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BBQ Joint Sweets & Meats to Open Dine-In Restaurant in Avondale

Sweets & Meats will be serving up its signature slow-smoked meats, homemade sides and desserts crafted from family recipes.

Aug 30, 2024 at 11:20 am

Sweets & Meats BBQ Photo: Provided by Sweets & Meats BBQ

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Popular Cincinnati BBQ joint Sweets & Meats is opening a new dine-in restaurant this September.

The new brick-and-mortar space will be located in Avondale at 3440 Burnet Ave. inside the Herald Building at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. The official opening will be Wednesday, Sept. 11, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony following on Thursday, Sept. 12.

“We are beyond excited to bring Sweets & Meats BBQ to Avondale, especially in such a meaningful location,” Kristen Bailey, co-founder and CEO, said in a press release.

“As one of the only locally based food options in this area, we’re honored to bring comfort food to the dedicated employees and families at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, as well as the nearby Ronald McDonald House and the surrounding community,” co-founder and COO Anton Gaffney added. “This new location represents a significant milestone for us as we continue to grow and give back to the community that has supported us from the very beginning.”

Bailey and Gaffney said the opening of the Avondale restaurant is an exciting development that coincides with Sweets & Meats' celebration of 10 years in business. The new dine-in restaurant will offer the same menu items that made it popular, first at its Mt. Washington location and then as a food truck and catering business. These include the award-winning smoked ribs, rib tips, brisket, chicken wings, pulled pork and pulled chicken, as well as a variety of homemade sides like mac and cheese, collard greens and sweet cornbread. It’ll also have desserts like banana pudding and strawberry crunch cake.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 12 starts at 10:30 a.m. and will feature several high-profile speakers and guests, including master of ceremony Tod Bowen, who is the managing director of external affairs and government relations at the Ohio Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance, and Cincinnati City Councilmember Meeka Owens.

Once open, Sweets & Meats' normal operating hours will be from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

Sweets & Meats BBQ, 3440 Burnet Ave., Avondale. More info: sweetsandmeatsbbq.com.

Slideshow

21 Greater Cincinnati BBQ Joints You Need to Try Before You Die

Velvet Smoke BBQ5626 Cheviot Road, White OakVelvet Smoke BBQ has been serving the Cincinnati community with award-winning, championship barbecue since 2012 after a competition barbecue team decided to follow their passion and cater to a larger audience of barbecue lovers. You can get that championship-quality barbecue on a sandwich, as part of a classic barbecue plate (served with a piece of garlic bread) or as meat by the pound. All their sides are scratch-made and you can order their barbecue sauces (ranging from the mild Sweet & Tangy to the hot PitFire) as half-pints, pints and quarts.

Eli’s BBQ133 W. Elder St., Over-the-Rhine; 3313 Riverside Drive, Columbia TusculumEli’s has over 15 outdoor picnic tables for dining, both in the sun and the shade. Celebrate a warm afternoon with a cold brew and some delicious barbecue, like their pulled pork sandwich with a slide of jalapeño cheddar grits and baked beans. Bring your own beer and enjoy the warmth by the river.

Ollie’s Trolley1607 Central Ave., West EndLocated in a bright yellow and red trolley car, Ollie’s Trolley is a soul food staple in Cincinnati. This little trolley serves a variety of smoked meats, including ribs, turkey tips and pulled pork, plus metts and burgers. They also offer plenty of sides, like collard greens, buttered corn and potato salad. For dessert, get a slice of their lemon pound cake or chess pie, or take a whole pie or cake home to share.

Pig Candy BBQ5901 Kellogg Ave., CaliforniaServing up food so good it’s criminal, Pig Candy BBQ offers a menu of craft barbecue, homemade sauces and inventive sides from their location in a former jail. Meats are smoked on-site and the sides and sauces are made from scratch. Specialties include their Pig Candy Waffle (a gluten-free waffle pressed with pulled pork, topped with maple peach glaze and served with Pig Candy’s tangy white sauce on the side); mac ‘n cheese topped with pulled pork, the sweet and sour red sauce and slaw; and a sampler so you can try a little bit of everything.

Goodies BBQ7440 Hamilton Ave., Mt. HealthyGoodies knows their pork butt: pit-smoked slowly ’til the fat has completely dissolved and a crunchy, caramelized crust has formed on the outside. Lip-smackin’ rib tips and Buffalo wings are complemented by standard Southern sides of collard greens, red beans and rice or mac & cheese. For those not tempted by the sauce, there’s the fish or fried okra. Peach cobbler, sweet potato pie and chess pie are available for dessert.

Incline Smoke Shack7391 Forbes Road, Sayler ParkIncline Smoke Shack serves up its handcrafted barbecue from a food truck permanently parked outside 13 Below Brewery in Sayler Park. Stop by for one of their insanely good barbecue sandwiches like their smoked turkey club, topped with bacon, lettuce, tomato and their cranberry walnut spread, or the chopped brisket, which is tossed with caramelized onions. Sides include favorites like Saratoga chips, mac ‘n cheese and housemade pickles, as well as a sweetcorn spoon bread that you can share…but you probably won’t want to. For a cold beverage, stop in 13 Below for a beer or a housemade hard seltzer (we recommend the orange cream).

Alabama Que2733 Short Vine St., CorryvilleAlabama Que was founded by Dwan Ward, a veteran of the U.S. Navy and former UC football player, in 2008. An Alabama native, Ward’s restaurant oozes Southern charm and a food truck was added to the business to keep up with growing demand. Some meat options include smoked chicken, beef ribs, smoked salmon and their famous turkey tips. Add some of their sides like the green beans, yams or mac & cheese for a hearty barbecue meal, and top it all off with a dessert: peach or apple cobbler, lemon or chocolate cake or banana pudding.

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About The Author

Katherine Barrier

Katherine Barrier is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s journalism program and has nearly 10 years of experience reporting local and national news as a digital journalist. At CityBeat, she oversees the digital and social media strategies, edits web and print content and writes for the dining and arts...