SmokeHouse Miami is bringing Texan-style BBQ from the hands of four Nicaraguans.
It's a busy Saturday night at Concrete Beach Brewery in Wynwood and while customers are ordering their beers, they're also ordering ribs, eating mac n' cheese, and pouring BBQ sauce all over their pulled pork sliders from SmokeHouse Miami.
What started out as cooking on a BBQ smoker with friends on vacation at Lake Butler, FL. has turned into a whole business for two Nicaraguan couples who have been friends forever - and are even fifth cousins!
"We have a passion for barbeque, we just never thought to make a business out of it," Sandra Blandino said. "It's even become a family affair!"
SmokeHouse Miami began about a year and a half ago to provide Miami with quality food such as pulled pork sliders, ribs, and macaroni and cheese. Even their kids have become a part of the business; they sometimes deliver orders and help their parents on-site at pop-ups, like at Concrete Beach Brewery, and at various food festivals.
In fact, without their kids they wouldn't be as successful - each parent still has a full-time job.
While you can find the kids helping at the cash register and taking orders, you can find the men of the families on the smoker. Each of their ribs is made with a dry rub, Texan-style, and cooked for 6 hours. They add their house-made BBQ sauce afterward.
If you want more than just BBQ, they also specialize in Paella; Blandino's husband discovered his passion for it and their customers have found that they love it as well.
"This is our retirement plan," Blandino laughs.
While others may dread the thought of working with family and/or friends, the two couples have gotten along really well and are logical about business decisions. The men are in charge of cooking the meat and paella and the women handle the marketing, delivery orders, and accounting. If they ever run into problems, they have outside friends that serve as their mediator.
As for where they get inspiration for their dishes, a lot of it comes from family and friends. They created a Slider Bar inspired by a friend's graduation party that wanted something easy and delicious to share. In fact, it's so good, it's Sandra's favorite item they have!
"In short, we're a catering company that doesn't cut corners. We wanted to create a good place to find brisket in Miami," Blandino said. "We cook out of passion and have both discovered and refined our passion for cooking!"
In a time where everyone is supporting local businesses in light of COVID-19, SmokeHouse Miami is a great place to start! They specialize in catering and delivering.
I'd eat here after reading this. Very informative and down to earth!