When Alex, the front-house manager of Hillsborough BBQ Company, told me that sometimes eighteen to twenty people waited outside the restaurant before it opens on Sundays, my first reaction was “I should take photos of that.” I have tried that brisket. If I have to wait for it but 20 people are ahead of me, I don’t care. I will do it.
So I drove to Nash St yesterday to see what the restaurant looks like just before it opens.
I arrived at 11:40; since there was nobody waiting outside the restaurant, I guess that meant that it might have been a bit early for the locals to be waiting for a seat.
So I got in and this is what I found. At first glance, the restaurant is a desert. Empty tables, empty bar, some of the waiters in the background. Where is Alex? Are Herman and John in the kitchen?
My very first impression was tricky. There was almost nobody where the clients eat, and drink, and talk, and laugh loudly. But in the kitchen, the story is different. Little by little, the protagonists of our story emerge. For instance, do you see John pouring some BBQ sauce onto this pan?
If you were looking for Alex, there he is! Looking busy, being busy, feeling busy. John stares at him both amused and ready to help him out in case Alex needs extra hands. And yes, that’s Herman in the background, reaching some bowls to wash them before somebody else needs them.
At the bar, Whitney, the bartender, writes “Sunday Funday” down and then she adds the list of drinks for today: margaritas, Bloody Mary’s, and so on.
The image of a honeycomb comes to my mind. Everybody is bu-zzzz-y like bees. Everybody is working. Non-stop madness. The day is about to start at Hillsborough BBQ Company, and everything needs to be ready.
Did I mention that everybody is busy here? All the workers share a tradition before the day starts. They eat some French toast with honey they themselves made as a brunch snack. But at noon, when the clients are already waiting outside, who has time to finish a snack?
Sundays are usually stressful days. That’s why sometimes Alex and co. need extra hands in the kitchen. Jason works in the evenings as a cook and waiter. However, today they asked him if he could lend a hand in the afternoon, and here he is, making some nachos.
With so much excitement going on inside the restaurant, I had forgotten that I came to check if what Alex said about people waiting outside to be seated was a slight exaggeration! Well, there might not be 18 to 20 people outside, but all the tables are taken at the terrace and there’s a family in line.
Yes, madam, I know. Just be patient. I know you’re hungry but please don’t get angry!
What looked like a desert at 11:40 is now full of people eating, and drinking, and talking, and laughing loudly. Different generations gather in this restaurant, ordering food that will take more time to be cooked than to be devoured. Hashtag WIN.
Guys, I don’t know about you, but all this excitement is making me thirsty. So, for people over 21 who love whiskey, why don’t we try a Hillsborough-ade, “Hillsborough version of a classic, made of Jack Daniels.” Cheers!…
Ohhhh… el wisky engorda muchoooo cuidadoooo.. ¡¡
:p …