From Smoothies to Smokers

For 15 years, Brandon McCallon built his career blending smoothies as the local owner of two Planet Smoothie locations. But behind the scenes, something else was on the back burner.

“In my free time, I’ve always kind of like to make brisket and pulled pork and ribs,” McCallon said. “It’s always been a hobby of mine.”

What started as a backyard passion gradually became something bigger. As his smokers multiplied and techniques evolved, so too did his vision for where he longed to go careerwise.

“I was sitting there thinking, you know, I’ve made enough smoothies in my life. I would like to go make something else, something I’m really interested in,” McCallon said.

The decision to shift from smoothies to barbecue sparked a two-year journey of building a business plan, researching and learning from others and waiting for the right opportunity. It all came together early this year when the timing and location aligned.

Troy Knight, owner of The Smoke House, a barbecue business that started in Southport in 2014 and grew to include locations in Leland, Shallotte and Monkey Junction, decided to close the Monkey Junction location after two years in business. McCallon had been in negotiations for another space, but when that fell through, the landlord connected him with Knight.

“I didn’t know Troy, but it turns out he was my wife’s pastor when she was five years old and was friends with my in-laws,” McCallon said. “He was incredibly straight forward and easy to work with, so within a couple of weeks, I bought the equipment and signed the lease.”

Taking over an existing barbecue joint made it possible for McCallon and his wife, Madison, to open in early May, less than three months after taking over the lease.

For McCallon, learning the craft of cutting and smoking meats and crafting dry rubs and sauces came from lots of trial and error, as well as a lot of guidance from YouTube.

“It’s great living in a time where I can just watch everything on YouTube and learn from all the people who are really, really good,” McCallon said. “Certain things like trimming brisket, I had to watch the same video like 18 times in a row, and just still kept making mistakes at first.”

With practice, the trimming became second nature and he’s able to use the trim for homemade sausage, chili and even turns the fat into beef tallow. Now, he’s passing these skills onto his team.

Heritage Barbecue pays homage to regional styles of barbecue from Texas-style brisket to Tennessee ribs and North Carolina pork.

“So, the name Heritage Barbecue kind of came from the idea that there’s all these different regions that have their different regional traditions of barbecue,” McCallon said. “I wanted to try and stay true to each of those different regional traditions.”

Heritage serves its meats by the half-pound, pound and plate and focuses on beef brisket, pulled pork, ribs, burnt ends, pork belly, beef sausage and chicken. Samplers, which include a quarter pound each of brisket, burnt ends, pulled pork, two pork ribs, one sausage and a choice of two sides, are available on Friday and Saturday. Whole uncut brisket, whole pork butts and whole racks of beef ribs are available for weekend pickup when ordered in advance by 9 p.m. on Monday.

McCallon uses oak, hickory and pecan woods to smoke the meats, explaining that these woods provide the most versatile flavor profiles when you’re working with multiple types of meat.

On a typical day, he fires up the smoker at 6 a.m., putting the ribs on first for about four and a half hours, followed by the brisket and pork butt, which stay on for a full 12 hours before they are rested overnight in holding cabinets to ensure peak tenderness.

The sides, most of which are typical barbecue pairings, are recipes McCallon developed at home with Madison, who plays a major role behind the scenes by helping with admin, marketing and quality control.

From banana pudding to cornbread to house chips fried in beef tallow inspired by McCallon’s childhood memories in Greensboro, the menu boasts of a little something for everyone. Other menu standouts include BBQ nachos and Texas Twinkies – jalapeños stuffed with cream cheese, wrapped in bacon and smoked.

Online ordering is available and delivery will soon be available via DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub. Heritage Barbecue is located at 5120 S. College Rd., Suite 104, and is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.