MOUNT VERNON – Local restaurant Road Hog Willy’s Real Pit BBQ will host a visit from America’s Best Restaurants (ABR) in late April.
America’s Best Restaurants, a national media and marketing company focusing on local, independently owned restaurants, will bring its ABR Roadshow to the restaurant on April 26. Popular dishes will be highlighted, along with an extensive on-camera interview with owner and pitmaster Bill Wheeler about the restaurant’s special place in the community. The episode will be aired extensively on social media channels at a later date.
Wheeler said his restaurant evolved out of “an idea, dream and passion.” After watching barbecue competitions on television, he was inspired to buy his own smoker. Friends asking him to cook for parties prompted him to buy a bigger smoker, and his hobby evolved into entering competitions, pop-up food events, a food trailer and participating in local ribfests. He opened Road Hog Willy’s four years ago and is planning to build a larger facility to keep up with customer demand.
“The lobby’s not that big, and the line goes to the door at lunch,” Wheeler said. “Nobody knows where to stand.”
Popular menu items that may be featured on the episode include the brisket, barbecue nachos (an appetizer, but “big enough for a meal,” Wheeler said) and the cornbread sundae – layers of cornbread, beans, pulled pork and coleslaw in a cup – invented during the food trailer days when eating while walking around was part of the experience. Additionally, there is the “Big Willy” sandwich – a local sausage made just for the restaurant, topped with pulled pork, barbecue sauce and coleslaw.
“It’s big,” Wheeler said. “And it’s a big hit.”
Wheeler also makes his own barbecue sauces, which are available for purchase at the restaurant and local retail outlets.
America’s Best Restaurants will be filming from 8 to 11 a.m. EST. The press is invited to attend. Road Hog Willy’s finished episode premiere date will be announced on their Facebook page and will be featured on America’s Best Restaurants’ website.
Restaurants featured on the ABR Roadshow are found through customer nominations or by a restaurant applying to be featured at americasbestrestaurants.com.
Road Hog Willy’s Real Pit BBQ is open Tuesday through Saturday at 504 Harcourt Rd. Suite B, Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050. For more information, call 740-326-1408 or visit roadhogwillysbbq.com.
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