To kick off this new Times’ feature, I selected Holy Smoke BBQ & More owned by Roger and Michele White.

  There was a personal reason for wanting to start with this location. This cozy restaurant is located at 13 Hampton Street in McDonough – the building I started my first restaurant, Belcastro’s Pizza & Subs, in November of 1980. 

  Roger had an early love for cooking that came from his mother, “following her around in the kitchen.” After serving as a Marine, Roger did some traveling and then began what he called “the love of his life, truck driving.” But, after meeting his wife Michele, that changed a bit.

  The beginning of this successful restaurant started with their deep devotion at their church! They would cook for parties and events. It didn’t take long before they purchased a 30-foot mobile kitchen, and started their first business, Simply Southern Kitchen Creations. As their traveling business grew, so did the love for their food. Their devoted customers wanted them to find a place to put down roots. So, in 2017, they moved into their current location.

  The plan was for Michele to run things, along with her mom and nephew. To help get the restaurant started, Roger took off two weeks from his job. But business was booming, so Roger retired from his truck-driving job and devoted his full attention to their restaurant.

  And some restaurant it is! Upon entering, you get that great smoke aroma and, being a certified judge for the Georgia Barbecue Association, I have a great appreciation for smoked BBQ. Roger smokes all of his meats, and only uses cured pecan wood from one single source.

  His total cooking time and process takes 15 hours. If a restaurant goes through this laborious process for one item, I knew I was in for a treat. Roger brought out some small samples of his Pulled Pork, Pulled Chicken, and the Double Glazed Ham – something that you don’t see every day in a BBQ place. I will tell you this, you have not tasted anything like this anywhere. The ham alone will bring me back. All three were very moist, very tender, and they all tasted great. You know you have great barbecue when you don’t need any sauce! 

  They offer four different sauces, however, my personal favorite was his homemade recipe. Roger has a different rub for each meat, and a specific process for each one as well.

  The Sliced Brisket was cooked to perfection, tender, with the right amount of smoke and had the beef taste that you look for in brisket. The ribs were meaty, very tender, with a little more depth of the great smoked flavor. I also tried the Smoked Chicken Wings. They were outstanding, even without sauce.  

  For those that do not eat smoked meats, they offer a Chicken Salad Sandwich.

  As for the sides, I could quickly tell the star of the show was their Brunswick Stew. His Fries were fresh cut. The Mac & Cheese is very creamy, and the Baked Beans are good too. A sign of a great restaurant is when everything you taste has its own flavors, not something straight out of a can. 

  Finally, for dessert, they have Pecan Pie, Limoncello Cake, Funnel Fries and their famous Banana Pudding.

  I was also impressed with some of the accolades Michele and Roger have received in the short amount of time they have been in business. They received “The Golden Spatula” award from CBS Channel 46 for their perfect score of 100 from the Henry County Health Department. I was truly impressed with this score, being a former restaurant owner, I know this is not easy to achieve. They were also featured in Atlanta Magazine.

  And, because Roger served in the military, they support several initiatives with their food. They proudly display a plaque from the Race For The Fallen and, what Roger is most proud of, is a shadow box given to him by his friend, Mission Commander Robert J. Perdue III CIV. It displays a commemorative plaque for Operation Enduring Freedom and a flag that was flown over Afghanistan.

  As our conversation was coming to an end, I asked both Michele and Roger, what is your drive that keeps you opening that front door? Michele’s answer, right away, was Roger. Roger took a few seconds and said, “the response I get from my loyal customer base is the main reason, and their appreciation of us being consistent day after day …” Roger’s secret formula and primary focus is being consistent, which is really important for any restaurant to sustain. Roger not only understands this, but he delivers on it.

   Their business has done so well that they have outgrown their space, and plan to move to the Square in the same building with Scoops. They will more than double their seating, have greater visibility, more parking and will be able to operate more efficiently.

  My entire experience with Michele and Roger was truly delightful. They have a deep faith for their church, run a great business, and have great food. You can easily see they love what they do and, as I experienced from their customers, they love it too!