast in one growing season.
“Prior to this, I had been making hot sauce, but I was interested in the growing side,” Myers said.
He started out with five plants the first year, 250 the next and, finally, 1,000. He uses a friend’s farm to foster his pepper plant proclivity.
“We met at a farmers market,” he said with a grin.
Myers recently purchased the former Smoke and Pickles establishment located in downtown Mechanicsburg, where he not only sells his hot sauce, but also serves lunch and dinner at the gastropub he calls the Revolutionary Hot Sauce Eatery.
A Following
Myers started making hot sauce in 2018 in a certified kitchen in his home.
“My idea was to put my house to work for me,” he said.
Initially, he planned to sell his sauce online and at beer fests and other events, that is, until the pandemic hit.
“The big events got canceled, so the only place I could sell my hot sauce was at the farmers markets outside,” he said.
But, he added, there was a silver lining.
“It enabled me to build up a following locally,” he said.
Myers currently grows 10 types of pepper plants for 16 different kinds of sauces, using fresh ingredients to make about 5,000 bottles of Revolutionary Hot Sauce a year.
“Some peppers like the Carolina Reapers, scorpions and ghost peppers are hard to find, so I source them locally,” Myers said.
When pushed for personal favorites, he nailed it down to the shishito and the Fresno.
“They’re milder,” he said, adding that when he processes the hotter pepper varieties, he has to use two or three pairs of gloves. “This is why I looked for a place with a good venting system.”
Another notable pepper is the lemon drop, which he grows.
“It’s bright yellow, the size of a pinkie, with a citrusy flavor and is one of my favorites,” he said. “I make my ‘Lemon Drop Pop’ with it, and people put it on chicken, salads, wings and seafood.”
Seasoned Right
The Revolutionary Hot Sauce Eatery is open for lunch and dinner, Wednesday through Saturday, and seats 45 inside at tables, along with a long bar that spans half of the establishment. Customers also can dine al fresco at any of eight tables equipped with umbrellas.
Menu items include the popular “smash burger,” a 75/25 short rib/brisket/chuck patty topped with cheese and sweet onion and served on a toasted roll. Additional sandwiches include the Nashville hot chicken, which Myers said is also popular, along with a grilled cheese containing cheddar and havarti and tomato served on challah bread.
Lighter fare includes salads like the Lemon Drop Pop, comprised of grilled chicken, shrimp or tri-tip, served on a bed of arugula, with cara cara oranges, red onion, pickled pineapple, shaved fennel, wonton strips, sesame seeds and a Lemon Drop Pop vinaigrette. Also on the menu are the classic Caesar and a wedge salad containing iceberg lettuce, tomato, blue cheese, hot candied bacon crumbles and fresh chives.
Additional items include chicken and waffles, flatbreads and wings, which all match well with the tasty hot sauce.
Myers said that he is gaining customers through word-of-mouth recommendations, like Ken Berrier, a Carlisle customer who visits for the smash burger.
“It’s delicious, and the fries are fresh cut and seasoned just right,” he said.
Then there’s Craig Willacy, who is partial to the smoked tri-tip sandwich.
“It’s phenomenal,” said Willacy, who motors in from Shermansdale. “The Nashville hot chicken is great too, from the crunch, to the spice, the bread and the hot pickles. I also like the Hickory Habanero sauce, which goes on everything.”
Myers also reaches out to influencers to get the word out about his hot sauce that he sells online.
“I sent my hot sauce to influencers in all 50 states,” he said, mentioning one particularly notable character by the name of Johnny Scoville who touts 130,000 YouTube followers as a self-described “chili head.”
Currently, customers are invited to BYOB, but soon Myers will be brewing and serving beer on site.
“I anticipate launching that in about five or six months,” he said. “Right now, I’m just enjoying getting to know the regulars and their reactions to my various creations and am looking forward to what the future brings.”
Revolutionary Hot Sauce Eatery & Brewpub is located at 30 S. Market St., Mechanicsburg. For more information, visit www.revolutionaryhotsauce.com.
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