April Restaurant of The Month : Eli’s Bar B Que
Photo credits : Eli’s Bar B Cue Facebook
April’s Restaurant of the Month brings us to Eli’s Bar B Que. Located at 360 Skinner Blvd in Dunedin, Eli’s Bar B Que has been serving amazing barbeque out of their iconic walk-up window for over 20 years. The building was once an ice-cream parlor and has since been renovated to include a kitchen and an outdoor, screened-in ‘shack’, lovingly known as the “BigFoot Grill House”. Eli’s Bar B Que is authentic southern barbeque, characterized by the low and slow cooking style. Beginning every Friday & Saturday morning at 7am, the barbeque and delicious sides are made fresh and in-house. One of our favorites includes the classic pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw and baked beans. This traditional barbeque meal is Kyle’s favorite and is commonly considered the best in the area. Bill’s favorite is their Burnt Ends, but you better get there early if you want to try em’ because they sell out quickly!
Photo credits : Eli’s Bar B Cue Facebook
Elijah "Eli" Crawford developed a fondness for barbecue as a kid growing up in Valdosta, GA, in what he calls the barbecue belt. With his seven brothers and seven sisters, Eli would help his parents make homegrown feasts centered around barbecue. At the age of 17, he worked for a corner market where he learned how to transform a hog into sausage. In 1967, Eli came to Tampa Bay and worked several years as a butcher, eventually opening a small barbecue cart on Highland Avenue in Clearwater before moving it to its permanent location in Dunedin. Smoke could be seen billowing from the pit house as early as Wednesday when Eli would prepare to serve customers on Fridays and Saturdays only. Over the years, his barbecue was featured in major news outlets in Tampa Bay as a fan favorite.
Eli sadly passed away in 2013 at the age of 71. He lived a beautiful life and was deeply loved by his community. Eli’s legacy continues as the restaurant is family owned and operated by his wife and grandchildren. Eli’s Bar B Que continues to be packed with local, hungry patrons, enjoying outdoor seating under the oak trees, in the beautiful Dunedin weather. Over the years, Eli’s Bar B Que has been a local destination spot and will continue to stay in the family to bring southern cooking from Eli’s family to yours. If you visit Eli’s Bar B Que you can see a bench dedicated to Eli, make sure to sit down and thank him for your delicious barbecue meal.
