WILMINGTON—If you’ve driven down Oleander Drive, you’ve probably noticed the sizable smoker cooking away in front of Mac’s Speed Shop. It’s been getting ready for this Wednesday, when the restaurant will open to the public.
Related story: Beer, bikes, and barbecue: Mac’s Speed Shop’s award-winning ‘cue coming to Wilmington
According to Tony Iannice, who runs the new Wilmington location of the North Carolina restaurant franchise, the smoker is named “Fat Boy,” and it’s where the restaurant’s wings, ribs, pork and brisket have been smoking.
“We do our brisket for 12 to 14 hours, our ribs for 5 to 6 hours, and our wings — which are smoked, and never fried — for about 2 to 3 hours,” Iannice said.
On the menu
Mac’s Speed Shop is “not the kind of place you leave still hungry,” Iannice said. And, while the restaurant serves lighter options, the heavy hitters on the menu are not for the faint of appetite. (You can check out the full menu at the bottom of this article.)
The restaurant’s barbecue platter, which Iannice expects to be one of the more popular items, weighs out at nearly 4 pounds between meat and sides. Other highlights, besides the barbecue, are the 10-ounce burgers and the cornmeal-encrusted fried catfish, from the Blue Ridge Mountains.
And, yes, there is a food challenge: a 5-pound sandwich load with barbecued meat, pimento cheese, fried pickles and a half-pound side of mac’n’cheese.
“Finish that, and we’ll immortalize you,” Iannice said.
Located in the former TGI Friday’s location, Iannice said customers shouldn’t think of Mac’s Speed Shop like a franchise.
“I couldn’t do this if I wasn’t passionate about it and if they weren’t passionate about the food,” Iannice said. “We’re a restaurant, first. Everything’s fresh, everything’s made from scratch.”
Craft beer, live music, a ‘place for everybody.’
Mac’s Speed Shop has a lot of beer on tap: 80 drafts, 50 of which are craft beer, including Wilmington based breweries New Anthem, Wrightsville Beach Brewery, Waterline Brewing Company and Waterman’s Brewing.
There’s also a few hundred options by the can.
Outside, the restaurant’s dog-friendly outdoor seating is set up around a music stage. According to Iannice, live music is currently planned for Wednesdays and Saturdays.
The restaurant also hosts a night for motorcycle enthusiasts on Wednesday night and “kids-eat-free” night on Tuesdays.
“Families, bikers, businessmen and babies, we want everyone here… we’re a judgement-free zone. It’s a place for everybody,” Iannice said.
Opening on the Fourth of July
Mac’s Speed Shop, located at 4126 Oleander Drive, opens to the public on Wednesday, July 4.
The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to midnight, Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. You can find more information on the Mac’s Speed Shop Facebook page.
Below: Menu for Mac’s Speed Shop (click to enlarge)
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