Our readers’ favorite barbecue joints recently made a few smokin’ hot transitions, from ownership shifts to relocations to sizzling new products
A Byrd’s-Eye View
As a student at Southern School of Energy and Sustainability, James Compton and his friends frequently headed just down the road from the high school to Byrd’s BBQ, a longtime local favorite since opening in 1959. He couldn’t have predicted then that, decades later, he and his wife, Kim Compton, would take over as its owners.
The couple did just that in October 2022, reopening just a few days after buying the barbecue restaurant. But the journey to revamp the space was not an easy one.
Renovations dominated the Comptons’ time for more than a year; changes were made in stages to keep Byrd’s open as often as possible. James and Kim first set off revamping the exterior and interior with new paint, adding tables and murals inside and upgrades within the kitchen, which closed the restaurant for 10 days. They enlisted Zachary Lee “Jay” Byrd Jr. of Triangle Sign Company and, yes, a relative of the original Byrds, to assist with the murals. (Jay sadly passed away April 2, 2024.)
In early May 2023, after the addition of a new walk-in cooler, the owners closed for another week to work on the floors and the prep kitchen. The final layer of refurbishments wrapped in the late summer and early fall when the team created more than 50 additional parking spots – a massive improvement from its previous 10, which couldn’t even accommodate larger vehicles.
These days, with major remodels in the rearview, James and Kim’s primary goal is to foster an environment where customers feel connected to one another inside Byrd’s BBQ’s walls. “We definitely wanted to create something this community could be proud of as well,” James says. Byrd’s offers top-notch brisket and ribs, which draw compliments from brisket connoisseurs who visit from Texas. “We didn’t change much on the menu, only a few tweaks here and there,” James says. “The previous operators did a great job establishing the menu.”
The extensive breakfast menu is equally impressive, featuring pancakes, eggs cooked to order, French toast dusted with cinnamon sugar and more. James shares that folks should stay tuned for further exciting additions, like a to-go area coming soon and an outdoor dining patio, which should be completed in June.
James and Kim’s original motivation for taking over the restaurant was to “bring a good atmosphere into the neighborhood,” and it shows – appreciation for their customers shines through in every aspect of Byrd’s. “Every person here is our most important person,” James says. – by Lena Miano
Fanning the Flame
Rustic neighborhood joint Picnic Barbecue, which has been smoking whole hogs on its side patio since 2016, has also seen some recent changes.
Co-founder Wyatt Dickson sold Picnic to longtime customer – and, more recently, business partner – Chris Holloway on July 1, 2023.
“I saw Picnic struggling through the pandemic and reached out to see if I could help keep things going,” Chris says. “Wyatt and I became fast friends, and we worked together for nearly two years before I purchased the restaurant.
“I’ve been a neighbor and fan of Picnic since the beginning,” he continues. “It is literally my neighborhood joint. After establishing the kitchen and menu at Motorco’s Parts & Labor (among several other things), I was looking for something to settle into. This is the food I grew up on; its history and tradition means something to me. One afternoon I was sitting at the light in front of the restaurant, and it hit me. This is what I’m supposed to be doing!”
Chris says he aimed to infuse renewed passion into the kitchen while honoring the essence of Southern cuisine upon assuming leadership of the business.
“I wanted to return the traditional foods back to their roots, so I simplified things a bit,” he says. “We have a great staff, and we are really embracing our role as a ‘preservation society’ of sorts [when it comes to Southern fare].”
The owner also relied on his “chef side” to introduce inventive sides and dishes to the menu, including crispy Thai ribs, a shrimp po boy, Thai butternut squash and more, adding a more contemporary twist.
The restaurant boasts a full bar and ample outdoor seating for patrons to savor their meals in a convivial atmosphere. “We are now working toward creating a great barbecue joint, where folks can hang out and enjoy the community that barbecue has always fostered,” Chris emphasizes. “We need those ’cue vibes.”
Receiving the Best of Durham accolade solidifies Picnic’s longstanding reputation in Chris’ eyes. “There is some truly great barbecue in this town, so it means a lot to be validated by the community,” Chris says. “Wood-fired, whole-hog barbecue is not easy. In fact, it’s a lot of work! So it feels good to be appreciated for it.”
Chris naturally recommends new customers try the whole-hog, pasture-raised, wood-smoked barbecue, “though a brisket and barbecue combo can check a lot of boxes, too … and if you have a group, you can order a family combo. It’s a great way to try a few different options. People think it’s only for to-go orders, but we happily serve it in the restaurant.”
More exciting buzz is around the corner as Picnic’s Side Yard is set to open soon. This expansion will offer more outdoor seating, a space for private events and a platform for exciting pop-up menus, oyster roasts, live music and more.
Whether you’re craving a sandwich and some hush puppies or envisioning a festive pig pickin’, Picnic promises an experience steeped in Southern charm and culinary heritage. “ … Music, kids running wild, a fishing pond off to the side, the smell of hickory or just the anticipation of pulling your own piece of ’cue … it just feels good,” Chris says. “I want you to have that feeling when you visit.” – by Leah Berry
Ignition Switch
Michael De Los Santos – better known as Mike D, owner of Mike D’s BBQ – has been a familiar name in Durham’s barbecue scene since 2013 when he launched his business solely as a sauce and rub company, offering products that combine unique seasonings and spices inspired by Mike’s African American and Latino heritage, while also paying homage to North Carolina’s rich barbecue history. Mike founded the company as a way to honor his son, Aaron De Los Santos, who passed away in 2012 from hypoplastic left heart syndrome. “He fought to live for six months,” Mike says. “Mike D’s honors his memory and his will to fight and live … he was an inspiration for me to not make excuses and to chase my dream.”
Mike went from selling sauces and rubs out of his trunk to frequenting farmers markets and festivals, and eventually, after winning the Discovery Channel series “I Quit,” he was able to open up a brick-and-mortar barbecue supply store, Mike D’s BBQ Smokehouse & Retail, in East Durham in 2020. “People would come in and say, ‘We want food, too,’” Mike says. “The community started to change … so then the search to find a restaurant happened. We had some things fall through, then an opportunity opened up right across the street from where we were. So, we closed up and reopened here.”
Mike D’s BBQ opened in July 2023 in a newly refurbished building at 455 S. Driver St. “We still have the retail component,” Mike says. “We still sell grill supplies and charcoal and pallets, and when in stock, we sell sauces, rubs and other North Carolina goods.”
“None of our goals changed,” Mike says of the major expansion. “We’re just figuring out a spot that’s all about barbecue.”
Mike is happy and grateful that folks take notice of the work he’s put in, and especially for earning recognition from our readers. “We’ve won a lot of awards over the years for our products and stuff, but most of those are from judges, not the general public,” he says. “Anytime we can win an award from the people who are actually spending money and choosing us, it means a lot.”
Mike D’s staff endeavor to make everything – with the exception of a few desserts – in-house and from scratch daily as well as source locally whenever possible. They get collards every Sunday (the only day of the week they sell the greens) from Happy Dirt, a distributor that buys from local farms. And the fruit punch, lemonade and sweet tea is crafted by Cates Cookout down the block.
“The restaurant is a part of me,” Mike says. “Our menu is a reflection of what I love about barbecue. When you really love the food that you’re making, it comes out in how it tastes. You can taste the love; you can taste the heart that’s put into it.” – by Leah Berry
Secret Sauce
Growing up in Granbury, Texas, Dan Ferguson frequented Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, where he would order straight from the meat cutter – specifying an amount and cut of meat (usually smoked ham or sausage) before moving through the all-you-can-eat buffet line of sides. “If I had to pick one,” Dan says, “the pasta salad was my favorite.” This is how most Texas-style barbecue joints serve up their menu items, he says – a model that inspired him when he opened The Original Q Shack’s brick-and-mortar location in Durham’s Rockwood neighborhood in 2003.
At that time, the Q Shack was one of the few places in the state serving brisket. Dan places a huge emphasis on consistency, which sets their dishes apart more than two decades later, even as brisket becomes more common on North Carolina menus. “My whole goal is, every time you come in and get a brisket sandwich, that that brisket tastes the same,” Dan says. The longtime chef credits the longevity of the restaurant not only to product dependability but also to ensuring employee and customer satisfaction by keeping prices down but maintaining reasonably sized portions. Loyalty among Dan and his team – eight of whom have been with the restaurant for more than 15 years – has been a hallmark of the Q Shack. When the pandemic hit and curbside pickup became the norm, Dan expanded his team to include high schoolers who could answer phones, take orders and deliver them to the restaurant’s steadfast customer base.
Dan’s daughter, Anna Ferguson, joined the team full time as the director of catering in November 2023. He says he couldn’t be more excited about the addition of his daughter, who previously managed the restaurant’s curbside delivery. “My goal is to be able to hand this business down to a family member,” Dan says. “I’ve got three kids, and I’m hoping, one day, one of them takes it over from me.”
Dan credits Anna with pushing him to finally get the Q Shack’s sauce bottled and sold in the store – a dream he has had for years, which materialized on Feb. 14. The sauce recipe has remained unchanged since 2002, when Dan first began crafting sauces and rubs in his home kitchen. Must-tries for first-timers include the brisket, ribs, jalapeño-cheddar sausage or the bone-in smoked chicken – all of which are served up smothered in the signature sauce. Looking ahead, Dan hopes to bottle and sell some of the Q Shack’s rubs alongside the sauce and return the restaurant to its pre-pandemic schedule of being open seven days a week. – by Lena Miano
