Oh, Mill Street!
This untapped market of residential consumers and deprived foodies has had its fair share of restaurant breakups. Over the last five years (Hi, Lago and Legacy Bar & Grill!), restaurants have come and gone leaving behind a new level of challenges for the newcomer. In fact, the address, 242 Mill Street, has become as synonymous with failed restaurants as has 156 Shrewsbury Street. Let’s call it the Madden Curse of the local food industry.
But all hope is not lost as 242 Mill Street is opening its doors once again and this time it’s bringing the heat with Big T’s Mill Street Barbecue Company. With the tagline, Seriously Smoking Stuff, we anticipate the heat to attract a new crowd of foodies: the BBQ fanatics.
Scott Tefft, owner of Big T’s, is bringing more than just the heat to Mill Street. He is bringing authenticity. With 30 years of meat smoking experience – 25 of those years dedicated to catering and 5 of those years dedicated to his Big T’s food truck (a hit at every year’s food truck festival) – Tefft is separating himself from the local barbecue scene by paying homage to the New England resources that make us so damn great. “They [BT’s and Smokestack] are great places but they focus on very traditional barbecue techniques and while we love traditional barbecue flavors, we also like to include a little bit of the local resources,” said Tefft. “Including applewood, local maple syrups and applying brown sugars in different techniques, it gives Big T’s a distinct flavor.” Using meats from local farms like Lilac Hedge Farm, Tefft seeks to continue providing his famous quality barbecue dishes served from his food truck at a more stable location. “Honestly, I have outgrown my space,” he says. “I am producing 1500 lbs of protein from my driveway and this is the next step.”
Big T’s Mill Street Barbecue Company is hosting an open house on Sunday, March 10th and will officially open its doors for lunch and dinner starting Thursday, the 14th.