The long-awaited Wood’s Chapel BBQ is now open in Summerhill.
The restaurant announced that it is now open for lunch and dinner on its Facebook page:
Today’s the day! Thank you to all who got us to this day.
The Wilbert Group, the public relations firm for Summerhill’s redevelopment project, also confirmed the opening.
Todd Ginsberg, Shelley Sweet and Jennifer and Ben Johnson, who are partners in The General Muir, Fred's Meat & Bread, Yalla, The Canteen and TGM Bread, announced their intentions to open Wood's Chapel in early 2018. Sweet and the Johnsons are also partners in West Egg Café.
Named for one of the first churches to serve the Summerhill community immediately following the Civil War, Wood's Chapel will use wood-fired pits to prepare an extensive barbecue menu including whole hog and brisket barbecue.
Pitmaster Brian Keenan, formerly of Roswell's popular Meating Street Barbecue, Brian Keenan, told the AJC earlier this year that he is combining his traditional "when it's done, it's done" style of cooking with the knowledge of food and creativity of chef Ginsberg and Wilson Gourley (8Arm) at Wood's Chapel. He described his barbecue as all-American and multi-regional, with a focus on Texas-style brisket and eastern North Carolina whole hog, smoked over Georgia oak. "There's a feeling you get when you sit and watch a fire for 12-16 hours cooking meat that you can't get anywhere else," he said.
The menu features a variety of meat plates and meats by the pound including smoked turkey breast, St. Louis-style pork ribs, Riverview Farms Whole Hog and CAB Prime Beef Brisket. Sandwiches include the Cue-bano, a Cuban-style sandwich made with smoked pork shoulder and pickles and cracklins’ and the Smoked Beef Brisket Grilled Cheese topped with fontina, garlic and cherry tomatoes, while offered sides include braised greens, smoked pork belly fried rice and Brunswick stew. Options under the “other stuff” label include hot boiled peanuts, smoked wings and “Dirty Mac”, cheeseburger macaroni and cheese with burnt ends.
There are also several vegetarian options including the BBQ Celery Root Banh Mi made with mushrooms, pickles, cilantro, jalapeno and mayo and a variety of veggie sides such as creamed corn, beet and jalapeno cole slaw and a salad of the day.
An under 10 and over 65 kids and senior menu offers a sandwich, side, drink and ice cream for $12.
"I think every chef fantasizes about doing a barbecue place," Ginsberg said in a prepared statement when plans for Wood’s Chapel were first announced. "It is that basic relationship between wood, fire, and meat. Our goal with Wood’s Chapel is similar to what we have done at The General Muir: honor traditional dishes with a high level of execution while at the same time pushing some boundaries with peoples’ expectations of what this type of restaurant can be."
Jennifer said Ben, who she's been married to for 20 years, was largely the impetus behind wanting to open Wood's.
"He's been wanting to do a barbecue restaurant all his life," she said. That dream became a possibility a year ago when the restaurateurs were approached about getting involved in the Summerhill development.
Wood's Chapel joins a large group of culinary concepts that recently opened in Summerhill or are set to open soon: Little Tart Bakeshop opened earlier this year and soft serve ice cream shop Big Softie opened earlier this month, and other food and beverage projects coming to the area include D Boca N Boca from the owner of The Real Mexican Vittles pop-up, Little Bear from Eat Me Speak Me founder Jarrett Steiber, Redacted, a conspiracy theory-themed bar, Hodgepodge Coffeehouse, Halfway Crooks Brewing and Blending and Junior's Pizza. Another pop-up veteran, Talat Market, will also set up shop as brick-and-mortar in Summerhill this year.
Wood’s Chapel is open daily from 11 a.m.-9 p.m., and will serve Saturday and Sunday brunch from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. starting June 29.
Check back with the Atlanta Restaurant Scene blog on June 23 for an in-depth look at Wood's Chapel BBQ.
85 Georgia Ave. SE, Atlanta. 404-522-3000, woodschapelbbq.com
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