What’s for lunch? Pudder’s in Shelbyville, IN

Pulled pork nachos with homemade potato chips feed hunger for nostalgia

Pulled pork nachos, half order, Pudder’s in Shelbyville, Indiana. (PC: Linda Bates Margison, January 2023)

An out-of-town work meeting carried into the lunch hour this week, so our team decided to treat the hosts to lunch at a downtown Shelbyville, Indiana, treasure called Pudder’s.

Locally owned Pudder’s—pronounced poo-durs by our host—has been housed in the converted J.G. DePrez Co. hardware store building on the Public Square since 2019, according to Roadtirement, the only source I could find with more than basic information on the eatery.

Pulling into the square, we found ample street parking for our group of six (five vehicles) and walked briefly in the redeveloped downtown that includes green spaces, updated traffic patterns, and room for outdoor dining, while maintaining the vibrant ambiance of a thriving, yet cozy, small town.

Entering Pudder’s had the expected feel of a diner in old buildings—tall ceilings, exposed brick walls, hanging ceiling fans, and wood flooring—but I was pleased with wide spaces between high-top tables and the ability to talk without yelling.

With good intentions of eating well, I perused the menu and found a nice gluten-free salad that would be filling, yet not destroy the calorie calculator—until the frequent visitor across the table told me her favorite dish was the half-order of pulled pork nachos. That comment normally would cause me to pause, consider, and then continue on with my salad, but then she added, “Except it isn’t made with tortilla chips, it’s homemade potato chips.”

I love homemade potato chips.

Growing up poor in a holler in southeastern Kentucky, common snacks readily available to other kids weren’t for us. So my mom—who had a lifelong passion for potato chips—made her own, and they were so much more delicious than Lay’s or Mikesell’s could ever put in a bag.

Under no circumstances would I be ordering the wedge salad—despite how delicious it sounded—as long as homemade potato chips were on the menu.

(While the dish seemed pretty gluten free, I was consumed with anticipation and did not check with the kitchen, but also didn’t get sick later. If you have a gluten allergy or celiac disease, confirm gluten content with the chef before you order.)

The fresh homemade chips were smothered in queso and barbecue sauce and topped with jalapeños, tomatoes, and coleslaw—all for $8 (full order $12)–and filled my stomach after about half the serving (although I quite possibly may have stuffed another quarter down my gullet before I stopped.)

I’m not a food critic—or a cook, really—so I can’t give y’all a thorough culinary review, except to say the combination was delicious and just what my nostalgic tastebuds were craving. Although the chips were slightly overdone, that’s exactly how I like them.

Others at the table ordered potato soup, specialty burgers, and more, raved about their servings, and left the table seemingly stuffed and satisfied.

Pudder’s is definitely on my stop list the next time I’m in town.

Pudder’s—18 Public Square, Shelbyville, Indiana–is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, 11 a.m to 10 p.m. Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, for dine-in and takeout, but confirm days and times before traveling. Phone: (317) 825-5220.