Historic Triangle residents can now get their fix for barbecue at a new restaurant at the old site of Yorkshire Steak and Seafood.
Old City BBQ will open to the public Friday morning at 11, and the trio of owners are planning an official grand opening this weekend.
Barbecue joint owners Vernon Geddy IV and brothers Mason and Gardiner Brooks say they are all about eating the whole hog — and having friends to share it with.
“It’s three local guys…We grew up here, so we’re very connected to the community,” Geddy said. “What we’re doing here feels very important.”
Mason Brooks has worked as a chef in Denver for seven years. During that time, the chef worked for three of the five top-voted restaurants in the city, Geddy said. Gardiner Brooks has worked in Washington, D.C. restaurants for a decade, including a stint in a fine dining establishment in Dupont Circle.
Geddy says the business will stand out with its high-quality ingredients and dishes featuring unique parts of the pig. Old City’s menu will include crispy fried pig’s ears, pork bellies and pork rinds.
The pork comes from Heritage Farms in Goldsboro, North Carolina. The menu also offers pasture-raised chicken, Angus brisket, along with Heritage Farms ribs and pork belly, and sandwiches and tacos including barbecue meat. Menu items will be made from scratch, and the menu itself will change seasonally, Geddy said.
“There will be no propane, natural gas or electric heated smokers, only smokers fueled by hardwood coals produced in an outdoor hearth,” Geddy said when announcing the venture in April. “If barbecue is not cooked over hardwood then it is not barbecue, period.”
The menu will also feature traditional barbecue staples, such as mac and cheese, coleslaw and pit beans, as well as inventive options like pickled seasonal vegetables and tacos with barbecue meat.
“No item will be on the menu just to have it on the menu,” said Mason Brooks. “Some items will vary depending on the season and we intend to test and perfect every dish that makes the cut.”
The restaurant will also be stocked with full bar and a supply of local beers and wine, Geddy said.
Since announcing the restaurant in April, Geddy and the team have spent the intervening months renovating the property at 700 York Street. He had friends paint unique designs on the walls and tabletops. He describes the indoor as appearance “farming-industrial.”
“I think a lot of people are going to be very surprised when they walk through the door,” Geddy said. “We’re very excited to be opening and be a part of the community. The products that we’re using, the flavors we cook and the quality of everything we’re doing here is something this town needs, and we hope we’ll provide it.”
WYDaily archives were used in this article.
