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photo by Hannah Reel
At top, Sugar Man’s Smoke House and BBQ employee Abraham O’Neal and owner Leslie Floyd wait for the potatoes to come around in the rotating smoker at the restaurant.
Published Sunday, April 5, 2009
NATCHEZ — Leslie Floyd has been awake for nearly 18 hours. He is tired, his feet hurt and he nearly fell asleep in the bathtub.
But even the brown paper towels on the table can’t wipe the grin off his face.
No, the paper towels aren’t good at wiping off expressions, but Floyd said they do a good job at wiping away excess homemade barbecue sauce at Sugar Man’s Smoke House and BBQ on John R. Junkin Drive in Natchez.
Floyd said the long days and nights and aching feet are a price he is willing to pay to put food on someone else’s table.
“I just love this. Cooking is my passion,” Floyd said. “I’ve always wanted to open a barbecue restaurant, and now I have.”
The restaurant opened on Wednesday and has seen a constant stream of business since that first day, Floyd said.
“We open at 10:30 and by a quarter until 11 we are slammed,” Floyd said as he left the table to wait on another customer. “And it doesn’t stop for the rest of the day.”
Floyd owns the restaurant with his wife Brenda. And both said they never batted an eye when the idea of opening a barbecue joint was first discussed.
Photo by Hannah Reel
Sugar Man’s Smoke House and BBQ employee Mary Timmons hands food to customer Arlana Davis, of Ferriday, at the restaurant at 230 John R. Junkin Dr.
The menu includes beef brisket, chopped pork, chicken and beef, smoked sausage and chicken and ribs.
They also have steak nights on Friday nights that feature a steak, that Leslie marinades for at least 24 hours, baked potato and a green salad.
Brenda said the ribs have been flying out the door like “pigs with wings.”
“We’ve sold 14 cases of ribs in just the first three days,” she said.
The restaurant specializes in smoked and barbecued foods and Leslie prides himself on sticking to what he knows.
“There is no fried food on this menu,” he said. “That’s a different kind of restaurant. We’re fast but we aren’t fast food.”
And the couple doesn’t want to stop with just lunch and dinner. They also want to grow their business to include catering and hosting private parties on the restaurant’s patio.
“I don’t care what size — small or large — if you give me enough notice, I can do it,” Leslie said.
Brenda said her newlywed husband, the couple married in November, has always been a whiz in the kitchen and his transition from home cook to restaurant cook has been seamless.
“Since we got married and before we opened here, I don’t think I cooked a meal,” Brenda said. “And now that we have this, neither one of us have time to cook.”
On top of the grueling restaurant schedule, both Brenda and Leslie work full time jobs. Brenda works locally and Leslie is a project manager in the oil and gas business. His professional life used to keep him on the road for weeks at a time, but now that the smoker fired up full time behind Sugar Man’s, he’s finding ways to spend more time in Natchez.
The building the Floyds are renting to house Sugar Man’s is in a prime location, Leslie said. But the building needed a little sprucing up before it was ready to a restaurant.
And Leslie, because he wanted to be involved in every step, flew home from work in Pennsylvania each weekend to supervise, and do, the construction work at the business.
“My wife took care of the business and getting everything organized during the week, and I came in on weekends and got to work,” Leslie said.
He has even taken a three-month leave from his job to see first hand that the restaurant runs smoothly. Smoothly and quickly, Leslie said.
“As soon as I have a ticket, I’m working on the order,” he said. “Even before they have paid sometimes, they will have food in their hands.”
And finally fulfilling, his dream of opening a restaurant, has Leslie thinking twice about what his “real job” should be. He said after being in Sugar Man’s every day, he’s looking for a way to transition from full time in the oil business to full time in the restaurant.
He said semi-retirement from his normal Monday to Friday job sounds like a good idea even though he could easily work 80 hours a week in the restaurant.
“When I’m here this is happy,” Leslie said. “Even though I’m tired and my feet hurt, I still love it.”
Brenda said it is Leslie’s dedication that sets their food apart.
“The owner is the cook,” she said. “He’s up here doing it himself. He knows what it should be like and he does that.”
Comments
Posted by speakup (anonymous) on April 5, 2009 at 3:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
ok. so where is it on john r junkin. do not no where 230 sg. prentiss dr. is.
Posted by shedevil (anonymous) on April 5, 2009 at 5:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
its between east pontiac and at&t cell phone.enterprise car rental was there at one time....the bar-b-q is great...doesnt have that heavy smoke taste...ill be back
Posted by waterboy06 (anonymous) on April 5, 2009 at 8:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"WE LOVE SUGAR MAN'S!!!"
Posted by sandbagger (anonymous) on April 5, 2009 at 9:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"speakup" you are on your computer so find the directions.
Posted by nursemary (anonymous) on April 5, 2009 at 3:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I was there for the open-house and the food was exceptionally good and the quality can't be beat. GO SUGAR MAN'S
Posted by wildbill (anonymous) on April 5, 2009 at 7:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I was traveling from Indiana and came across Sugar Mans and it was the greatest. The food was the best. My husband and I had the sampler and the ribs and they were the best we've had in a long time. The next time we go to Mississippi we will stop again. Thank you Sugar Man.
Posted by southernbelle (anonymous) on April 5, 2009 at 8:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Good Luck, SugarMan! I know for a fact just how hard ya'll will be working. It has to be a passion for both you and your bride or it will be hard to make it work. I like your enthusiasm and positive outlook. I wish ya'll much success.
Posted by double011 (anonymous) on April 6, 2009 at 12:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I have had it twice, I can say its best in natchez, the meat is not overpowered with smoke, and the sides are good unlike other places, just stay consistant........
Posted by kpage1 (anonymous) on April 6, 2009 at 7:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I can't wait to try Sugarman's!!! I love barbeque and it looks like I've found my place. Thanks for the article, NDemo!!!
Posted by dixiecrat (anonymous) on April 6, 2009 at 8:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
OK, so "...the restaurant specializes in smoked and barbecued foods..." says the Dem. Can our good editors please explain to me what the difference is? Asides from the 'cue, I do believe I smell Yankee infiltration at the Democrat! BBQ, by its very definition is slow-cooked meat (of whatever type) smoked over a wood (of whatever type) fire. Only Yankees will say "let's go barbecue some hamburgers" -- what, so you're going to smoke them away from an open flame for 3-8 hours? Won't be much of a burger I should think! We Southerners know the difference between barbecuing and grilling (as in burgers and steaks). Reminds me of a conversation I overheard at the Pig Out the other day between some well-meaning Yankee tourists: seems they were outraged because the sauce was served separately (so you can apply it yourself) -- why, this isn't barbecue the woman cried -- it has no sauce on it! Trying to explain to her that barbecue sauce (as a separate condiment traditionally applied to BBQ) was no more necessary to make smoked meat BBQ than it was for ketchup to make French fries went right over her head. Guess the same is true for the staff at our dear paper, too.
Posted by jlmorris (anonymous) on April 6, 2009 at 8:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well, if it is smoked then there definitely should be a smoked flavor!
I found the food to be lacking a smoky taste. I will continue to go to Bowie's in Brookhaven for BBQ.
Posted by nursemary (anonymous) on April 6, 2009 at 9:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I love the jingle almost as good as the food. Can't get it out of my head and my mouth want's some more of Sugar man's smoke house and bbq!
Posted by luckycharm (anonymous) on April 7, 2009 at 1:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
My hunny and I will have to try it. Sounds appetizing
Posted by gottabehappy (anonymous) on April 7, 2009 at 11:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Bet I can guess who you are dixiecrat!
Posted by dmackZuluking (anonymous) on April 7, 2009 at 6:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Next time up from New Orleans, I'll stop in & try it for my self..I like to try any new restuarant business once, so I don't miss out on a good thing when it comes to good food : )
Posted by rib (anonymous) on April 9, 2009 at 3:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
umm, umm, good!
Posted by renalta_hollins (anonymous) on April 10, 2009 at 2:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
That will be the first place that I stop into from Iraq. Boy I miss real BBQ.
Posted by DUCKHUNTER (anonymous) on April 10, 2009 at 5:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
pretty much if it's cooked on a bar-b-cue pit, around here, it is referred to as bar-b-cue. i am from the area and cringe everytime sum of my friends (or their families) say, "we're bar-b-cueing steaks." the reason i mention this is b/c bar-b-cue depends upon the meat (and topping (sauce/dry-rub)); you don't bar-b-cue a steak (unless you put bar-b-cue sauce on it), but why would you ruin a steak like that?
my way of thinkn, if you "grill" with bbq sauce or a (bbq spiced) dry-rub, it's bar-b-que, if you "grill" w/o, then it's grilled.
ribs that DON'T have bbq sauce on them aren't bar-b-cue, they're grilled or "smoked" (unless they have a "dry-rub" on them). chicken and pork is the same way; no bbq sauce (or dry rub), then no bar-b-cue.
Posted by annuity (anonymous) on April 11, 2009 at 7:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Is the sauce sweet?
Posted by natashakubelikov (anonymous) on April 12, 2009 at 12:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
because thats the way they like their steak,it,s their steak and their sauce,why cringe at others taste in meats. It fits them let them call it what they want.
Posted by TwoDoorsDown (anonymous) on April 17, 2009 at 5:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
My Wife love the steak and I enjoyed the Beef Sandwich The Bake Beans was great and the Pot-Salad was Ok, The service was good, Going Back tonight for a third time, Wish they would stay open to 9:00 pm on Thursday. Everyone need to try this new place out, We needed a new BBQ Place in town,
Good Luck, LesLie & Brenda Floyd.
Posted by sideline (anonymous) on April 20, 2009 at 11:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
On my way to get something to eat now.
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