Brunswick brisket-and-barbecue restaurant sets opening for first Wilmington location
For the past several months, Troy Knight has been looking to add a third location for this brisket-and-barbecue restaurant. The first was Southport Smokehouse, and then he added a Leland location in 2020.
He said he was looking in the Shallotte and Bolivia areas for another. Instead, he and his wife are opening their first in New Hanover County. Smokehouse moved into the space of the recently closed Dickey’s Barbecue Pit at 5120 S. College Road in the shopping center near the Monkey Junction Walmart on Oct. 3.
It was meant to be, Knight said.
“They used the same kind of smoker we do, just smaller,” he said. “And the restaurant already looks like one of ours."
The Monkey Junction eatery will seat about 50 people and have a focus on take-out.
“That’s a good part of our business in Southport,” he said. "We love that interaction with people. We love for them to come up to the counter and see what we’re doing.”
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It will be a similar menu to the other locations, with the possibility of one or two fewer sides and desserts.
“It’ll be 95% the same menu,” he said.
For those who haven’t tried Smokehouse yet, Knight said their brisket is a specialty.
“I’m from Texas, so that’s what I know. Think high-end central Texas brisket, like Franklin or Truth or Goldee’s,” he said. “We use a dry rub, so nothing comes with sauce. But we do have seven sauces you can add.”
They also offer pulled pork, smoked sausages and chicken, ribs, wings, and house-made sides like the potato salad, coleslaw and baked beans. Many of the recipes come from his wife’s grandmother.
In addition to being a restaurateur, Knight is a full-time pastor, so he relies on his talented managers and staff before he commits to opening a new location. But he does have his eye on future expansion.
“It’s hard to say when. We’re not a corporation,” he said. “Let’s get this one up and running first.”
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Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at aballard@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Smokehouse brisket and barbecue restaurant opens soon in Wilmington
