Why Our À La Carte BBQ Menu Is Now Preorder Only in Tampa

What “À La Carte” Actually Means

“À la carte” simply means you build your own order. Instead of a fixed combo, you choose the meats and sides you want, in the quantities we have available through the ordering system. Want a pound of brisket, a couple links of sausage, and a big scoop of Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese? Build it your way.

The only difference now is when you tell us. À la carte is preorder only, so we know what to cook before the fire ever gets going.

Why We Moved À La Carte to Preorder Only

A lot of good things happened at once. Word got around, social media took off, and demand climbed faster than we ever expected. At the same time, food costs kept rising. When you put those together, forecasting how much brisket, pork, ribs, sausage, and chicken to smoke each day gets genuinely hard.

Barbecue is not a press-a-button business. Brisket alone can take the better part of a day and night on the smoker. If we guess low, folks drive out and leave disappointed. If we guess high, good food and hard-earned money go in the trash. Neither one sits right with us.

Preordering means less waste — and better barbecue

When you preorder, we buy and prep to real orders instead of a guess. That means less waste, smarter purchasing, and meat that comes off the smoker to be served — not to sit and wait. Fresher food, steadier quality, and a business that can actually keep its doors open for the long haul. Everybody wins.

Why the Deadline Is 3:00 PM the Day Before

Preorders close at 3:00 PM the day before pickup. That cutoff is not us being difficult — it is what the smoke schedule requires. Once we know the day’s orders, we can shop, trim, season, and get the big cuts on the pit in time to cook them right and let them rest.

As Anthony puts it: “Three o’clock still cuts it close, but we are willing to smoke through the night for y’all.” That is honestly how it goes some nights — and we would not have it any other way.

What You Can Preorder — and When We’re Open

Our restaurant days are simple:

• Thursday, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM: Cubans and Brisket Cuban. Our staple sides those days are Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese and Cowboy Baked Beans.
• Friday & Saturday, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM: BBQ.

You can preorder à la carte BBQ for Friday and Saturday, and reach out anytime with questions. Prefer Thursday? You can plan ahead for Cubans and Brisket Cuban too. And catering is available 24/7 — if you are feeding a crowd, tell us about your event and we will take care of the rest.

We’re Growing — and Still Learning

We are building a bigger team and sharpening our ordering systems so this is easy for you and sustainable for us. The preorder section is still being refined, so if something feels a little rough around the edges, we ask for your patience while we improve it. We are firefighters at heart — we will keep working the problem until it runs clean.

One promise stays fixed through all of it: we will not trade quality for speed or volume. If we cannot do it right, we would rather not do it at all.

How This Helps You

Preordering is not a hoop to jump through — it is how we make sure the food is there, and that it is good. You get better availability, more consistent barbecue, and an order prepped with your name on it. No more crossing your fingers that we did not sell out before you arrived.

What to Expect When You Preorder

If you have never done it, here is how simple it is:

• Pick your pickup day. Friday or Saturday for BBQ — just place your order by 3:00 PM the day before.
• Build your order. Choose the meats and sides you want, in the quantities we have available.
• Show up and grab it. Your food is cooked for that order and ready when you are, no guessing and no long wait.

That is the whole trick. A couple of taps the day before turns into a smooth pickup and barbecue that tastes exactly the way it should — because it came off the pit to be served, not to sit around hoping someone orders it.