CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. – At Due South BBQ, “We like to rub our butts,” says owner, Marie March. Get your mind out of the gutter and into some great, southern comfort food!
March has seen the impact this BBQ joint has had on the New River Valley since day one.
She tells us, “We’ve even had almost an entire generation raised eating our BBQ.” Part of the reason why you can raise an entire generation on this food is because of the consistently great taste.
March attributes that to the restaurant’s longevity in Christiansburg, saying, “In 13 years, you really build all your processes and get it down to a science.”
The master of that science for the last few years has been Conor Campbell. He let us in on one of the secrets to success, when talking about the Half Chicken.
Campbell tells us, “We dry rub it with our chicken rub, smoke it and then fry it back up to temperature. So, the spices kind of crunch up and caramelize a little bit." As I’m typing this, my stomach just let out an obnoxious growl.
When it comes to pork butts, Campbell says it’s all about the low and slow technique. They leave it in the smoker overnight, so the fat can render and add more taste.
There was a short amount of time when we couldn’t sink our teeth into Due South’s great eats. March recalls that the restaurant was actually shut down for a month. The meat shortage, at one point, was taking a toll too.
“All of a sudden, everything doubled or tripled in price. After they increased all the prices, availability started going,” says Campbell.
While the pandemic put the brakes on business, it wouldn’t stop Due South altogether. This New River Valley staple was already doing delivery, so they were able to pick right back up. Now that we’re in Phase Two, they have made more space to accommodate more customers safely. It’s all thanks to “The Pig Pen.”
An attachment to the original building, the Pig Pen allows you to dine in and also see live music.
Due South is open every day of the week, with a number of rubs and sauces to choose from. My personal favorite, the Sweet Brown, goes perfectly with some BBQ or chicken.
Be sure to stop by, and tell them we sent you!