If ever there was any doubt that barbecue belongs among the finest bites in food, five smokehouses in Austin, Texas, recently earned Michelin stars , one of the most coveted restaurant honors.
Prime BBQ owner Chris Prieto always believed barbecue was destined for bigger things. His Knightdale restaurant has become a destination for smoked meat aficionados , earning numerous accolades as it helps redefine the meaning of North Carolina barbecue.
Now Prieto is expanding for the first time.
Next year he will launch Prime STQ in the Horseshoe at HUB RTP development in the Research Triangle Park. Prime STQ will bring upscale wood-fire cooking to the buttoned-up district, offering a barbecue and steakhouse experience that might forever change the expectations for the lunch hour and the after-work dinner.
“I’ve always been fascinated with RTP and if you really want to make something different there, you’ve got to create a true destination,” Prieto said in a phone interview. “You have to create something that could change the whole restaurant game and landscape.”