JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Known for its southern-style smoked meats, flavorful sauces, and old fashioned hospitality, it's no surprise that The Bearded Pig BBQ is one of San Marco's most beloved barbecue spots.
Owners Chad Muncy and Mike Schmidt are both Jacksonville natives with roots in the restaurant business.
"We talked about what we could do and we talked about barbecue, "Muncy says. "He (Schmidt ) said 'well make it for me,' so I made the food and he said if we can do this everyday... we got something."
The dynamic duo shares a passion for great tasting food and have shared interests in the hospitality industry.
"I owned a wine bar here for years and Michael was a customer of the wine bar and we just became friends...," Muncy said.
Their barbecue spot started out as a catering company and has since turned into a staple in San Marco. And you can’t go wrong with ordering the San Marco platter.
"It gets you ribs and chicken and then your choice of two different meats," Muncy says. "Typically some of the most popular are brisket, pulled pork, turkey and you can add to that, and you get a couple of side items as well."
Also popular is their take on the Canadian poutine
"We start with a base of french fries, meats pulled pork, and beef, a little pimento cheese and a little cheese sauce on top and it’s finished in the oven to bake off and crisp up it's very good," Muncy said.
If you’re looking for something with a little kick but full of flavor, you have to try the jalapeño poppers.
"We take a fresh jalapeño, we stuff it with a mixture of cream cheese sausage adn then we wrap it in bacon and we bake it," Muncy said.
Address: 1224 Kings Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32207