How this Columbus native works to continue legacy of the popular Mike & Ed’s BBQ

The “half-chicken man” has been on the keto diet for weight loss for the past few months.

As part of this diet, Tony James walks to the gym and stops by the second Mike & Ed’s BBQ location on Schomburg Road in Columbus for lunch. James often orders the ½ chicken or chef salad, leading to employees of the restaurant to bestow the affectionate nickname on James - the “half-chicken man”.

James has lost more than 60 pounds since incorporating Mike & Ed’s into his regular diet, he told the Ledger-Enquirer. And during this time he’s come to know the owner, Russell Brown, who also attended high school with James at Jordan High School.

“The main reason I continued to go there, before I knew Russell owned it, was because the food was actually good,” James said. “And I’m not just saying that.”

Building up a loyal customer base because of good food and customer service is important to the Mike & Ed’s location in Columbus and the original location in Phenix City, Brown said.

Now that they’ve won the Ledger-Enquirer’s poll asking readers to find the best barbecue in Columbus with 66% of the 2,586 votes cast in the poll, Brown believes their hard work is paying off.

“We want to know who (customers) are,” he said. “We want to talk to them, be friends with them, and we want to thank them for their support.”

History of Mike & Ed’s BBQ

The first Mike & Ed’s BBQ restaurant opened in 1985 in Phenix City by Mike Gullatt and Ed Cook. The two worked in the insurance industry before seizing the opportunity to open the restaurant on Crawford Road.

“They were very successful,” Brown said. “They’ve grown their business and they’ve got a good customer base.”

Brown grew up in Columbus, and loved Mike & Ed’s BBQ. The restaurant catered a party he attended once in 1987, Brown said, and he decided then that it was the best barbecue he’d ever had at his young age.

“I would visit Mike & Ed’s at least once a week,” he said. “And I still like barbecue three times a week, but I always went back to Mike & Ed’s.”

Brown worked in the automobile industry for 36 years and raised his family. When he retired, Brown felt he still had a lot of energy and wanted something to focus on.

The retirement didn’t stick.

With a lifelong passion for barbecue, Brown became a franchisee and opened the second Mike & Ed’s location in Columbus on Schomburg Road on Aug. 10 last year.

The staff at the Columbus location were trained at the Phenix City location, Brown said. It was important the second location be able to replicate what Columbus and Phenix City residents loved about the original Mike & Ed’s barbecue to honor the restaurant’s founders.

Gullatt passed away in 2012, Brown said, but Cook is still working with the restaurant despite being “semi-retired.” In the first couple of weeks of the second location opening, Cook came to the restaurant to help Brown.

Cook’s presence helped alleviate concerns about the new location’s ability to stay authentic to the original Mike & Ed’s restaurant. The co-founder had been concerned the meat wouldn’t taste the same, but after trying it he told Brown how perfect the Columbus location’s meat was compared to his own.

“It makes me proud,” Brown said. “We wanted it to be the same, and we are.”

A local, family affair

Brown opened the Columbus location for his own passion in retirement, he said, but also for his family. His son, John Brown, works as the manager of the second location and Brown’s wife works the books.

In the spirit of staying true to the locally owned, family business of the first location, Brown keeps his version of Mike & Ed’s a “family affair.” He also treats his employees like family, he said, because he wants to teach them the importance of the customer service part of the restaurant business.

“We visit restaurants all over,” Brown said. “And sometimes we leave disappointed in the experience and the food. We want our customers to enjoy the experience with our employees and food.”

Although Mike & Ed’s is now a franchise, he said, it’s important to them that they stay locally owned.

“We’re proud about the locally-owned part of it,” Brown said. “It is a franchise. But it’s still small. It’s just us two right now, and we communicate every day.”

There was a lot of tough competition from other area barbecue restaurants in the L-E poll, he said, but Brown was proud to know their loyal fanbase participated in the poll to give Mike & Ed’s the victory.

“It’s our goal here to prepare that plate as if we’re impressing our mother,” Brown said.