When my wife, Amy, and I are on a road trip and we pass a barbecue joint that resembles Henry’s Smokehouse — free standing, a pile of wood in the back, soft blue smoke coming out the chimney — I’m stopping.
It doesn’t matter if we just had breakfast or dinner, because if we don’t stop, I’ll lie awake at night wondering what I missed. Tiger O’Rourke, a partner at Henry’s, has the same habit.
“I’m the same way, John. If we’re on the road and there’s a joint on the road, we’re going to pull in for that same reason,” O’Rourke said. “Barbecue restaurants like ours are a dying breed. There’s so much commercialized, modernized barbecue out there that lacks love or creativity, so if there’s a legit joint on the side of the road, I’m there.”…