A couple of friends and I met up for dinner last week at Bub-Ba-Q, an excellent new entry on the downtown restaurant scene.
Bub-Ba-Q opened a few weeks ago at 514 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. in a space that has been home to several restaurants in recent years. Many will remember it as the spot that Blowin’ Smoke occupied for years before its 2012 move to Habersham Street.
Like the restaurants before it, Bub-Ba-Q has a pleasant dining room and a covered courtyard that can accommodate large parties, live music and various events.
This is the third Bub-Ba-Q location in Georgia. William “Bubba” Latimer and his wife, Shannon, opened their first restaurant in 2005 in Jasper, north of Atlanta. They added a second location in Woodstock in 2009.
The Bub-Ba-Q team has had some great success on the busy circuit of BBQ competitions. In 2010, Bub-Ba-Q was one of two Georgia establishments represented in the second season of TLC’s reality series “BBQ Pitmasters.”
I tried the rib and chicken combo platter. Both meats were tender and pretty much perfectly cooked, but next time I’ll likely just order the ribs, which were exceptional.
I opted for two heavy side dishes: corn fritters and fried mac & cheese. They were both satisfying but definitely more than I needed.
One of my dining companions tried the Hog-A-Chong-A, which is basically a chimichanga with BBQ pork inside and Brunswick stew poured over the top. It’s priced at just $10.99, but my friend didn’t even come close to finishing it.
The third member of our party made pretty quick work of the pork platter while experimenting with combinations of the four sauces on every table. I especially recommend the mustard and vinegar sauces.
The restaurant is not yet serving alcohol but will be soon. Given the quality and quantity of the food, the prices seem low. Our bill for three dinners came to about $45.
Bub-Ba-Q is currently advertising a lunch special that includes a pork sandwich, a side and a drink for $6.99.
As you can tell from reading this, I’ll be eating at Bub-Ba-Q again for sure, but the location has some issues with visibility and access.
The Interstate 16 flyover looms just to the north, which divides the MLK streetscape. Montgomery Street to the east has some large undeveloped and underutilized properties, so it becomes a barrier that discourages pedestrians, drivers and bicyclists.
All these issues can be and should be addressed over time through good planning and zoning, but the real key for Bub-Ba-Q is to serve up consistently great food at the right price. The restaurant doesn’t seem like it will have any problems meeting that goal.
What next for current arena?
In 2014, Savannah city officials will create a timetable for building a new arena and will hold public meetings about the future of the existing arena at the Civic Center.
Under the current plans, Johnny Mercer Theatre would not be replaced, but I’m among those who think the venue has some serious limitations.
As for the Martin Luther King Arena, the basic options seem pretty clear.
Once a new arena has been built, the city could try to repurpose the current arena for some other civic use. That sounds like a terrible idea for a whole variety of reasons.
The MLK arena could be purchased by a private developer who would keep some of the existing building.
A number of years ago, there was an investor who thought the space could be converted into a ground level grocery store with a multiplex above. Since the arena floor is below grade, there could be one large level of underground parking.
That would be an enticing plan since downtown could clearly benefit from another grocery store and a movie theater.
There might be some other novel uses for all or part of the existing structure. But the current arena should likely just be demolished. The city could then re-establish as much of the former street grid as possible and sell the remaining land into private hands.
A hotelier would almost certainly be interested in part of the property, but maybe we should prioritize other uses.
A large apartment building could help boost the downtown population, while single-family residences on the trust lots on Orleans Square would be a nod to the city’s history.
These are big decisions, so look for much discussion and debate in the new year.
City Talk appears every Tuesday and Sunday. Bill Dawers can be reached via billdawers@comcast.net and http://www.billdawers.com. Send mail to 10 E. 32nd St., Savannah, GA 31401.
BY BILL DAWERS