Duke’s Bar-B-Que in Aiken Enjoys Robust Re-Opening Weekend
When Duke’s Bar-B-Que in Aiken burned down last summer it felt to me like the CSRA lost a family member. I thought maybe I was the only one who felt that way, but judging from the size of the crowd that I witnessed Saturday night for their grand re-opening weekend, I most definitely was not!
Aiken’s iconic all-you-can-eat Bar-B-Que buffet re-opened to a grateful and hungry public last week with record busting numbers. Wednesday’s opening day saw a whopping 2k plus of patrons. And in fact, it was so well received that management had to cease take out orders on Thursday afternoon so the restaurant would have enough food to get through the weekend.
A Friendly Crew
Despite the challenges of such an overwhelming volume of customers, the Duke’s staff greeted everyone with a smile and a bit of amazement at the turnout. A few snags in the game plan were to be expected as for any opening weekend, but the issues were all addressed and resolved as quickly as they sprang up.
Since I was with my mom who has difficulty standing for long periods of time I was a little concerned when I saw the line spilling out of the front door when we arrived. Fortunately, we realized the line was moving very quickly. And I think her excitement at getting to eat at one of her favorite restaurants kept her from getting too fatigued.
A Marvelous Makeover
The brand spanking new decor was lovely. It wasn’t overdone as some chains like to do. The food was just as good as I remembered. Honestly, I don’t know how my tiny little mom managed to put away as much hash and rice as she did. But I couldn’t say no when she asked me to go and get her some peach cobbler to finish up with.
The barbecue -pork and chicken- was delicious and the vegetables were the perfect southern home-style offerings you would find at your grandma’s Sunday dinner. What struck me the most was how pleasant and helpful the staff were despite the overwhlming crowd. I do hope if the volume keeps up at this location that the helpful and friendly attitude remains.
Overall, Duke’s Grand Re-Opening has to be called a great success! Seeing a small town restaurant do such tremendous business in these trying economic times was truly heart-warming. May they enjoy many years of living high on the hog!
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