Congratulations to the team at Buxton Hall Barbecue for earning a spot on Bon Appétit’s annual list of the best new restaurants in the United States. This prestigious nod is well deserved, as chef Elliot Moss, sous chefs Sarah Cousler and Dan Silo, pastry chef Ashley Capps, General Manager Kyle Beach and the rest of a talented group continuously maintain as much attention to detail in the realm of hospitality, food and beverage as anyone around. And always while doing new things. With hospitality. And food. And drinks.
Take a look at the Buxton Hall Barbecue write-up from Bon Appétit, and you can view the full list of America’s Best New Restaurants here!
It’s no secret that we’re living in the midst of a bona fide barbecue boom. Old-school joints are finally getting their due, and new-school smokehouses—like Buxton Hall—are proudly carrying on the tradition while shaking things up a little. Here barbecue means local pasture-raised pig (not the usual commodity stuff), smoked 18 hours over a mixture of oak, cherry, and hickory, until it’s juicy and sweet—just how chef Elliot Moss learned it from his grandfather in Florence, South Carolina. That said, whole-hog ’cue isn’t the only thing going on in this gigantic dining hall. (If it appears to be the size of a roller rink, that’s because it once was one.) The juicy fried chicken sandwich is topped with creamy white barbecue sauce and pimiento cheese and a slice of American cheese. Sides, often forgettable at other barbecue places, allow Moss to flex his creative muscles: green beans cook under the pig, catching all those fatty drippings; potatoes are smoked, then mashed and topped with hog gravy; braised collard greens are swimming with swine bits and a healthy spike of cider vinegar. All these twists on the classics have one thing in common—the flavors of the pig. Ultimately, that’s what Buxton Hall is all about.
PRO TIP: There’s plenty of merch to take home with you to remember the experience by; our favorite tee bears the restaurant’s slogan, “Smoked While You Sleep.”
THE DETAILS: Lunch and dinner daily but closed between 3 and 5:30 p.m.
Andrew Thomas Lee
Wes Frazer