Up in Smoke BBQ is a new restaurant that opened about 6 months ago, at 692 North Loudoun Street, where Wong’s Chinese Restaurant used to be. Up in Smoke BBQ is about 4.5 miles from Snowden Bridge, just a quick 10 min drive down Rt. 11.
Being a big fan of barbecue myself, I stopped by to check it out soon after it opened. And, of course, I went back for a second, third, and fourth time, because I had to try everything on the menu. At some point I got to talking with Mark, the owner, who told me his story.
Mark grew up in the southwest corner of Oklahoma not far from the Texas border. “In Texoma (the area on either side of the two states where the red river runs) beef is king, especially barbecue beef, so, naturally, I was raised on Texas style brisket. After high school I joined the marines which took me away from Oklahoma to a number of other states“, Mark said.
Moving from state to state, Mark realized that “barbecue” means different things to different people.
“I longed to eat the savory smoky brisket I ate in my youth. I grew frustrated that I could not find anything that could compare. I decided to take matters into my own hands and bought a grill, then a smoker, and attempted to recreate the mouth-watering brisket I remembered. I spent numerous hours researching and cooking. After many mistakes and inedible attempts, and more than 20 years, I have (in my humble opinion) successfully recreated the flavors of my youth“, said Mark. Over the years, Mark experimented and developed recipes for other barbecue styles and sides as well.
While perfecting his craft, Mark worked as an industrial electrician in Loudoun County. But when his former employer closed, Mark decided to take the leap and pursue his passion for barbecue. For the first 3 years, Up in Smoke BBQ was a food truck and catering business but, late last year, Mark decided to take the next step and open Up in Smoke BBQ as a full restaurant (he kept the food truck and still does catering).
In addition to traditional barbecue, like pulled pork, brisket, etc, the menu offers some unique items, like the Korean BBQ Tacos, which, Mark says, are one of the most popular items. I’ve tried them personally (several times!) and, I can attest, they are are delicious!
“I have a passion for all things barbecue and work hard to get it right every time”, says Mark. Hence their motto “Barbecue done right y’all!“
Up in Smoke BBQ and Catering
692 N Loudoun St, Winchester, VA 22601
Tel: (540) 450-5903
Take an Immersive 3D Tour of Up in Smoke BBQ:
About this article:
This blog post is the first in a series of posts featuring local businesses near Snowden Bridge. As a Realtor, and resident of Snowden Bridge, I regularly have clients that move to Snowden Bridge from Northern Virginia or from other states. The one thing that almost everyone has in common is that they’d like to get a better feel for the community before they move here. I am hoping that featuring local businesses on this blog will help prospective residents familiarize themselves with the area, but also help current residents get to know better, and support, neighboring small businesses.
– Theo
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