Visit Old Carolina Right Here in NEO
Authentic Taste from a Local Barbecue Master

My husband came home from work one cool winter evening all excited about the catered lunch in the office that day, from a new barbecue spot. All I could think of was a messy chicken breast doused in a pint of sweet sauce and some greasy side dishes. But, a few days later, he talked me into stopping by and picking up some of their signature, smoked meats for dinner. The restaurant was Old Carolina Barbecue, a hidden treasure that had just opened in our neighborhood right outside of Akron.

When I stopped at Old Carolina, the glossy lighted sign and professional appearance led me to expect a slick, corporate operation. When I walked in, the bright, clean restaurant was filled with families and couples, and the counter staff greeted me with a friendly smile. They were eager to explain the entire menu, and their special brand of barbecue, “True Q.”

They explained that instead of meat dripping in barbecue sauce, their meals had been slow cooked by a real pit boss in an authentic barbecue pit over hickory wood. Instead of slathering sauce over the meat, they expertly seasoned and smoked it for flavor. They were also quick to recommend their fantastic banana pudding. I figured my husband would be game for some banana pudding, so I added it to our order. I was also impressed by the way everyone was working as a team to put the orders together and engage the customers at the counter.

When I got home, I opened my chicken sandwich to find a beautifully smoked chicken breast and my husband was thrilled to see well-trimmed, thick cut beef brisket. We sampled all five of the authentic barbecue sauces available on the side for dipping (we recommend Piedmont #5; we loved the tanginess), and we thoroughly enjoyed the banana pudding.

Then, I hopped on the website to learn more and was surprised to find that Old Carolina Barbecue is a local business with a great story. High school friends Brian Bailey and Tim Hug formed their dream for Old Carolina Barbecue in 1999. Bailey was a software salesman who tasted barbecue everywhere he travelled for business and Hug was a manager for a local fast food franchisee.

Bailey had a history with barbecue. “I was born and raised in Canton where my mom cooked my favorite food upon request: ribs,” explains Bailey. “These were slow cooked in a crock pot with lots of sauce. After graduating from Cleveland State University, I worked for a software development company selling to newspapers all across the country. In my travels I sampled as much barbecue as I could and learned to appreciate the authentic dry-rubbed methods of the south. I realized mom was doing it wrong all those years and had a desire to bring real barbecue home in the form of an authentic barbecue restaurant chain.”

The duo met for lunch one day in a St. Louis barbecue spot, and decided it was time to open their own restaurant! The only question was, how to do it on limited funding?

Fast forward to the 2002 Pro Football Hall of Fame Rib Burnoff in Canton. The pair sampled ribs from “ribbers” who had come from all over the country to compete. Suddenly, they had their business plan. They created a competition barbecue team to raise capital and build a recognized brand. In 2003, they sold their first rib bone at the Akron Family barbecue and spent the next six months perfecting their recipes. In their first two and a half years on the barbecue circuit, they won 27 awards including a “Rookie of the Year” award their very first season.

In 2006, Bailey had heard enough requests for a physical restaurant. He and his family spotted a “For Lease” sign in Massillon and signed the lease papers soon after. The first official Old Carolina Barbecue Company restaurant opened in Massillon in May 2006 and expanded soon after. Today there are two additional locations (http://www.oldcarolina.com/locations.shtml), one in Belden Village and one that just opened in Fairlawn, where my husband and I got our first taste of Old Carolina.

When asked what his favorite menu item is, Bailey has no problem coming up with it. “I have to say the brisket,” he says. “We spent three years on the competition barbecue circuit focusing on pork products only. Pork is the barbecue meat of choice for the Carolinas and that is all we studied. But, when we opened our first outpost in Massillon, we had to learn how to cook brisket. It is one of the most difficult meats to work with, and countless guests have said that we serve the best brisket in the country,” says Bailey. “I hear that from people that have patronized some of the country’s most notable barbecue joints, and it makes me proud. I look forward to entering a national competition with our brisket one day.”

The best news? Old Carolina will be coming to Cleveland soon. “Our 3rd store in Akron is doing great,” says Bailey. “With little advertising, we are already busier than our Canton store.” The restauranteur is looking forward to even more expansion. “We are looking for a fourth location of our own for the east side of Akron, perhaps the Stow area, and at the same time, we are launching a franchising program in 2010. We have interested parties in Mansfield and Wooster and are looking for strong partners for the Cleveland market. It is our hope to be in Cleveland before the end of 2010.”

Find out more about Old Carolina Barbecue here: http://www.OldCarolina.com, or if you’re looking forward to spring and summer, check out their rib competitions and plan to stop by their booth and sample some old-time, southern barbecue made right here in Northeast Ohio: http://www.OldCarolina.com/events.shtml

Julie Cajigas is a Cleveland girl who grew up on the East & West Side and now lives near Akron – she’s got the whole town covered! Cajigas holds degrees in Communication & Music from Cleveland State University and is currently pursuing her Masters in Communication at CSU.

She is a professional freelance writer who occasionally writes in her blog in between gigs at http://www.inspiredfreelancer.com. Cajigas is also an avid musician and can be seen performing with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus and as a violinist in the Allison Bencar band, http://www.myspace.com/allisonbencar.