FOOD & DRINK
‘HITZ’
Berea Restaurant a
F
Story and photos by
Kim Kobersmith
or co-owner and pit master
Dan Webb, Hitz BBQ is
the fulfillment of a near
life-long dream. With his
noticeable Kentucky accent and
ready smile, he appreciates the
faithful following of regulars who
have discovered his long, slow
cooked meat and looks forward to
welcoming new faces.
His passion started at a young
age. Many of his fondest memories
growing up centered around smok-
ing meat. He and his dad would
stay up through the night at their
Waco homestead to prepare for fam-
ily gatherings. Together, they would
travel the country seeking the
subtle flavors and regional nuances
of rubs and sauces. At the tender
age of 9, he created his first recipe
for barbecue sauce. That recipe,
slightly modified, is now used daily
to craft the restaurant’s popular
Kentucky Sweet sauce.
Webb’s barbecue dreams persisted
through school in Estill County and
culinary school at Sullivan Univer-
sity.
“Pretty much every business plan
I ever wrote was for a barbecue res-
taurant,” he said with a laugh.
During school, he worked as an
apprentice at Boone Tavern and
stayed for seven years. His time
at Boone Tavern convinced him to
open Hitz in Berea.
“I am a small town guy, and this
is a good little place,” he said.
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Madison Magazine A p r i l - M ay 2 02 0
with BBQ fans
In May of 2018, within months of
the birth of his first child, he start-
ed chasing his dream.
“I knew I wanted to have a fam-
ily-oriented business where I
could be around my son,”
he said. “I knew I
would see him
more here than
if I worked as a
corporate chef.”
His vision is to
create a relaxed and wel-
coming environment where folks
can get a great home-cooked meal.
While his passion is the meat, he
also pays careful attention to the
sides, assembling a tasty menu
with recipes that have a connection
to family and place.
Webb is particularly proud of his
brisket as it is notoriously a tough
cut of meat. His smoker, the Big
Papa, holds 750 pounds of meat
and is employed every night in the
slow cooking process. A perfectly
smoked meat is about artistry as
much as science and has taken
much practice to perfect.
“I check every piece of meat and
know just when it is ready,” Webb
said. “For the brisket, it is all about
the feel.”
Hitz serves a variety of smoked
meat, including pulled pork, pulled
chicken, ribs and sausage. Webb’s
signature dish is pig candy, the
burnt ends of pork belly glazed in
Kentucky Sweet sauce. He de-
Server Roxy Appleman
The décor centers on a music theme
featuring old records and instruments.