BBQ Joint caters to Orioles

Transcription

1 BBQ Joint caters to Orioles Spotlight stardem.com Home / News / Local FEATURED BBQ Joint caters to Orioles By DENAE SPIERING dspiering@chespub.com Aug 4, 2017 Chef Andrew Evans describes the perfect texture and moisture content in his beef brisket. PHOTO BY DENAE SPIERING EASTON What do you get when you combine a classically trained chef with a love of barbecue and a beloved Maryland baseball team? A hall of fame partnership. Local chef and restaurant owner Andrew Evans opened his first restaurant business in 2010 and has hit a home run with his one-of-a-kind barbecue flavor. It started with a small restaurant in Easton and has led him to catering for the Baltimore Orioles. Who would think of barbecue in downtown Easton? Evans said. We are not in barbecue country. 1 of 5 3/9/18, 8:16 AM

2 We had to create this from scratch. Evans is the chef, owner and creator of The BBQ Joint on Dover Street, but he is not your typical barbecue guy. He is a classically trained chef and has cooked all around the United States and the world, including Australia. This background has led him to be a bit of a barbecue hybrid. I come from a fine dining world, Evan said. If you take a fine dining chef and apply his eyeballs to barbecue, this is what you get. Barbecue was not always his forte. Originally Evans opened a Thai restaurant in the building, but it did not fare too well in Easton. In 2010, he decided to try barbecue. Much too his surprise, barbecue has proven to be his sweet spot. From the bamboo tables to the gold walls, there are still remnants of the Thai restaurant inside The BBQ Joint, but Evans said it seems to work. It just kind of morphed, Evans said. And it is working well, I think. Catering is a big part of his business these days, representing at least 50 percent of all business. Evans and his staff cater regularly to local and Washington, D.C., events and businesses, pharmaceutical companies, weddings, large construction sites, completion parties and beam signings. Over the years, Evans has opened and closed several restaurants on the western shore while maintaining The BBQ Joint in Easton. He said being able to focus solely on this one restaurant in Easton has been a secret to his recent success. Evans has competed in and won several barbecue competitions, and his trophies are displayed on a large shelf over the counter inside his Easton restaurant. The latest barbecue honor for Evans is not an actual award but is a proud Marylander s dream catering to the Baltimore Orioles. 2 of 5 3/9/18, 8:16 AM

3 On Wednesday, Aug. 2, while the Baltimore Orioles hosted the Kansas City Royals at Camden Yards, Evans and his crew delivered their fourth barbecue feast to the stadium for the players to enjoy after the game. The Orioles reached out to him in November 2016, and by June, he started catering for the Orioles. Evans said the players enjoyed his barbecue so much they asked him to come back and be part of their home game regular menu. Every time they have what they call a homestay, we get to cater one of those nights, Evans said. He said he doesn t have a catering contract with the Orioles but believes it is his product that continues to get him invited back. Basically, I had to earn my good graces and prove myself to be reliable and consistent, Evans said. We have to prove that the food is good and we deliver what we say, and we get invited back. He arrives at the stadium at the top of the fourth inning and waits until the ninth inning to begin setting up his array of delectable barbecue choices, including turkey, ribs, brisket, baked beans, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, and Eastern Shore sweet corn. I like to take different things over, that I don t necessarily have here in the restaurant, Evans said. Last time, I took succotash over, and they loved it. He said one of things that sets him apart from other catering companies is his commitment to his product and customer satisfaction. I won t just cut and run and leave the catering food to sit, Evans said. I cut the barbecue up fresh there and stay with it until the players eat. 3 of 5 3/9/18, 8:16 AM

4 He said another perk of the job is being able to watch the game on a large screen in the cafeteria while watching players walk in the room at the same time. It is sort of surreal, Evans said. The game is on TV, and then players run down and grab a drink, and you re like, Wow! Evans said he has established a great relationship with the on-staff chef at Camden Yards who cooks for the players regularly. I think now that we have the ball rolling, it will be a nice little thing, a staple for us, Evans said. It is something different and something fun. Evans hopes catering for the Orioles will lead him to more catering jobs during the off season. It is cool that a little barbecue joint here in Easton, Md., this little tiny restaurant, with only 26 seats is feeding the Baltimore Orioles, Evans said. It is a nice validation for us. Evans said while his catering jobs continue to grow, the little restaurant on Dover Street where it all started is where his heart is. He said to him it s like having his very own Cheers. One of the nicest things that I get here is that we feed this huge depth of people, Evans said. From judges to state s attorneys, town manager and everyone in between. We will cater nice properties on the water, and yet the people that service those properties come in here. It is a big everybody place. For individuals who enjoy a good food challenge, Evans also offers the motherlode of barbecue challenges a full rack of ribs, half a pound each of pork and brisket, and four 16-ounce sides with dinner rolls, and if it can be eaten within an hour, it is free. It is so challenging. One professional eater actually did it, Evans said. It is so much food it is just wrong, is what it is. The BBQ Joint features pulled pork, smoked turkey,and ribs, but Evans said it is his beef brisket he is most proud of and recommends. In addition to barbecue, it offers Southern-style sides, salads, sandwiches and Hillbilly deep dish pies baked in cast iron skillets. 4 of 5 3/9/18, 8:16 AM

5 The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Its entire menu may be viewed online at bbqjoint.com. Follow me on 5 of 5 3/9/18, 8:16 AM