TRENTON >> The 1911 SmokeHouse Bar-B-Que is living up to its name.
At the grand opening ceremony of the West Front Street restaurant on Wednesday afternoon, white smoke billowed from the smoker, properly called Boss Hog.
“That’s what we use to smoke all our meats,” said owner Maurice Hallett, who stands an imposing 6’6″. “We smoke everything in that – our mac and cheese, our collard greens, and our baked beans. Anything that we can smoke, we smoke in there.”
A Ewing native, Hallett selected Trenton as the destination for his restaurant because he believes in the potential of the capital city.
“There’s definitely going to be a turnaround and I want to be a part of it,” Hallett said. “There’s no barbecue in the area and from the response we’ve got from the past two weeks, people have been waiting for something like this.”
Councilwoman Marge Caldwell-Wilson, who represents the North Ward where the restaurant is located, learned how tasty the meat is the first night 1911 opened. She was offered wings, which she generally does not eat.
“I cleaned them off the bone,” Caldwell-Wilson said. “I have to say this is one of the best chefs and the best food that I’ve eaten in a long time.”
Hallett honed in on his smoking skills traveling the country at his previous job in the automotive industry.
“Barbecue has always been a love of mine,” said Hallett, a former Lehigh University small forward and shooting guard from 1993-1996. “I’ve eaten barbecue from hole-in-the-wall places to famous establishments, so I know good barbecue, I know bad barbecue. I started smoking meats five years ago.”
Hallett purchased the property at 11 W. Front St. in late June. It used to be the location of 11 West, an Italian restaurant, and other dining establishments that have come and gone. The “1911” in the restaurant’s name pays homage to the year Hallett’s fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi, was founded.
“Look at this patio, there’s nothing like this in Trenton,” Hallett said, taking in the scene in the heart of downtown Trenton. “It’s a beautiful bar, it’s a unique property.”
Making some upgrades, Hallett turned the upstairs of the 1870 building into additional dining area space. The downstairs showcases the building’s charm with a long wooden bar and exposed brick walls.
The restaurant is a family affair – Hallett’s brother, Reggie, is the chef, their cousin, Khaleef, is a co-owner, and other family members are returning to the area to be a part of the new operation.
On Wednesday, Hallett was presented a proclamation from Assemblywoman Liz Muoio (D-Mercer/Hunterdon) and her 15th Legislative District colleagues. Muoio joked the proclamation contained the restaurant’s slogan.
“This is the only time that ‘You can’t beat our meat’ has ever appeared on a legislative proclamation,” she said. “We have faith in the city because people like you have faith in the city.”
Hallett said he’s heard a lot from the naysayers about why he chose Trenton.
“But I’ve grown up being a person that thrives on proving people wrong,” Hallett said. “A lot of the naysayers who said it wouldn’t work, it wasn’t going to happen, want to be involved when we open other locations. The plan has always been to franchise.”
Mayor Eric Jackson said the restaurant’s opening stimulates the downtown economy.
“Businesses such as this will bring in people to enjoy not only great food, great conversation, but (people will come to) a downtown that we’re working to revive and to make into a great downtown,” he said.
For more information on the restaurant, visit 1911bbq.com or call 609-695-1911.
