David Sifflet (left), Akino West (center), and Jeanette McKay Wimbley are competing to have a restaurant in People’s Bar-B-Q in Overtown. The trio will participate in the People’s Choice Barbecue Cookoff.
Courtesy of KechThis, Inc.
More than a decade after it closed for renovations, People’s Bar-B-Q in Overtown will soon be home to a new restaurant.
And the people will decide which of three restaurants — Extra Butter Miami competing as People’s Outlaw BBQ, Rosie’s competing as Black Pit BBQ, and McKay’s Catering competing as Queen of the Kitchen — will operate inside the historic restaurant.
The People’s Choice Barbecue Cookoff is on Saturday at the 9th Street Pedestrian Mall.
For five decades, the Overtown barbecue restaurant served as a cornerstone for Black culture, fellowship and entrepreneurship. The Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency, which owns and will lease the beloved barbeque spot, is hoping to reinvigorate the space, bringing it back to its glory days.
“The People’s Choice Barbecue Cookoff represents our commitment to honoring Overtown’s history while building its future,” James McQueen, Southeast Overtown/Park West CRA’s executive director, said in a statement.
George “Pop”Lewis Sr., the first Black pharmacist in Miami, owned People’s Pharmacy, which eventually became People’s Barbeque, according to the Miami Herald archives. The space sits at 350 NW Eighth St. in Miami and had been closed until recently for renovations.
“Awarding a lease at the Historic People’s Barbecue Building ensures that this treasured space remains in the hands of entrepreneurs who understand its significance to this community,” said Miami City Commissioner and Chairwoman Christine King, who also chairs the Southeast Overtown Park West CRA.
The three restaurants in the cookoff will be rated by a panel of judges weighing their specialty cut meats. Then they’ll take part in a lighting round in which they will prepare a dish that will be served in the actual restaurant.
The winner will head to a final review process before opening at the People’s site.
If you go
What: The People’s Choice Barbecue Cookoff
When: Saturday, March 28, noon to 5 p. m.
Where: 9th Street Pedestrian Mall, 819 NW Second Ave, Miami
Cost: Free
INFO: peopleschoicebbq.eventbrite.com
Miami Herald
Raisa Habersham is the race and culture reporter for the Miami Herald. She previously covered Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale for the Herald with a focus on housing and affordability. Habersham is a graduate of the University of Georgia. She joined the Herald in 2022.