Sponsored by Salty Joe's
It can be a challenging feat to accomplish in less than five years, but Salty Joe’s BBQ has already established itself as a contender in the world of Southern barbecue. “People are very particular about barbecue,” observed Salty Joe’s General Manavger, Nicole Anthony.
“Everybody likes their family recipe. But, I have to say, people love our barbecue.”
The homestyle food is elevated by Chef Francisco Esqueda’s skill set in the kitchen as well as his well-developed sense of intuition after spending years within the industry. Special rubs, secret sauce recipes, and housemade almost-everything set Salty Joe’s apart as the destination for “foodie families,” who hold a distinct passion for the creativity and taste of cuisine. Nicole, who has fallen in love with the restaurant’s interpretation of barbecue, added, “We slow smoke our meat all night long. It’s how you can measure the amount of love that goes into our food.”
Add the eye-catching, historically repurposed interior, and Salty Joe’s BBQ can’t help but tug at guests’ nostalgia and curiosity, too. The hostess stand is constructed from a 1950s-era Coca-Cola machine. Accompanying benches in the waiting area are made from the tailgates of old Ford trucks, and vintage cigarette machines are built right into the wall. A trolley bordering the large patio is the picture-perfect spot for rambunctious kids to wear themselves out before their food arrives. Speaking of the large patio, the newly added patio overhang will keep you dry as the summer rain blows over or protect you from the wind gusts when a cold snap finally hits.
Most notably of all, the front bar room extends out to the patio via a big, cut-out yellow school bus attached between the restaurant’s two buildings. Grab a seat and wait for your drink to be served right out of the bus window! These highly original touches bring in diners from all over the region. “We’re a destination restaurant,” said Nicole. “A lot of our customers travel a good distance to come in and enjoy the retro atmosphere.”
And the quality of the food doesn’t hurt, either. Appetizers include queso that can be bulked up with your choice of brisket or pulled pork, onion rings drizzled with truffle oil, and pork belly and sausage bites. While family members often choose their own entrées after the starters, the restaurant has one entrée option, the “Big Salty Platter,” that will feed the whole family! Rather than wrangle “the pulled pork and these two sides, the St. Louis style ribs and those two sides, the brisket with two orders of mac and cheese, and just a baked potato for me,” you can point to a single menu item and say, “That’ll do.”
Not in the mood for barbecue? The menu also includes pastas (alfredo or marinara), fried seafood platters, hearty rib-eyes, blackened redfish, grilled or smoked chicken breasts, and hamburgers. The Farm Sides are another treat! Take your pick of mac and cheese, steamed veggies, baked beans, garlic mashed potatoes, baked potato, corn pudding, or a number of other companions to perfectly suit your barbecue platter. The beloved corn pudding resurfaces again in Salty Joe’s version of hushpuppies, which are simply called, “Cornbread Puppies.”
At lunch, try the bone-in pork chop, the brisket and eggs, the smoker combo, or any number of bowls. You can even build your own with a mac-and-cheese base, choice of protein, and final toppings like bacon, avocado, or fried egg. And if, somehow, after feasting your way through lunch or dinner, you still have room for dessert, the chef has you covered with bread pudding, brownie a la mode, key lime pie, Abita root beer floats, and turtle cheesecake.
The restaurant is roomy, indoors and outdoors, with lots for guests to see and explore. “Everybody that walks in feels very comfortable, and they’re greeted in a cheerful way. Adults and children alike are free to roam about and take selfies.” Live music can also be enjoyed from the indoor stage, or on the patio if weather permits, weekly—Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, to be exact.
But every night of the week, the game room is a crowd-pleaser, particularly the foosball table. “We get lots of baseball teams because there’s a sports park close by,” said Nicole. On tournament days, Salty Joe’s is a prime destination for families, who want to take a break from the sunshine and enjoy some delicious barbecue, root beer floats, and local craft beer from great selections, such as the Hammond-based Gnarly Barley.
Your backyard barbecue might have the finest brisket in town, along with mom’s homemade potato salad, but if you’re looking for the next best thing—or if you don’t happen to have a schoolbus-turned-bar on your patio—pile the whole crew in the car and head to Salty Joe’s!
Salty Joe’s BBQ Shop
43344 South Range Road
Hammond, LA 70403
Instagram:@saltyjoesbbq
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