| Huckabees: A taste of the South right here in Newberg NOTICE: WE HAVE RELOCATED DINING TO DUNDEE LOCATION!! |
The drive-through restaurant specializes in `dry' barbecue -- smokes meat covered in a zesty rub |
| By David Sale, Newberg Graphic reporter E-mail David at dsale@eaglenewspapers.com |
| Carnivores rejoice — Newberg’s latest restaurant is devoted to spreading the gospel of barbecue. Opened shortly before Christmas by Bobbie Russell and her in-laws Kay and Vic Russell, Huckabees is located in a drive-through at the Shell station on Highway 99W near Furniture World. The unlikely location is in keeping with tradition, explains Kay Russell: “In the South, there’s a lot of barbecue joints in former gas stations — it should be a Jeff Foxworthy joke.”Deciding to open a family business, the Russells considered their options, and barbecue was the leading contender. A career chef and former resident of North Carolina and Louisiana, Vic Russell saw a need in the area. “It was something Newberg didn’t have — I used to drive up to Tigard to get the good stuff,” he said. “There’s definitely a shortage of barbecue in the Northwest.” The secret to quality “‘cue” begins with wood smoke — “Hickory, but we’re thinking of adding mesquite for the chicken,” Vic said. “It’s not just a sauce, our ribs take about three hours to cook.” Huckabees specializes in “dry” barbecue — smoked meat covered in a zesty rub — but the Russell’s own secret-recipe barbecue sauce is served on the side. Classic sides like cole slaw, beans, and sweet potato pie round out the menu. Huckabees is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, and the Russells are also available for catering. Call 503-554-1250 for more information. |
| From Jan. 24, 2007, Newberg Graphic |
| Huckabees will open second store |
Barbecue restaurant grows in popularity, will take over space that formerly held Dundee Pizza Company |
| By David Sale, Newberg Graphic reporter E-mail David at dsale@eaglenewspapers.com |
| Local restaurateurs Kay and Vic Russell will expand their Huckabees Barbecue restaurant to a second location, leasing the former Dundee Pizza Company on Highway 99W near Fifth Street. “We should be open for business in about two weeks,” Kay Russell said Aug. 27. “The building was more or less emptied out, but it has a real spacious covered patio — our current location wasn’t as conducive for a sit-down dinner.” After opening last year inside the Shell gas station opposite Morton Street in Newberg, Huckabee’s authentic barbecue and generous portions have proved popular with Yamhill County residents.“We’re getting regular customers from Yamhill and Gaston who come in to pick up their orders,” Russell said. “We do hot and cold pack takeout and we’ve been getting a lot of cold pickups from people on their way to the coast — they’ll stop in for a barbecue dinner and heat it up while they’re camping. I didn’t realize there was such a demand for that.” While the increased visibility of the Dundee location is a benefit, Russell said she plans to continue to operate the present restaurant. “We want to continue drive-through service,” she said. “Also, we don’t have a deep fryer at the restaurant in Dundee, so we’ll be offering different sides there — collard greens and cheese grits, for instance.” While moving ahead with plans for the new restaurant, the Russells have also continued to develop the catering side of their restaurant, cooking at such events as the St. Paul Rodeo and the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce golf tournament. “I’m excited — the business is really taking off,” Russell said. “We’ve even started bottling our barbecue sauce ... it’s available at Nap’s and Newberg Hardware.” Hours for the new Dundee restaurant will be from 4 to 9 p.m. initially, but Russell added that she plans to add lunch hours from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. once additional staff has been trained. |
| From Sept. 5, 2007, Newberg Graphic |