Smoked Bbq

The savory scent of hickory and slow-smoked pork is an unexpected but entirely welcomed aroma filling the air these days at the end of Key Wests Charterboat Row, home to dozens of the citys charter fishing boats. Its smelling really good out here, one marina resident said on Wednesday, taking a deep breath while walking past the floating restaurant that will open later this month as Smoked BBQ. Mick Reed smiled proudly from inside the houseboat restaurant that until recently had housed Thai Life restaurant, which had replaced the infamous Capt. Runaground Harveys restaurant. Reed pulled open the heavy doors of Smoked BBQs new rotisserie smoker and peered inside the fragrant interior at the giant slab of pork that had been circling for hours. We want our guests to be able to see the smoker in action, so diners will be able to watch me pull out the meat, slice the brisket, and pull the pork that ends up on their plate, said Reed, an Atlanta native who came to Key West six years ago with the former Johnny Rockets franchise. I absolutely fell in love with this island. This place has been one of the best decisions I ever made, and I wasnt in any rush to leave. I dont think Ill ever leave. When Gas Monkey replaced Johnny Rockets on lower Duval Street, Reed became the new general manager, a position he still holds. He and one of the partners in Gas Monkey, Mike Flaherty, are opening Smoked BBQ on the boulevard with a targeted date of Feb. 28. Were not going to rush things, Reed said from the houseboats kitchen that sometimes lists to port or starboard depending on the breeze and current. We know how important first impressions are, and we bought the boat outright, so we wont open until were satisfied that everything is ready for our guests. Growing up in Georgia, Reed said hes been around barbecue all his life, but at Smoked BBQ, hes been careful to combine the Southern flavor with Kansas City-style barbecue, Texas-style and Memphis-style. Reed handles the whole smoking pr