Nothing quite turns heads in the Monroe Road corridor like a new restaurant. Sit down eateries are few and far between in our part of town, and too often have residents driving to another part of town for some decent food. So we were quick to notice construction on the corner of Monroe Road and Galleria Boulevard just behind the large sign for our area’s newest upcoming restaurant.
We reached out to City Barbeque and got the scoop about what’s filling that location. Here’s our top five takeaways. 
1. On-site smoked BBQ.
City Barbeque has the normal sampling of BBQ, including turkeys and hams for the holidays, and everything is smoked on-site. If you want the tastiest and freshest BBQ, you must go to a restaurant that smokes their meats themselves. All sides are made by hand in-house.
2. Huge outdoor seating.
The new restaurant will have covered seating for 40 to 50 of your closest friends. Outdoor seatings should be a requirement so patrons can enjoy the Charlotte weather, but few of the nearby restaurants subscribe to that belief. This great outdoor seating should easily make City Barbeque a neighborhood hangout.
3. February or March Opening.
Weather permitting, the restaurant should open up just in time for spring. The site still has a long way to go but should bring some added focus to the area around south MoRA and north Matthews, next to Deep Sea Fish Market and across from Tony’s Pizza.
4. The area sealed the deal.
City Barbaque opened their first location in Columbus, Ohio in 1999, and have just expanded into North Carolina with a Ballantyne location. Many of the workers at that location advocated for opening another location in our area, noting this is a great area with limited food options. After a little research they started construction.
5. Lots of activities.
A quick look at their blog (yes, this BBQ restaurant has a blog) shows they host fundraisers, BBQ sauce contests, food promotions, and they told MoRA they are considering hosting events to teach others how to expertly smoke meats and what beers pair with which sauces.
MoRA needs YOUR help! VOLUNTEER with us on important community projects. Can’t volunteer? DONATE to help make our public art dream a reality. Even a $20 tax-deductible donation will help give the neighborhood a beautiful, defining sculpture that residents can be proud of.
