Drew Bent, an award-winning local chef who has concentrated his culinary energies on barbecue in recent years, is partnering with Grand Restaurant Group to open a new all-ages, fast-casual barbecue restaurant and live music venue in downtown Escondido in early 2027.<\/p>\n
Bangers BBQ will replace Grand Restaurant Group\u2019s Bellamy\u2019s, a sit-down restaurant that opened at 417 W Grand Ave. in 2012. Bellamy\u2019s will stay open until the end of the year, then undergo a four- to six-week renovation that will include the installation of some meat smokers and a wood-fired grill. The goal is to open by late winter, said Grand Restaurant Group Chef Partner Alex Carballo.<\/p>\n
Carballo said the new restaurant\u2019s name is a reference to the phrase \u201cthat\u2019s a banger,\u201d meaning a good record chosen by a DJ or a good dish on a menu. But for those who think of a \u201cbanger\u201d as a sausage, Bangers BBQ will make and smoke its own custom versions of those, too.<\/p>\n
In an interview with the Union-Tribune on Tuesday, the two chefs and longtime friends talked about the new restaurant.<\/p>\n
Carballo \u2014 who was a widely respected restaurant consultant before joining GRG last year \u2014 said he has hired Bent in the past as a menu consultant on several past projects, and was eager to bring him in as a partner on Bangers BBQ because Bent is \u201ca great chef\u201d and \u201ca good barbecue dude.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bent\u2019s long San Diego restaurant career includes stints at Searsucker, Puesto and Carnitas\u2019 Snack Shack. In 2018, he was the founding chef at the Michelin Bib Gourmand-honored taqueria Lola 55. In 2021, Bent took down Bobby Flay on the Food Network competition series \u201cBeat Bobby Flay.\u201d He also briefly cooked in Mexico at Noma\u2019s pop-up in Tulum and chef Luis Arellano\u2019s Criollo in Oaxaca.<\/p>\n
In 2022, Bent went solo to open the first of two Sonoran-style barbecue concepts, the pop-up Papalito at Little Thief wine bar, and later, Papalo restaurant in La Mesa. In 2024, he closed Papalo to focus on restaurant consulting.<\/p>\n
Bent said the barbecue menu he\u2019s planning at Bangers will not be Sonoran in style. It will be Southwestern barbecue, with California-style dishes and just a touch of Northern Mexico flavors.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Sonoran items were very specific and maybe a little heavy and hard for people to get their heads around,\u201d Bent said. \u201cI think Southwestern (barbecue) makes more sense for the story we\u2019re telling \u2026 I\u2019ve learned about meeting and exceeding expectations and understanding the public\u2019s tastes, and not being so punk rock.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bent said his menu will feature all of the traditional dishes you\u2019d expect at a barbecue restaurant, but he\u2019d also like to showcase other cuts of beef, like Picanha, tri-tip, skirt steak, hanger and even chuck steak. He\u2019d also like to serve a roasted pork shoulder, which he said has been a big hit with diners in the past.<\/p>\n
Bent said he\u2019s worked hard on the menu, but it\u2019s sure to transform as it goes through the tasting and approval process over the next six months. He\u2019s especially grateful to have his colleague and friend Carballo by his side for the rollout.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe both enjoy a lot of the same things, but we have our own visions,\u201d Bent said. \u201cWhen we get together it\u2019s very natural and organic. I like his style and where his head\u2019s always at. I admire and respect him a whole lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
At Bangers, diners will order at a counter their choice of smoked proteins, sandwiches, appetizers and side dishes and get a number to take to their table. There will also be a window for takeout service. Diners who prefer full service can sit at one of the two bars, where company beverage director Sean Ward is planning a full cocktail program with down-home classics like a New Orleans-style Hurricane and various \u201cslushie\u201d cocktails.<\/p>\n
Open for lunch and dinner daily, Bangers BBQ will have indoor seating for 44 and outdoor seating for 86 on the 4,200-square-foot back patio. There will be a large stage with an oversized LED video screen, TVs for viewing sports games, areas for playing cornhole and a full game room for children. Live music will be offered five nights a week, to start.<\/p>\n