Tag: Bryant Bain

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

We Saw You: Bain Barbecue & Bakery Has Sumptuous Soft Opening

Dinnertime at Bain Barbecue & Bakery soft opening. (Credit: Ryan Glosson)

Passed appetizers, menu samples, or a seated dinner with a limited menu is what I’ve found to be the norm at new restaurant soft openings.

Not so at Bain Barbecue & Bakery.

I was among the 70 people who attended what chef/co-owner Bryant Bain called the “soft opening for the soft opening” on June 2nd for the new restaurant at 993 South Cooper Street in Cooper-Young. Another soft opening is planned.

“We are currently open to the public for breakfast,” Bain says. They’ll begin serving lunch and dinner June 10th at the beautiful, light and airy restaurant in the old Stone Soup space.

Bain Barbecue & Bakery (Credit: Michael Donahue)

Bain recounted the evening’s menu: “Appetizer was house queso with choice of brisket or pork. Main plate was brisket, ribs, pork, a half chicken, and our scratch-made sausages, one regular and one jalapeño cheddar. The sides were mac and cheese, baked potato salad, brisket pinto beans, and lime cilantro slaw. Dessert was pecan pie, crack pie, vanilla cakes, chocolate cake, or strawberry cake.”

That main plate heaped with food resembled more of a Thanksgiving dinner instead of a soft opening. “Groaning board” was an accurate term for what the picnic table (I ate outdoors with friends) resembled with our overflowing trays.

The food was delicious. First was the queso appetizer by itself like a soup instead of with chips. I thought that was all I was going to get to eat, so I also ate almost all the chips in the basket. I was mighty surprised when an enormous platter of food appeared. It was even more surprising when Bain’s wife, Heather, said, “Wait — we forgot this.” And co-owner Ryan Glosson added the half chicken breast to my plate.

Manager Jackson Cobb, Heather and Bryant Bain, Ryan Glosson at Bain Barbecue & Bakery (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Molly and Marcus Moss at Bain Barbecue & Bakery (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Quin Teachy and Michael Ivy at Bain Barbecue & Bakery (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Emma Blau and Cooper Smith at Bain Barbecue & Bakery (Credit: Michael Donahue)

Later, when I was walking out the door, somebody asked, “Don’t you want dessert?” I was about to fall in love with Bain’s vanilla cake.

“Haley Stephens is our head baker,” Bain says. “All my recipes, but she pours her heart and soul into everything she makes.”

And then something else I’ve never seen at a soft opening party: a blessing of the smoker. The Rev. Canon Sharon A. Alexander of The Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee did the honors. Guests gathered outside to watch.

The Rev. Canon Sharon A. Alexander blesses “Peggy” the smoker at Bain Barbecue & Bakery (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Priscilla Shaw and Pierre Shaw at Bain Barbecue & Bakery (Credit: Michael Donahue)
KK Muller and Logan Feathers at Bain Barbecue & Bakery (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Collier Roberts and Ella McLaughlin at Bain Barbecue & Bakery (Credit: Michael Donahue)

 The smoker’s name, by the way, is “Peggy.” 

 “ ‘Peggy’ is for ‘Peggy Hill’ from King of the Hill,” Bain says. “I name all my pits after my favorite cartoon women. Peggy Hill is a strong Texas woman and King of the Hill was a show far before its time.”

Bain, whose hometown is Hillje, Texas, originally opened his food truck, which specialized in Texas craft-style brisket. After he closed it, several people discussed partnering on some sort of business. But when Glosson talked to him, they just clicked.

Samantha Fong and Rita Fong at Bain Barbecue & Bakery (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Sara Sterling and Joe Rondone at Bain Barbecue & Bakery (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Billy, Curt, and Sarah Cowan at Bain Barbecue & Bakery (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Joanne and Jim Lippy at Bain Barbecue & Bakery (Credit: Michael Donahue)
We Saw You
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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Bain Barbecue & Bakery Coming to Cooper-Young

Bain Barbecue & Bakery to open in February in old Stone Soup location in Cooper-Young. (Credit: Heather Bain)

When Ryan Glosson heard the Bain BBQ food truck was going out of business last October, he stopped by and tried some of Bryant Bain’s barbecue.

Glosson thought, “This is too good to not exist. How can we make this work?”

So, Glosson and Bain joined forces. They plan to open Bain Barbecue & Bakery in late February in the old Stone Soup Cafe & Market building they recently purchased at 993 Cooper Street in Cooper-Young.

Bain posted on social media that he had to close his food truck, which specialized in Texas craft-style brisket. “We just ran out of money to keep it afloat,” he says. “And we were at a point where we weren’t profitable yet.”

Several people had talked to Bain about partnering with him on some sort of business, but when Glosson talked to him, they just clicked.

The bakery part of the business will open first. “There’s a place in my hometown, Hillje, Texas, [called] Prasek’s [Family Smokehouse],” Bain says. “They make homemade sausage and kolaches.”

A kolache, he says, is “this dough. And you punch a hole in the bottom to make a tiny little bread bowl; essentially, and you fill it with cream cheese and jam.”

Kolaches will be served at Bain Barbecue & Bakery (Credit: Heather Bain)

Bain yearned for Prasek’s. “I wanted their food. I decided to do the next best thing and make it for myself.”

He thought, “I should do a bakery.”

Ironically, Glosson, who had lived in Austin and San Francisco, was already thinking about opening a similar business in Memphis. When Bain shared his ideas, Glosson said, “Holy shit. We have to do this. It’s fate.”

Bain also will make “klobasneks,” which are savory kolaches. “We’ll have sausage cheese, sausage, cheese and jalapeño; ham, cheese, and jalapeño,” he says.”And I just told Ryan about this, Heather, [Bain’s wife] also is working on a stuffed biscuit recipe that will have egg, cheese, and bacon; and sausage, cheese, and bacon inside of a biscuit and you can take it and run.”

That will be on the breakfast bakery side, Bain says. “Then all manner of cookies and cinnamon rolls. I’ve been working on a ton of different recipes — a bunch of stuffed cookies like salted caramel stuffed chocolate chip cookies, brownie stuffed chocolate chip cookies, Nutella stuffed sugar cookies.”

Brownie-stuffed cookies will be sold at Bain Barbecue & Bakery (Credit: Heather Bain)

“And they are freaking fabulous,” Glosson says.

The bakery will start serving “in the early hours,” he says. They will deliver as well as take orders at a counter. “Your order comes out and there’ll be tables in an area where you can sit.”

The barbecue portion of the restaurant will come later because the new pit won’t be delivered until March. They need to build an external outdoor structure that will enclose the pit — a 1,000 gallon smoker. “We’re working with architects right now on the drawings themselves,” Glosson says. “Barbecue will come in the summer. Hopefully, late summer.”

They will have his famous brisket as well as Memphis-style barbecue including pulled pork, Bain says. “We’re switching to house-made sausage. I’ll be making all the sausage in house.”

Bryant Bain’s brisket will be sold at Bain Barbecue & Bakery (Credit: Heather Bain)

In addition to seating customers in the two front dining rooms, Glosson says, “We want the building to be able to double as an event space for corporate events. We’ve got several friends in town who say there’s a need for an event space in Cooper-Young that can do events for between 50 and 100 people.”

They’ve already come up with the bathroom themes. “We’re going to have one pig-themed bathroom and one cow-themed bathroom,” Glosson says. “They’re going to be very, very cute.”

The interior will be done in “multiple colors,” Glosson says. “We’re going to have blue in the foyer, a cream color in the dining room, a red in the adjoining room in the front. We’re going to have the cream with some red in there and some exposed brick.”

They’re working with Jason Lowe on the interior design, Glosson says.

The two-story building is about 4,000 square feet, he says. They will be using only the first floor for now, but the restaurateurs hope to start using the upstairs space as more dining rooms once the barbecue gets going.

Then there’s “the line,” Glosson says. “One of the things that’s really cool about these barbecue restaurants in Texas is ‘the line.’ When the brisket comes up and they start to cut it, serve it, in Austin people start lining up at 7, 8 a.m. They’ll bring a cooler and lawn chairs. When it’s gone, it’s gone. They want to make sure they get some.”

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Bain BBQ Food Truck — Serving Texas and Memphis ‘Cue — Will Debut March 28th

CREDIT: Heather Bain


Heather Bain

Bryant Bain and his Bain BBQ food truck.

The Bain BBQ food truck will hit the ground running when it open to the public on March 28th.

This is the food truck owned by Bryant Bain, who will sell Texas style barbecue alongside Memphis style.

“I’m setting up at 2120 Central,” says Bain, 30. “That little weird corner section by the MAPCO and Memphis Made, Railgarten. A good little spot to set up a barbecue truck. This is where I’m going to be for now.”

Bain, who is from Louise, Texas, describes Texas barbecue as “beef-based,” and Memphis barbecue as “dry-rub pork-centric.”

He will offer both types of barbecue, but he’s upped his game on the Texas ‘cue. “I’m going to take the brisket one step further. I’m using Wagyu beef instead. Wagyu is if you took prime and stepped it up even further. It’s kind of the top you can get in beef in America. It’s kind of like Kobe, which in Japan is their top of the line. I just want to serve the best I can possibly serve to people.”

And, he says, “This beef, I know where it’s coming from. It’s ethically raised in a way I’m OK with. It’s all natural, which I prefer. No growth hormones or anything gross like that.

“I was just going to use Angus prime and that’s fine. I love Angus prime. It’s just when you have a piece of Wagyu beef, it really is kind of life-changing. The fat melts into your mouth like no other beef does. And I just want people to be able to experience that.” 

Everything “will be done in-house: brisket, pork ribs, pulled pork. We’re going to have some sausage I’m importing from my hometown in Texas.”

Bain’s cooking method is “a simple dry rub and just slow smoking on an open fire.” Using oak wood, he adds.

Sides will include coleslaw, beans, macaroni and cheese, and potato salad. “You’re not going to see much difference when it comes to barbecue sides. Some will have 20 sides. Some, like mine, have four sides that are done well.”

As for desserts, Bain says, “My desserts are going to be a banana pudding and a giant chocolate chip cookie. I’m working on mini hand pies. I haven’t quite perfected what I want to do with that.”

He and his wife, Heather, will operate the food truck, which, for now, will only be open on Sundays.

Bain still plans to open a food truck park for his truck, which will be parked there permanently, and for other food trucks. “That will probably be a little while. I’m working with a company here in town, Archimania. They just did a rough design. I’m going to start meeting with financial people to get the money to move forward.”

As for anybody turning up their nose at Texas barbecue, Bryant says, “I haven’t really seen anything negative. It’s either been super positive because people people are from Texas or they want some kind of beef option here in town. Or it’s been cautiously optimistic. Oh, Memphis, it’s a pork town, but I think they’ll be willing in time to give it a try.”

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Bain BBQ — a Texas-Style Barbecue Food Truck — To Hit Midtown in March

Bryant Bain in his Bain BBQ food truck



Get ready for the Bain BBQ food truck to roll into Midtown in early March.

And think “Texas.”

“I’m from Texas, so it will be Texas craft barbecue,” says owner Bryant Bain. “But it does have a little Memphis influence.”

Bain, 30, who is from Louise, Texas, described the difference between the two ’cues. “Compared to Memphis barbecue, which is your dry-rub pork-centric, Texas barbecue, especially mine, is beef-based. So, the brisket is king when it comes to my barbecue.”

He also will sell Memphis-type barbecue, including ribs and pulled pork. “But I’ll focus more on beef and sausage and beef ribs.”

Bain BBQ beef ribs

Bain began barbecuing when he was 12 years old. “I competition barbecued with my family. We had a giant rig and we’d go around Texas competing. I fell in love with it. I just love the smell of smoke and the patience it takes: 14, 16 hours to bring this tough cut of meat that, used to be, nobody wanted and turn it into something delectable.”

He seasons his brisket like he would a steak with just salt, pepper, and garlic. “My briskets are USDA prime. I don’t do anything lower than that. 

“My real secret, I guess, is my cooker. I have a pure wood-burning cooker. I don’t know anybody else in Memphis who does pure wood. I know a lot of people who use charcoal and wood, but mine is pure wood-burning. I throw logs on a fire and that’s it.”

That’s why his method of cooking is known as “craft barbecuing,” Bain says. “It’s going back to the original barbecue days when people would literally have a fire and slow-roast a piece of meat.”

Bain uses an “offset stick burner” to cook the meat. “There are two chambers. A big chamber — that’s your main chamber where you put your meat. And off to the side of it is a smaller chamber. That’s where the fire burns. On the opposite side is the chimney stack. It creates a draft and it pulls the heat and smoke across the meat.”

He uses “pure oak” to cook the meat. “I like the flavor best. Every type of wood gives you a different flavor. And, usually, you’ll cook with whatever is regionally available. Back in Texas, I cooked with post oak. Here, red and white oak. Some use hickory, some fruit woods like cherry, peach.”

Bain, who moved to Memphis six years ago, says, “It’s the best decision I ever made because I met my wife here. Heather Waldecker. She will be helping in the truck and her sister in law, who is going to move here this weekend, will be doing all the side dishes and desserts for me. Hannah Waldecker.”

Side dishes will be potato salad and a “combo vinegar/mayo-based” coleslaw, which, Bain says, “won’t be super vinegary. More of a mayo base, but not really thick.”

He also will serve a smoked macaroni and cheese. And “Texas pinto beans. “They’re not like the sweet barbecue beans you get here. They’re kind of like chili beans.”

Desserts will include caramel banana pudding and “a couple of different miniature pies. We’re going to be rotating. Chocolate pecan pie, Tennessee chess pie, and key lime pie are the three that are for sure.”

Bain loves Memphis. “I’ve never seen a community take such pride in itself than I have in Memphis: 901 Day. ‘Grit Grind.’ ‘It’s a Memphis Thing.’”

Bain, who lives in Midtown, says, “I love the charm of Midtown. I love all the good bars here and all the good restaurants in Midtown. I love all parts of Memphis, really, but Midtown is probably my favorite.”

This will be his first food truck experience, says Bain, who works remotely as an IT manager for a Minneapolis company. He asked some friends who were moderators of the Memphis Sandwich Clique Facebook group if he could sell some of his barbecue plates. “Kind of get an idea if people like my style of barbecue. And it was a raging success.”

Bain, who built his food truck, says, “It looks very vintage. Kind of ’50s vintage Americana.”

The outside of the trailer is built with “all sheet metal roofing, that kind of wavy metal. So, it looks like an old Airstream. This is actually a trailer I pull around with my truck.”

Bryant Bain and his Bain BBQ food truck

Bain doesn’t plan on stopping with his food truck; his future plans include opening a food truck park in Midtown. “We’re still in the very early talks.”

He’s already talked with Archimania architect firm about designing it. “It will be a food truck park/beer garden. People can get food from their favorite food truck, grab a beer, and just hang out.”

Bain will have his food truck permanently set up at the park. “The way I do my cooking, it’s hard to move my trailer around because I have to have the fire going 24/7.”

Bain BBQ brisket

Bryant Bain