Our March 2020 cover story is all about the Baton Rouge area’s burgeoning barbecue scene, and in it we highlight the stories behind four shining stars around the Capital City.
One of those is the new kid on the block: Hannah Q Smokehouse in Mid City.
For restaurateur Herb Fong, barbecue had long been an engaging family pastime. A couple years ago, Fong—owner of the Cajun eatery Jasmines on the Bayou on Jones Creek Road—wanted to try his hand at selling his own barbecue. Jasmines provided an easy opportunity.
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“We decided to set up a tent outside and sell it there, and it really took off,” says Fong, who subsequently visited barbecue restaurants and smokehouses in Austin and Memphis to gather ideas and talk to pitmasters.
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“I wanted to open a spot that had a little bit of everything my family enjoys,” he says. “I didn’t want it to be high class. I wanted to offer an affordable, but great product.”
Hannah Q, named for Fong’s barbecue-loving, 5-year-old daughter, first opened as a quick service format in Prairieville in 2016. Last year, he opened a second, full-service location at Government and Hebert streets in Mid City. Reception has been so strong that Fong hopes to open another location in south Baton Rouge soon. He’s on the hunt for the right spot.
Read on for the full story on Hannah Q and 17 other barbecue joints around the city in 225‘s March 2020 cover story.