Looks like 2015 will be a busy year for Greg Gatlin. The celebrated pitmaster of Gatlin's BBQ in the Heights already has plans to open Jackson Street Barbecue with fellow St. Thomas alum Bryan Caswell of Reef. In addition, he will relocate his restaurant, which was selected byTexas Monthly as one of the state's 50 best barbecue joints, to a new location on Ella.
Located at 3510 Ella, the space is part of a newly constructed shopping center adjacent to Private Mini-Storage.
Currently, Gatlin's only has about 700 square feet of space for interior seating that's supplemented by about a dozen picnic tables on a covered patio. The new space will be 4,200 square feet, according to an article in the Chronicle. Located at 3510 Ella, the space is part of a newly constructed shopping center adjacent to Private Mini-Storage.
One secret to Gatlin's success is the way its meat blends both Central Texas and East Texas. Alongside brisket, Gatlin's serves pork ribs that are some of the best in Texas thanks to their sweet and spicy seasoning; Gatlin's dirty rice is also among the best side dishes at any Texas barbecue joint.
The new space means less standing around waiting for a table or having to split a picnic table with strangers, but it doesn't address the biggest problem with dining there. That would be the sometimes half hour wait to receive food after ordering it. Hopefully, the larger space also brings speedier service.
If all goes according to plan, Gatlin's will relocate in May, which means the spring will be jam-packed. According to Reef co-owner Bill Floyd, Jackson Street Barbecue should be open near Minute Maid Park in time for the start of baseball season.
Pitmaster Greg Gatlin will relocate Gatlin's BBQ to a new location on Ella in 2015.
