New SLO County barbecue joint offers a taste of Memphis. Here’s what’s on the menu
Got a hankering for some classic Southern-style barbecue?
A new Morro Bay restaurant is serving authentic fare that’s “Memphis-inspired with a California twist,” said restaurant co-owner Stephanie Hale said.
She and her husband, Sean Hale, opened Savory Smoke at 897 Main St. in early September with little fanfare to ease into the San Luis Obispo County space, she said.
In just a few months, the barbecue restaurant has gained a loyal following that includes nearby business owners, bar patrons and even DoorDash employees, according to Stephanie Hale.
“We wanted a spot the locals could call their own,” she said.
Longtime restaurant workers open place of their own
The husband-and-wife duo behind Savory Smoke are no strangers to the restaurant business.
The couple has nearly 70 years of combined experience in the food and hospitality industries, Hale said.
Sean Hale, a San Luis Obispo native, grew up in a family of entrepreneurs. His family owned several restaurants and hotels in the area, including This Old House, a former steakhouse on Foothill Boulevard.
Stephanie Hale took the corporate restaurant route, working her way up at national chains including Chili’s Grill & Bar, Outback Steakhouse and TGI Fridays.
“We worked for other people, and we just decided that we wanted to branch out on our own,” she said.
New barbecue restaurant opens in Morro Bay
Savory Smoke opened up at the Main Street location that used to house the pizza and sandwich spot Sabetta’s for more than two decades.
The Atascadero residents said they chose Morro Bay because they liked the community and wanted to be a part of the expanding food scene.
“You’re starting to see that end of the culinary spectrum starting to widen a little bit because you’ve got places like Sammy J’s and the butcher shop,” Sean Hale said.
“(And) us now, with the barbecue,” Stephanie Hale said, explaining that Savory Smoke is the only restaurant of its kind in town.
His wife said business has been booming at Savory Smoke ever since a review of the restaurant on social media app NextDoor went viral in the restaurant’s first week of business.
“It’s crazy how that blew up,” Sean Hale said.
Since the post, the restaurant has seen a steady stream of hungry customers walking through the door, he said.
What’s on the menu at Savory Smoke?
Stephanie Hale drew on her Southern roots to create a menu infused with flavors from her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.
The 12-dish menu is split between shareable items including Southern-style chicken nachos, fried chicken wings and jalapeno poppers.
Main dishes range from smoked St. Louis-style pork ribs to a smoked pork loin sandwich.
The food at Savory Smoke is centered around smoked meats that go light on sauce and big on flavor.
“That’s what it’s all about, the taste of that meat,” Stephanie Hale said.
She recommended first-time visitors try the restaurant’s most popular item — the smoked tri-tip sandwich.
The meat is cooked low and slow in a smoke box and then thinly sliced deli-style onto sandwich buns.
“It’s real nice and tender,” she said of the tri-tip sandwich, adding that there’s “just a little bit of barbecue sauce (in order to) not hide the flavor.”
The one thing you won’t find at the new barbecue restaurant is Southern-side side dishes such as collard greens or black-eyed peas.
Savory Smoke’s lack of kitchen space limits the amount of fixings the restaurant’s able to cook up, Stephanie Hale said.
However, the eatery does offer a weekly soup special, she said.
Eatery teams up with neighboring bar
Savory Smoke provides food to the adjacent Legends bar.
A window connects the two establishments so meal orders can pass easily from one business to another.
“That was a major selling point as well on the location because it’s like having a liquor license without having the headache of the liquor license,” Stephanie Hale said.
Savory Smoke’s menu hangs in the bar and patrons can order any barbecue items while they’re enjoying a drink, Legends owner Casey Kelso said.
“Food is great for a bar. I’m not obligated to serve food, but I like the idea people are drinking, they have access to food,” Kelso said. “(Savory Smoke is) consistent, and they are good, and they’re seasoned.”
Savory Smoke fashioned its menu to be more accessible to bargoers craving onion rings or loaded tater tots, Sean Hale said.
On busy, noisy weekend nights, he sticks a bullhorn through the window to alert customers when their food is ready.
“This is a very symbiotic relationship,” Kelso said. “For me, it’s the perfect marriage when the window is open.”
When is Savory Smoke open?
Savory Smoke is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. According to its website, the restaurant is closed on Tuesdays.
People can dine in or take-out, as well as order menu items through DoorDash.
This story was originally published February 4, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "New SLO County barbecue joint offers a taste of Memphis. Here’s what’s on the menu."
