Barbecue is coming to Brew Belly at 18065 Georgia Ave. in Olney, with the restaurant’s former owner teaming up with its new owner to launch a new catering operation and weekly barbecue pop-up every Friday from 11am-3pm in the Brew Belly parking lot.
David Calkins owned Brew Belly for approximately eight years before selling the business to Ben Schwartz about six months ago. Calkins has remained involved during the transition, helping Schwartz get settled in, and the two are now partnering on Underbelly Barbecue, a new barbecue catering operation based out of Brew Belly.
Calkins is no stranger to barbecue. He founded Urban BBQ and spent several years competing on the World Food Championships circuit. Schwartz is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. Underbelly will hold a “Friday Smoke Show” every Friday from 11am-3pm in the Brew Belly parking lot in Olney, serving what Calkins describes as elevated, competition-style barbecue.
Rather than focusing on one particular barbecue region, the menu pulls from different styles. Calkins describes the brisket as Texas-style and the pulled pork as Memphis-style, with St. Louis spare ribs and jalapeño half smokes also among the initial offerings.
The core menu is expected to remain fairly consistent from week to week, but Calkins plans to mix in different preparations and specialty items. Potential offerings include Dr Pepper ribs, salt-and-pepper ribs, pork belly lollipops and Texas Twinkies. The first week’s lineup features four meats and five sides, with Calkins saying that could eventually expand to as many as six of each. Sides include honey lime coleslaw, deviled egg potato salad, burnt end BBQ beans, braised collard greens and Cooper Sharp mac and cheese.
The partnership also gives Calkins and Schwartz an opportunity to grow Underbelly beyond the Friday events, with barbecue catering operating out of Brew Belly.
Brew Belly itself has undergone another menu change since the ownership transition. The restaurant has moved away from its traditional cheesesteaks in favor of what Calkins describes as a cross between a cheesesteak and a chopped cheese. The sandwiches are served on sesame-seeded Liscio’s rolls.
