Southern Smoke BBQ’s Matthew Register Walks You Down Warren Street

[00:00:01] Have you been to Cranford Brothers BBQ yet? Every day, Cranford Brothers BBQ serves the best smoked meats, sides, sandwiches and craft beer, all produced on-site in downtown Hickory, North Carolina. Visit Cranford Brothers BBQ today for lunch or dinner and find out everything that's happening at the historic old pawn shop. That's the home of Cranford Brothers BBQ, CityWalk Brewing Company and the great new breakfast spot, Maine Chick Cham and Biscuits. Be sure to call Cranford Brothers BBQ on the home of Cranford Brothers BBQ.

[00:00:31] To cater your next game day get together or special event, your guests will always remember the best BBQ bites they get from Cranford Brothers BBQ. Visit CranfordBros.com to learn more or plan your visit today. If you're ever planning a Carolina BBQ journey down east toward Fayetteville and Wilmington, be sure to take a side trip to Garland on Thursday or Friday.

[00:00:58] That's where you'll find Southern Smoke BBQ and Pitmaster Matthew Register. And we're excited to welcome Matt back to the Low and Slow Barbecue Show. Welcome, Matt. Yes, good to be back. Good to always be with you. Yeah, we're so excited to have you back this time because, you know, let's be honest, depending on where you live, Garland, North Carolina may not be the most convenient place to get to.

[00:01:24] And I want to help some of the blind masses out there in the barbecue world find you and Garland it, and especially your barbecue. With that said, I'll tell you what is convenient. And that's the Carolina Barbecue Festival. It's April 4th and 5th. And that's where more than a dozen pitmasters are going to be assembled with Matt. And they're going to share taste of their barbecue best. And the lineup includes Matt, like I said, Ben Hooper from Ben's Backdraft, Dylan Cook from Fort Grove Barbecue, Sam Jones Barbecues, Michael Letchworth, Brian Furman.

[00:01:54] You can see the whole list at Carolina Barbecue Fest. It's carolinabbqfest.org. And because the Low and Slow Barbecue Show is the official podcast for this year's festival, you can meet all those pitmasters and hear their stories at lowslowbbqshow.com. While you're there, find the blog, subscribe to our barbecue newsletter, or listen to the more interviews with our barbecue experts like Matthew Register.

[00:02:19] And Matt, for folks who are living under a rock or missed you on our previous conversations, why don't you start by giving everybody a quick introduction to your business? What is Southern Smoke Barbecue? What are you doing here? So we are in a little town called Garland, like you said. I like to say it's in the middle of nowhere, but on the way to everywhere, right?

[00:02:46] So we're right on 701 in Sampson County in between Clinton and White Lake. We're about 52 minutes from downtown Wilmington and about 45 from FEDVILLE. So we're kind of in the middle of everything. We're an hour, hour 20 minutes from Raleigh. So we're close, but you got to take a little drive to us. So we're opening up a couple of days a week.

[00:03:14] We do a big catering business. We have Southern Smoke and then we have South Catering. And we cater basically last year, we catered from Richmond to Panama City Beach, Florida. So we cover a lot of ground. Yeah. Wow was right. It was August, Florida. We cooked for like 2000 people in the middle of a parking lot. So it was an interesting trip to say the least. Yeah.

[00:03:44] Well, so let's talk more about the business that you've got going on in Garland. What can folks expect when they visit you on Thursday or Friday? Yeah. So we always have barbecue and ribs, some type of chicken, but everything else, there are no set menus. It's very seasonal. Of course, lately there's been a lot of soups and stews and hearty stuff.

[00:04:13] But in the summer, you'll see a lot of seafood and fresh salads, according to what we're getting from our local farmers. I don't ever like to use the term farm to table because I think it's always gotten overused, but it really is seasonal. You know, in May, we have a lot of farmers that eat with us and, you know, squash will start showing up in five gallon buckets. So, but it's very non-conventional.

[00:04:43] I love having a chalkboard menu. There's, we, I always encourage our staff and everybody, we don't have boundaries, you know. So if we want to, you know, do something cool and funky and different, why not do it? You know, so I think it helps us from really getting bogged down and doing the same thing every day, you know, those same sides. And for example, it's like mac and cheese.

[00:05:13] You can only get mac and cheese on Fridays and our customers know that. And we have a lot of customers that only will come on Friday because that's what they want, you know. So it's a way for us to constantly evolve in my opinion. Yeah, I like that. I like the approach on keeping it fresh so you don't get bored with the same thing. You know, everybody loves to barbecue and I know you got to have some passion to do what you're doing there in your business.

[00:05:40] And we'll talk a little bit more as we move on here, but definitely cool that you keep some variety and, and, and definitely cool to keep that seasonal approach to it. As far as the menu and the specials board goes now, but tell me about some of the more exotic things that you've included on the specials board lately. Now, I know you mentioned the warm hearty stuff like Brunswick stew and your favorite collard stew, but what are some of the exotic things that you like to throw out there? Yeah.

[00:06:06] So this past week, we did a Philly cheesesteak soup. Um, I didn't really know going in, um, how it would work, uh, but it worked out really well. You know, we love doing brisket chili and, um, if we're not making sausage from our brisket trimmings, we'll grind that into, you know, and either make burgers. Um, this time we did, you know, chili, but it just really varies.

[00:06:34] Um, you know, you'll see a lot of like po' boys, those kinds of things. I am, I go through spells, um, and I'm cooking a lot of new Orleans style food and a lot of Cajun flavors right now. That's just kind of what I'm into. Um, so it really varies, you know, we'll do classic French ratatouille. We'll do tamales. I mean, it really is. And it drives my right hand guy, Cray.

[00:07:04] It drives him up the wall because he can't really prepare for anything. It's me walking in saying, okay, this is what we're doing. It's like the soup last week. And he was like, I don't know if that's going to work. And I'm like, just let, leave me alone. And like, let me figure out like how to do this. And, you know, people like it.

[00:07:24] Um, you know, we've done one of my favorite things we've done in the last six months is, uh, we did a bone stock out of rib bones, um, and did ramen. We did it with a, we did a ramen rib stock. And then we took ribs and cut them up and made them kind of spicy and also a little crispy and then put like a spicy mayo over it. And it was, it was killer. It was like, it was really good.

[00:07:50] And we served it in the like little ramen cups that you get at, you know, the Piggle Wiggly. So that's fun. Those kinds of things are really fun. Yeah, definitely. And as a patron, it's gotta be fun to walk in and see that. But, but if I'm outside Garland, if I'm at Rose Hill or somebody even further than that, how do I know what's going to be coming up when you've got something cool? Do I just, do I just, is it a crap shoot? You walk in and see what's on the specialist board or how do I find out? Yeah. Yeah. Social media.

[00:08:19] A lot of times we post, if we're doing something like really cool and funky, um, we'll post the day before because a lot of people say, well, I didn't see the post. And I'm like, well, you know, we posted it for two days guys. I mean, uh, you know, and, and we posted everywhere all through our, all of our social medias.

[00:08:39] And, but some days it is very, very organic where I may walk into the pig wiggly on a Thursday morning and not really know what we're going to do that day and just kind of brainstorm. And, um, and some days you get to eat what I want to eat for lunch. Um, you know, so if I want gumbo, you're going to eat gumbo for lunch, you know, so it's fun. It really is fun.

[00:09:07] And I'm sure it drives people off the wall sometimes because the menu is constantly changing, but we do keep staples like baked beans and slaw and, and potato salad. We're not doing potato salad now because of the, uh, how cold it is and that kind of stuff. I'm really going more really hardy. So you're seeing a lot more barbecue potatoes, you know, those kinds of Eastern North Carolina staple type things. I gotcha.

[00:09:35] You mentioned the social media and I'm glad you did. Cause there's something new I've been seeing from you. Ninety four and a half feet down Warren street. What's that all about? Yeah. So, um, during COVID we did these dumb videos, um, just a slight cutting up. It is basically, um, you know, us sitting at a table.

[00:09:59] And so Jay Billis, um, on ESPN game day does these things called 94 feet. Um, and he does these interviews, um, down the basketball court and right. Hairbrained idea late at night, us coming home. And I was like, why don't we start doing like 94 and a half feet down Warren street, which is the road, um, that the restaurants on.

[00:10:29] And to be honest with you, the road is just about 94 and a half feet. Like it's not a full city block. And, um, you know, I've, I'm actually getting a little bit of grief from customers cause we haven't done a new one, but we really want to evolve it into, um, Lewis.

[00:10:48] And I did one at the, uh, Smithfield cup where we bring like really like our friends and when we're on location and, um, you know, where, wherever we are, we just grab somebody up. That's, you know, for example, Dylan and I have not done one. Jake and I have not done one. I had no one with Garen B and I have not done one.

[00:11:13] Like all those guys, like, I want to just, because of what I want to do is introduce our customers to like people we find inspiration from that are our friends. Like that I talk to, you know, on a weekly, if not daily basis. And, you know, of course, you know, Dylan's done doing some really funny stuff, um, on his social media.

[00:11:41] And of course, Jake is always like really and truly is doing just, I, I text him some more days of like, bro, you're not right. Like we are in the restaurant, like dying, watching your videos. And so it was just our way of doing like 94 and a half feet down Warren street. And, um, I'm hoping that we've got a new one that's going to be coming out.

[00:12:05] Um, I am actually in Keowa Island this on Thursday night and Will Andrews rolling bones at Charleston. Um, he and I tried to film one at Holy Smoke and it was so windy. And my 13 year old son was trying to film for me and it was just all over the place. So Will and I've, I've got to do it, but we're hoping, you know, the funniest one we did was very spur of the moment, um, at the state fair.

[00:12:33] Um, my daughter, we were in town seeing my daughter walk around and she was like, dad, you need to do a 94 and a half feet at North Carolina state fair. And I was like, that's a brilliant idea, but I have no clue what I'm going to say. You know, so it's just another way to engage really with our customers.

[00:12:53] And when we used to do the videos, um, people like they connect to it and, um, they come in the restaurant and they may see us, you know, super busy. And, you know, the turtle boxes blaring with music and they don't get to see like the funny side of, um, of like some of the stuff we do and the behind the scenes.

[00:13:20] And for example, Cray, like Cray hates being on camera. He doesn't like talking to people. So that's why I'm always like cracking jokes about Cray because he does not like, and I've, I've told him like, I'm like, you're going to have to do one of these one day. And he's like, no, I'm not. I'm just going to quit. And so, you know, they're fun. There it's just something, something fun and dumb for us to do. Like the break the monotony, you know, sometimes. Yeah.

[00:13:49] Another aspect of fun. Again, you're not just doing the same menu all the time. You're, you're mixing it up. You got the social media that's keeping it fun out there too. And I want to stay on the media moment for just a moment because you mentioned, um, what Dylan's doing and I'll throw Robbie Robinson in there too, about some of his social media posts. You know, in the barbecue world, you talk about building engagement with your audience, but how do you feel like that has a role or an impact on your business and in any kind of larger way or does it?

[00:14:16] Well, so I will, I have always, I want when people walk into my restaurant to feel like they know me, you know, I don't want to be this mystery person that you're just walking in. You know, I, I've always felt like food conveys love and, um, I want people to see, you know, the love in our food, but also like, it's fun.

[00:14:44] Like, I mean, when you really think about it, I, I was on a phone conversation with somebody earlier. I get to wear a t-shirt and shorts and play with fire and cook and listen to music every day. Like this, I mean, we're not building rockets. I mean, this is, this is fun. And, but I really think it does. I, you, you, you, people talk about folks on TV that they connect with their audience. I want people to know us.

[00:15:14] I want them to walk in and laugh about something I said about Cray or, you know, or, hey, we were in, we went to Greenville and we saw where you had a video and we know that Dylan Cook's a friend of yours and we went and ate with him, you know, and we felt like we knew him, you know? So I think it's just fun, you know, it's, it's not, the editing is not fun. Um, I like that kind of stuff. I love editing.

[00:15:44] I love graphic design, but, um, that is, that's a nightmare at times. They're getting those clips in there, you know, cause we try to, you know, I have teenagers in my house. So I like to stay up to date on what's hip and cool. And they would like roll their eyes, but, um, you know, like everybody is bro, you know, like in my house is like, bro, bro, everything's bro.

[00:16:12] Um, you know, so we just want it to be fun, you know? And, um, I've had a lot of fun with it. Um, there are times if we have been, there hasn't been a ton of stuff like really going on lately. Um, I was going to do one last week, but then, you know, we got four inches of snow and I, I'm not a cold weather person. So I hated going outside anyway. So, and our road was halfway ice down.

[00:16:42] So it's hard to do it then. So let me ask you, um, as we kind of talk a little bit further about your business, how do you balance the, the barbecue business, the, the Garland street location, Southern smoke with the catering piece of it? And, and how, how do you juggle those two things, particularly when you're, you're filling as many of those dates and as large of a regions as you talked about a little bit earlier? It's a complete madness.

[00:17:12] I mean, it truly is. Um, one, I have. An incredible group like around me. I really do. And, um, I have been very, very blessed where I talk to friends all over that say, man, we can't find any help. Well, I, I am very lucky. Um, you know, I coach, um, high school girls soccer. I'm around the boys program a lot.

[00:17:41] I've always been lucky to have really good, like high school, you know, college age kids that, um, they get it and they're good kids and they kind of buy in and we have a good time. But it, it's challenging, you know, and it's challenging, uh, carving out those times where, okay, I'm not Southern smoke. I'm not South catering. I got to be dad this weekend, you know?

[00:18:10] And, um, I went through spells where if we were not working on a Saturday, I almost felt guilty because one, my employees weren't working, but we weren't like outworking our brand. And, and I've done, we've tried to do a really good job of, of balancing all of that.

[00:18:31] And, um, Cray is a big cog in that, you know, where I can look at him and say, Hey man, listen, we've got a party. Um, can I, are you good with, you come in a little later? I'll come in early. I'll get you guys on the road and you go run, um, the catering or going to weddings and getting everybody served. And then me being able to come home, you know, my, that's my biggest concern.

[00:19:01] A lot of weekends is we work on Saturdays and, um, because it's weddings, you know, and, and, um, I'm really thankful to have the people I do around me because they're allowing me to still be present. Cause I didn't want, I want to run my business. I don't want my business to run me.

[00:19:23] And, and I, that was one fear I had when we first got in the restaurant business that I told my wife that it would not control our life. Now there are times when it does, um, my kids understand wedding season. It's just going to be like that, you know, but I have been, um, you know, lucky enough.

[00:19:47] And we've been busy enough where I can take a Saturday in the fall and go somewhere, you know, or in the summer kind of block off a time where, Hey, we're going to go do this. Um, we're going to be closed or we're going to, we're not going to cater, you know, so, um, we're just lucky. It, but it's a constant balancing act. I mean, it really is. And, but the alternative is awful.

[00:20:16] And, and, and, you know, where I don't get to cook every day and I have to work a nine to five cause I've done that, you know, basically since I was 15 years old, you know? Um, and, but it, it really is, it's, it is really attributed to the people around me. Um, my family, cause my boy, my daughter works for me now, you know what I mean? She's, she's getting ready to turn 19.

[00:20:45] She's in college. So she's one of, she's been working since she was 14 years old. So like I could throw her with a crew and she knows how to run it, you know? And, and I joke with my boys, um, one's getting ready to turn 14. One's getting ready to get turning 13. And I'm like, Hey, you're all getting ready to start learning how to clean pits and running fires. And, you know, bus and tables. I mean, it's just, it's the nature of the monster.

[00:21:11] And, um, I mean, they, I'm sure I want them to have to work in the barbecue business. So when they get older, they don't have to work in the barbecue business. They can go be a doctor or a lawyer and have weekends off. And spend those weekends cooking barbecue if they want to. Right. So you kind of touched on it there for a moment, but I'll still be cooking barbecue. When they get old, I'll still be cooking barbecue. They could come cook for me on a Saturday.

[00:21:41] Yeah, there you go. Well, I want to kind of go back to your background because you touched on it a minute there. You're nine to five working since you were 15. Like a lot of people who wind up in the barbecue business, I don't think getting into barbecue was your original direction. So just quickly tell folks, remind people, what were you doing? And how did you stumble into this? Well, the better question is, what haven't I done?

[00:22:05] You know, I, um, in college, um, I looked at my parents and said, Hey, I'm going to be a golf pro the rest of my life. Um, golf is my passion. I played in college. Um, and then I realized, um, after I got out that, um, the golf business is not playing golf every day. It's standing in a pro shop from eight in the morning until seven at night.

[00:22:32] And, um, you work 50 hours to get paid for like 25 hours. So, um, I got out of that and actually got in the car business, um, sold cars for a while. And then, um, the job that I really had intentions of probably doing for the rest of my life. Um, I was a real estate developer.

[00:22:55] I, I, I worked for one of the, the big pharmacy companies and, um, went and purchased real estate for them and built their stores for them. And I really enjoyed it. I really did. And then it kind of slowed down and, um, I started kind of fiddling with barbecue, you know, just something to pass on to my kids.

[00:23:19] Um, and if I'm a, a reader and a learner by nature, I think that's having two parents that were educators. I'm constantly wanting to try to learn and become better at things that I don't understand. And I don't know. And, um, man, it just blew up.

[00:23:41] I mean, it really, really, uh, I started cooking for, you know, people would say, Hey, can you cook a pig for, you know, for a family reunion? Or I'm cooking 10 Boston butts this weekend. Can you, you know, who wants barbecue? And it really evolved. And then one of my favorite stories is, um, here in Garland, you know, we're like a lot of other small towns.

[00:24:07] And I decided I was going to set up a pop-up tent in my pit and try to sell 50 sandwiches on the side of the road. Um, not really thinking about health department and, you know, those kinds of things. And, um, I sold like a hundred sandwiches in like an hour because while wood cook barbecue is a thing in Eastern North Carolina, there's not a lot of restaurants left that do it that way.

[00:24:37] And, um, so I think I did that on a Thursday on Monday, I got a call from the health department and they said, we know that you're catering some, you sold barbecue sandwiches on the side of the road, either open a restaurant or stop what you're doing. And so then that kind of evolved into us looking at little small buildings in Garland.

[00:25:01] Um, and we moved into an old fish market that was in our family for, I don't know how many years and built a little kitchen on it. I was still doing real estate development. Um, and I kind of got to the point where I was like, you know, maybe we can open one day a week. I could cater like a couple of days a week or a couple of weekends and just, just be a side hustle.

[00:25:27] And we opened the first day we opened, we had 75 people in line. Um, and I have done one, maybe two real estate deals in the last 12 years. I mean, it just is, um, I tell people often that my story is extremely improbable. First restaurant I really worked in was my own. Um, and I read books. Um, I asked questions.

[00:25:54] I had a lot of people that helped me along the way. You know, Bill Smith is a real good friend of mine. Um, Keith Rhodes at Catch, uh, the guys at Southern Soul and, in, uh, St. Simons really kind of took me under their wing. And, um, the guys at home team, you know, became people that I could ask questions.

[00:26:18] And, um, one of the most rewarding things now that I've been in the business so long is I've, people, people are calling me now, you know, and it makes me feel really good to be able to kind of pay it forward for what those restaurant guys did for me that now there's, there's younger guys that will call me and say, Hey, what do you think of this?

[00:26:43] And, you know, I can tell them like those guys told me where I screwed up and where we, where we did the right things. Yeah. And it kind of come full circle there. So, you know, you mentioned this, you're, you're, you're a heavy learner. You like to read, you soak things up. Have you had any formal culinary training? Cause some of the things that you have on the specials board, they get sort of gourmet sounded. No. Um, yeah, I get flack for that. A lot of places.

[00:27:14] Why do you always have to chef it up? Why do you have to put micro greens? Um, no, I have no formal training whatsoever. Um, my grandmother was unbelievable cook. My mom's a great cook. Uh, I'm married into a family of upstate New York Italians that are ridiculous cooks.

[00:27:34] Um, but you will see influences from a lot of people that, um, you know, that I've cooked with, that I take things from them that I've learned from them. Um, but no, I have zero formal training. Um, I just, I, you know, you kind of work through stuff and that's a lot of times we work through things.

[00:28:02] And, and I still, if you sat me down beside somebody, um, you know, we've been open almost 12 years. If you sat me down with like a CIA grad and I've got a cousin, that's a culinary grad. I do stuff wrong. Um, but I'm like, you know what, we've been doing it long enough. Like, I don't care. Like we're going to keep doing it this way. But, you know, I think you, you always need to, in any aspect of life, you need to constantly be learning.

[00:28:32] And, um, I learned that from my grandfather and my father. Um, both of them, you see them, they would have a book. They would, if there's something they don't know, they would start reading and studying it. I am going through also a bread phase right now where I'm making bread. And, um, you know, it's, it's been very funny at the restaurant.

[00:28:58] They've all been laughing because I'm just obsessed with like making really good, you know, you know, Italian like bread. And I've kind of gone deep. So you'll look in, you know, my nightstand right now is, um, a bread making book. Uh, the, uh, the Noma book about fermentation. And then I think I've got like a salad, like a vegetable book.

[00:29:27] Cause it's that time of the year for us where we're starting to work on new things for our catering menu and preparing for summertime. Yeah. It's exciting. I want to talk more about the horizon. We're going to get into the barbecue festival in just a moment, but on that horizon, anything coming up? What's the, what have you got in the future? What does it hold for the business for you guys? Not just from a menu perspective, but anything new coming down the pipe for you? Yeah. So we're excited.

[00:29:55] Um, this fall we kind of extended our hours and started opening on Friday nights. Um, just to kind of, I didn't want to do it in the summer because that is our busy time with travelers and stuff. So, um, we opened up, um, middle of October and November on Friday nights, uh, kind of a limited menu just to see like, how do we do this?

[00:30:22] Because we've always been programmed to, Hey, when we sell out, like we're gone. Um, and most of the time that's by two o'clock. So we're kind of gearing up probably into March once it really warms up and days get a little bit longer. Um, we're going to start opening on Friday nights full time.

[00:30:41] Um, and you know, one of the, one of the things we're going to do is I'm going to kind of do a play on a meet and three play, um, a meet and three, um, special every night, you know, to really, cause I love a good meet and three. Um, you know, if anybody sees me, they know that I love a good meet and three.

[00:31:04] Um, but really kind of expanding, um, our menu offerings with that meet and three where we're really kind of doing some new funky things like bringing in liquor pudding. And instead of like sweet potato casserole, doing that liquor pudding and, and doing some marigold tomatoes and, and kind of really exposing people to those obscure recipes, like from the South that I love.

[00:31:32] Um, we're also, you know, I'm probably going to do like a seafood special on Friday nights, especially once it warms up and we're starting to go to the coast more and more. And, and that kind of stuff where I can be getting, you know, fish that are coming off the boat and, and, you know, bring them back to the restaurant and everything. Um, and we're still going to offer free beer Friday nights, you know what I mean?

[00:31:59] That's, um, people like that is fun. I have some customers that turn their noses up at it, but, um, you know, that's one of the things I'm really excited about is cause we do have a lot of travelers on 701. That are going to White Lake, they're going to Myrtle beach, you know, and they're like, Oh, we can't get there before you're sold out everything.

[00:32:21] So we're going to kind of stay up until two and then give us a couple of hours to kind of reset, um, get everything kind of back normal and then open up for 35 o'clock for, you know, two or three hours. And really, you know, a lot of loud music. Um, you know, eventually I would love to, you know, stick a band back there.

[00:32:43] You know, really kind of have just a fun party scene where our town, unfortunately in this area at five o'clock, everything kind of shuts down, you know, and, um, we want to draw people that can't get to us at lunch. We want them to come eat dinner with us, you know, and sit outside. I mean, you know, we've got a huge big patio area, um, that we really want to start back using more. We used it a lot before COVID.

[00:33:12] And then when COVID hit, we kind of shut down and just didn't really focus on getting, you know, um, getting people outside and eating community tables and, and that kind of stuff. So I'm really, really excited about that. Um, new menu stuff. Uh, we're really starting to kind of test batch and R and D some really like super new, cool things, um, that we're really rolling out.

[00:33:42] And part of that is, you know, Jake's always doing new stuff. Um, you know, I laugh, my buddies are pushing me to want to do new things. And, um, so, you know, Robbie's, Robbie's constantly, you know, pushing the envelope and doing new stuff. And, um, sometimes I feel like I get beat and I'm like, man, I was thinking about doing that. Now y'all are doing it, you know?

[00:34:10] So, um, you know, the Joneses. Yeah, a little bit. Yeah. You know, and, and I, I, I think it's an honor for me. It's one of the ultimate, you know, ultimate honors when I see a friend doing a version of one of my recipes at their restaurant. For example, like Lewis did collard chowder.

[00:34:39] Jake did his version of a collard chowder. You know, um, Dylan, Dylan is obsessed. I do these pork nuggets and every time I'm around him, I do them. And like Dylan did a version of our pork nuggets. And, and that is the ultimate compliment. You know, when you see, um, you know, friends and people you respect and admire doing things, you know, that you've done.

[00:35:05] So, um, this is a fun time of year. It's a slow time of year. Um, for us. But this is the, the R and D and I love the R and D of food. I love the prep and the, the constantly working on new stuff. Like for example, we just did a new, um, pickled tomato. And I cannot wait.

[00:35:30] Like when we start doing that on our catering menu and introducing it to our customers, because it is so good. And especially when we start getting tomatoes that, you know, have just been picked, uh, that it's just going to be an explosion. Like, you know, and I like, I get excited about new salads and, and, you know, those kinds of things.

[00:35:55] And, um, we are, we're doing a new dish, um, that we've never done before in Kiowa this weekend. So like, I'm, I'm really excited about some of our new stuff. Um, not necessarily like growth, but new things that we're going to be introducing our customers. Yeah. And again, it's like, it's sort of a running theme here with our conversation.

[00:36:19] A lot of passion, a lot of things that make it fun, kind of breaking up the monotony, uh, all interesting stuff to kind of make a business work in the business world these days. Speaking of making things work, let's move into something else that's on the horizon. That's the Carolina barbecue festival coming up April 4th and 5th. Again, all the details at carolinabbqfest.org. And, and Matt, I've met you out there a few years running now, and I know, uh, you've been out there. You put out great food every year.

[00:36:46] You're always a big, uh, a big draw, long lines that you're serving. Let me ask you, why do you keep coming back? Why do you do the Carolina barbecue festival? Man, um, it's about the people, you know, um, yeah, Louis has become a really good friend of mine. Um, I probably talk to Louis once or twice a week, but also I think.

[00:37:13] We, I have friends in the business that I talk to very often. Um, I text with, and we talk to, but we're not together very often. You know, we see each other. These are some of my like best buddies, but we see each other four times a year, you know?

[00:37:33] And, and when we can all get together, um, at, you know, where it's low, it's low stress for us. You know, I mean, this is, these types of events are extremely fun for us. Um, now if you would have asked me last year, about an hour and a half in where we're cooking cheeseburgers, it was not fun, um, but you had a lot of murders going at the same time.

[00:38:02] Man, we did. We had a, we had a Lang 84. I don't know if a Lang 84 has ever cooked that many cheeseburgers at one time, but, um, but it really is, you know, and I love Charlotte. I really, I love the Charlotte area. Um, and I've got a lot of friends in the area, so it just kind of makes sense for us.

[00:38:25] Um, but man, the people, like I get to see everybody, you know, like I know that, um, Dylan's going to be beside me and I'm going to be able to give him a hard time for at least six hours on Saturday. Um, you know, um, I'm really excited this year that, um, Eric Pickle from, uh, Smoke Pickle Barbecue in Knoxville is going to be there.

[00:38:51] Eric is a great guy and someone that I have admired from afar. Um, and I've eaten his food a couple of times and it was incredible. So I'm really, I'm excited, um, to have him, someone that I know to be able to introduce him to an even larger, bigger barbecue community.

[00:39:13] I, I joke on this side of the mountains, you know, um, and you know, Brian Furman, Brian is, um, Brian is my brother from another mother. And, um, he and I, we probably talk two or three times a week and it's just fun. You know, it's fun to get to walk around and eat everybody's food and give each other a hard time.

[00:39:36] And, you know, and I love the aspect of meeting new customers and new people that enjoy what we do. Um, you know, and it's fun. And one thing I love about it is I get to bring my family.

[00:39:50] Um, I often, we, we travel and it may be just Jessica and I, but with this one, you know, that's one of the things that, um, Louis is, is okay with is the fact that my boys, my daughter, they all get to come, you know? And that's a big deal for, for me is that my family gets to travel and now they are no, they know some of my friends that are, they're not around very often.

[00:40:20] And they get to know those personalities. Like they're cracking jokes when they see Mr. Dylan or Mr. Jake. And I have my middle son. If Mr. Jake is not doing beeria tacos, he's going to fuss about it. He's going to fuss. Mine will too. And, you know, so, um, but they get to meet these people that are part of my life. And that's a big deal to me.

[00:40:48] So big deal aside, what are you bringing to the festival this year? So, um, we've talked about all these, like me evolving and all this stuff.

[00:41:00] And, um, I told Louis last year, uh, about 45 minutes before it was over with, and I might've used a few words that we can't say on the podcast, but, um, that I was never going to do a cheeseburger again, because we kind of quit counting that like 1400 cheeseburgers. And it was just a lot.

[00:41:23] And, um, so this year I have always joked, um, with Charleston and all the events that one day I want to do a hot dog. I want to do a Eastern North Carolina, bright leaf hot dog. So, um, after I was fussing at Louis and I hugged his neck, I said, I'm doing hot dogs next year. And he said, you can do whatever you want to, like, I love you and you can do whatever you want to.

[00:41:53] So we are doing, um, bright leaf hot dogs. We're going to charcoal them off, like get them, you know, a little burnt, a little crispy. I'm going to do a brisket chili and then our like Eastern North Carolina white slaw, just very simple, but very, I'm very peculiar about, about several things. I am peculiar about barbecue. I'm very peculiar about fried chicken and I'm very peculiar about hot dogs.

[00:42:20] Um, a lot of people don't know, but with us traveling, uh, about six years ago, we started a gas station hot dog 24 seven, um, Instagram page where we would rate hot dogs in gas stations all, all through our travels. And, um, we needed to go back to it, um, and really kind of crank it back up. But I am a sucker for a good, like red hot dog.

[00:42:48] And I don't know, do y'all, do y'all have bright leaf hot dogs in Charlotte? The red hot dogs? I've not seen one. I've seen red hot dogs, but that's not a common thing. Yeah. I mean, this is a very cultural east of I-95 thing. And it's, um, it's one of those things like when you go to other places, you can't find Duke's mayonnaise.

[00:43:13] Um, but this is like, I mean, this is a part of my childhood and, um, it's so Eastern North Carolina. Like, it's not even funny. And people, I was talking to Eric Pickle and he was like, so what are you doing? I'm thinking about doing blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. It was all these, like, it was really sounded frigging amazing. But I was like, yeah, man, I'm doing hot dogs. Like, we're cooking hot dogs.

[00:43:39] Because I also know, like, Garen's going to be there doing, like, brisket. Dylan's going to probably do, like, brisket or beef ribs. Jake's going to do a taco. Um, B's probably going to cook ribs, which he should. Don't reveal all the secrets yet. Some of those things you've got to keep in. I want to do, I just wanted to cook a hot dog. And, um, it is literally one of my favorite things.

[00:44:08] So, and we're going to make this, like, coleslaw. I'm not going to do, like, put caviar on top of it. This is just going to be a really great gas station, like, Eastern North Carolina gas station hot dog. We're going to steam the buns, like, really, you know, do it up. And, um, I may, I may make myself sit just standing over there eating hot dogs. I can't wait to try it.

[00:44:36] It'll be at the Carolina Barbecue Festival, April 4th and 5th. Tickets are available. CarolinaBBQFest.org. They got two nights, Friday, the big kickoff event. And then Saturday is the big festival, several hours with Matt and all the barbecue pit masters and hot dogs. And I can't wait for a hot dog. I like slaw on it. So put the slaw and the chili and the hot dog all in one thing. You've been here. You got a layer. You got a layer. Chili first, then a little slaw.

[00:45:06] You know, the salty, the sweet, the little bit of char on the hot dog. We got it. We got to figure it out. Yeah, I can't wait. My mouth's watering already. That may be what's for dinner tonight. Before we wrap it up. I know this is the favorite part of everybody's show, the low and slow showdown, Matt. And I know you've been through this before, but I've mixed it up since the last time. So top of the order. Matt registers music playlist. Top three artists. Oh, wow.

[00:45:36] So I could do mine. I just saw mine from last year. So number one was J. Cole, you know, a Fedville guy. I am a hip hop guy. My second one was Morgan Wallen because I really like Morgan Wallen. You and I both know the connections on why I love Morgan Wallen. We're not going to get into that on the podcast. And then Dirty Heads.

[00:46:07] I love the Dirty Heads. But my music goes everywhere. In the restaurant, it's anything from Motown to really old country music to 90s hip hop. We played Thursday and Friday because it was so cold. We played nothing but Bob Marley. We played reggae music. We were listening to boat music because we're ready for hot weather. That's good.

[00:46:37] That's my top three. Zach Top is like right in there, like 3B, I guess you would say. Gotcha. What's the name of the barbecue joint you grew up on? Oh, man. I'm trying to think. So there wasn't a joint.

[00:47:00] It was Pig Pickens at Family Members is really my most memorable barbecue. Probably youngest. And one I remember is the Barbecue Lodge in Kenston. And it's closed down now. But, yeah, most of my barbecue memories are – I'm Eastern North Carolina, man. I mean, somebody like – it's Friday. Somebody's cooking a pig. You know?

[00:47:28] So that's probably my fondest and most vivid memories of barbecue were pig pickens at different events. A great way to come up. Now, the barbecue restaurant you want to visit, but you haven't gotten there yet. Oh, golly. You're going to paint me in the corner. Probably Leroy and Lewis or either Blue Oak in New Orleans.

[00:47:58] I've worked – Evan is a buddy of mine. I've worked with him. And I actually just worked with the guys from Blue Oak in New Orleans. And both of them. But Evan's place has really been on my list for a long time because Evan is just brilliant. Like, he's one of those guys you're around and you're like, wow. Like, this guy. And Truth, probably. Truth, you know, is right up there, too.

[00:48:26] What is your favorite non-barbecue meal? Oh, pasta. Always pasta. It's always pasta. Pasta or pizza? I'm also into, like, bacon pizzas now. That's another rabbit hole. But, yeah, it's always pasta. We eat a ton of pasta. I mean, at our house, two to three nights a week.

[00:48:51] I mean, my kids – my youngest would eat pasta every night if I would let him. Hey, it's a food group. The bread group is a food group. So let's go to the more healthy side. What is the favorite vegetable to cook? What vegetable do you like to cook the most? Mine is very seasonal. I guess everybody would think I would say collards.

[00:49:21] But I prefer turnips over collards. Squash and okra. Squash and okra for sure. I can't pick one. I love hand-fried okra with a little cornmeal, a little oil, like old school. But I love, like, squash casseroles, those kind of things.

[00:49:48] The vegetable would be harder than, like, picking a barbecue favorite. I know. That's why we went with vegetables. What's something that you will never, ever order on the menu? Mac and cheese. Never order mac and cheese. Never. Because we cook so much of it, I don't want to see mac and cheese at all. Fair enough. Fair enough. The best United States for barbecue.

[00:50:19] North Carolina, period. And my friends in Texas are going to roll their eyes. But it's North Carolina. I mean, it's what I cook. It's what I prefer. Texas is hot. But we're still kings. And I'm going to get some flack for saying that. But I don't care. We've been doing it a long time. Pork or brisket?

[00:50:49] Pork. Pork's king, baby. Pork's king. Is the barbecue better with or without sauce? Ooh, I'm going to give you an answer. You're not. I think lightly sauced. Lightly sauced. You've got to have a little bit of vinegar in pork. You've got to have just a little bit of rub and a little bit of sauce on a rib.

[00:51:19] Brisket, no sauce. Is barbecue a verb or a noun? I knew that was coming. So we could do a whole show on this because I just actually researched. It's actually both. When you really think about it. And I have, I caught some flack. I was standing up doing one of these TED Talks and they asked that question. And I answered it just like I answered you. It is.

[00:51:49] I married an English teacher and I'm going to say it's both. Both. I really, I'm going to say it's both. It really is. But we know what barbecue is in North Carolina. It's not cooking hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill, you know. But it is. And I know that's like everybody hates that answer. But I always say that because it is both, you know.

[00:52:17] And I don't want to get slapped on the hand by my English teacher wife, you know, when I say, oh, no. So it's not this, it's that, you know, and stuff. And that, my friends, is the lowdown from the pit master of Southern Smoke Barbecue and Southern Catering, Matt Register. Matt, thanks again so much for joining our content. And by the way, you're not wrong about that. It is both. It's also an adjective and it's a way of life and it's a state of mind.

[00:52:46] It's all of the above. It is. Thanks for joining us. Man, it's always fun to be on here. We'll see you in Charlotte in a few weeks. Definitely. You've been listening to the Low and Slow Barbecue Show. If you like what you hear, give us a five-star rating on your favorite podcast stream. Share our podcast with your friends or visit us at LowSlowBBQShow.com. Be sure and subscribe to our newsletter. And, hey, we're on YouTube now. Check out the video from the Barbecue Festival and other podcast interviews at our YouTube channel.

[00:53:14] Thanks to our production team at the Mesh.TV Network, a podcast, especially Andrew Moose, the man behind the monitors. Thanks again to our guest, Matt Uregister from Southern Smoke Barbecue in Garland. And most especially, thank you for listening. Remember, for the best barbecue and the best barbecue podcast, make it low and slow.