River Road BBQ Celebrates 10 Years of Smoking Meats, Beating Odds
River Road BBQ circa 2018. The restaurant turned 10 on Jan. 17.
I still vividly remember the first time I had a meal from River Road BBQ. Newly opened, it was carry-out only, sharing a small building in front of the Water Tower Park with a bike shop. My girlfriend and I engaged in a conversation with the friendly owner, got our food and walked back out to our car.
And then I realized I hadn’t paid for the food. “Did you pay him?” I asked Cynthia. She said, “I thought you paid!” So I sheepishly walked back inside and paid for our lunch. Jon Gudmundsson, the aforementioned owner, admitted he hadn’t realized we didn’t pay either, so we had a good laugh. I’m just glad he didn’t call the police.
That was nearly 10 years ago, as today River Road BBQ celebrates a decade in business at an unlikely spot. The business is across the street from a hotel and gas station, situated in front of Water Tower Park. A Kingfish looms nearby as does The River House seafood restaurant. But otherwise, the little barbecue joint sits along a stretch of river road that is mostly industrial.
About three years into its existence, the restaurant took over the entire building in which it started and opened a dining room where the bike shop used to be. The small business has since survived numerous floods — sometimes necessitating moving out all the restaurant equipment — and a pandemic, has added smoking equipment (the big smoker is nicknamed “The Beast”) and has expanded its menu numerous times. Along the way, the eatery tried its hand at everything from smoked sausage tacos (still on the menu) to smoked chicken (the latter of which was ultimately discontinued, sadly).
Through it all, staples like brisket, ribs and pulled pork have been the mainstays, with the unsung hero being Gudmundsson’s signature sauce, sort of a cross between a vinegar-based sauce and a tomato-based sauce – or a hybrid of eastern and western Carolina style, if you will. The tangy-sweet sauce adds a touch of heat that complements the smoky meat just right.
And, of course, there are the house-made sides, such as the tangy, vinegar-based coleslaw, chunky potato salad and spicy baked beans that could almost double as a hearty chili. You could easily make a meal out of just those.
These days, Gudmundsson is in semi-retirement, although he’s still involved. Krissy Davis, his niece, runs the restaurant now as general manager, keeping that delicious barbecue smoking. Here’s hoping for another 10 years — and no more flooding. The secret?
“Loyal customers, first and foremost,” Davis told me. Interestingly, she said, the Covid-19 pandemic actually gave the restaurant a boost. Because of the fast-casual approach, it could quickly get customers in and out. Covid protocols were strict at River Road BBQ, so people felt safe.
Asked about the barbecue joint’s future, Davis said Gudmundsson has it set up for her to inherit the restaurant. She has three teen-aged children who are “really good at this,” so she and her uncle are hopeful one or all of them will one day take over.
“We’ll be here for a long time,” she said.
To celebrate, through the end of the month River Road BBQ will offer a “massive” barbecue-loaded baked potato for 10 bucks. Davis said they were already selling well, pretty much from the moment the store opened on Monday.
