'The way Grandma did it': New barbecue smokehouse opens on Memorial Boulevard in Lakeland
LAKELAND ― A team of North Carolina pitmasters is hoping their latest barbecue venture in Lakeland takes flight.
Low and Slow Smokehouse planned to have a grand opening Saturday at 1853 E. Memorial Blvd., where Mojo's Wings, Burgers & Beer was previously located. Its patio was bustling Friday afternoon as locals wandered in, hearing about the restaurant's soft opening.
The eatery was founded in Smithfield, North Carolina, by co-owners Daniel and Kim Bailey in 2021. It started as a commissary serving up Southern barbecue and home-cooked food to the students of Blue Line Aviation, a private flight school.
"We started by feeding the students, then blew up on us and became something we didn’t expect," Pitmaster Daniel Bailey said. "I guess it's because we do things right, we do things fresh."
Blue Line Aviation quickly outgrew its North Carolina location in less than two years and was looking for the right opportunity to expand, Blueline spokesperson Ashley Tucker said. As a Florida native, Turner said she was glad when the company found a partnership with Winter Haven Regional Airport to launch a second location.
To the Baileys, it seemed natural to follow Low and Slow's parent company to Florida. Daniel Bailey said he originally expected to open a location at the airport, but the flight school is operating out of a temporary location until it can break ground on a permanent building.
"As we were down here, we figured we'd open up a location," he said.
Lakeland may be the smokehouse's second location, but it's their first standalone restaurant.
What was once Mojo's bright, lime green exterior has been repainted an equally bold shade of orange. Low and Slow Smokehouse's logo features an outline of Florida. Orange and black come together inside the restaurant, reminiscent of Lakeland High School's colors.
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"You won’t get what we do anywhere else. We do it the old-fashioned, hard way, all fresh. We make a lot of our own stuff in house," Bailey said.
The Lakeland location's menu features the Texas Trinity, serving up 8 ounces of prime beef brisket, a half rack of ribs and 8 ounces of smoked sausage with two sides for $36. There's St. Louis style ribs, fried shrimp and fire grilled chops on the menu.
"It would be the way Grandma did it if she was doing it. Nothing comes out of a can or frozen," Bailey said.
Despite what one might assume about barbecue, Low and Slow Smokehouse plans to open at 6 a.m. daily serving up a variety of breakfast dishes. It's not just the barbecue but the biscuits, sausage and gravy that's made fresh in-house, Bailey said.
If all goes well, Low and Slow Smokehouse might be interested in expanding further
"When the time is right and they’ve built a permanent school, we'll see where we are at that point," he said.
Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on X @SaraWalshFl.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Low and Slow Smokehouse promises to do it 'the way Grandma did it'
