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Two of Seattle’s best barbecue joints are in expansion mode: SoDo standout Jack’s BBQ, which just started serving brisket, hush puppies, and smoked sausage corn dogs at Safeco Field during Seattle Mariners games this season, is also adding a location at 234 9th Ave. N in South Lake Union, while the Central District’s stellar Wood Shop BBQ has taken over the Hallava Falafel trailer at 5825 Airport Way S in Georgetown.
Jack’s, which specializes in Central Texas-style barbecue, is owned by former Microsoft employee Jack Timmons. He brings a tech aficionado’s exacting approach to his smoked meats, and uses oak, mesquite, and hickory for his rib tips, brisket, sausage, chicken, and more.
His new restaurant, aiming to open by mid-summer in the new 9th and Thomas building, will have the same menu as the original — including highlights like Frito pie, rib tips, pecan pie, breakfast tacos, and smoked cocktails — plus the smoked sausage corn dogs (called Hush Dogs as they’re fried in hush puppy batter) currently sold at Safeco. There will be seating for 50 for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and happy hour, plus a quick to-go option for office workers looking to bring their food back to their cubicle. In addition, Jack’s will stock a full bar and serve Texas’ classic Shiner Bock beer on tap.
As for Wood Shop, it just started serving simply seasoned Texas-style beef brisket, Kansas City-style dry-rubbed pork ribs, and Polish sausages out of the former Hallava Falafel trailer park at 5825 Airport Way S this week. Wood Shop began as a food truck before adding a Central District restaurant; it’s co-owned by Hallava Falafel owner James Barrington, a Texas native, and Matt Davis, who hails from Kansas, so the company embraces the fluidity and overlap of regional barbecue styles, smoking everything over hickory and post oak and offering a variety of sauces on the side. Further menu highlights include pork sandwiches, beef ribs, fried mac and cheese balls, wings, and a smoked jalapeno mac and cheese bowl topped with pulled pork.
The new Wood Shop BBQ trailer is open Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
