Double D’s Honky Tonk and Smokehouse: A New Dining Experience

The beer is chilled, the smoker’s running clear, and the band is warming up. It’s nearly all systems go for Double D’s Honky Tonk and Smokehouse (3941 Erie St.) in Willoughby. The new restaurant from Dustin Dykstra will open to the public on Saturday, May 23rd.

Dykstra’s goal was to completely transform the former Hola Tacos and Brim Kitchen property into a fun and funky Western-themed bar and honky tonk. He did that by installing acres of reclaimed barnwood, salvaged bourbon barrel staves, and rust-tinged corrugated steel. He filled the gaps with oversize artwork, shabby-chic chandeliers, whiskey barrels and vintage milk cans. The window to the previous tenant’s brewhouse has been concealed by a new back bar.

Chef Matt Conti, working with a beefy J&R smoker that can tackle 600 pounds of meat at a go, offers a menu built on barbecue. The stars of the show are the beef brisket, pulled pork, chicken and baby back ribs, which are smoked, beer-braised and then grilled to order. Those meats are available as sandwiches, in a bowl with cheddar grits or mac and cheese, or as part of a platter with baked beans, pickles and bread.

Starters include spoon bread with honey butter, smoked-and-fried wings, pork belly burnt ends, and fried cheese. The menu also offers a smoked chicken Caesar, double smash burger, BLT and Nashville fried chicken sandwich. In addition to the barbecue, there is chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, and pork belly steak with Dr. Pepper jus.

There are craft cocktails, loads of canned and draft beer, NA options, and a half dozen wines by the glass and bottle.

Upstairs is home to the honky tonk. No food is served on the second level, just drinks, music and two-stepping. There’s a stage for live music on weekends, a dance floor for weekly line dancing lessons, and a full bar serving up festive beverages. The business end of a Mack Truck is suspended over the stairs, the cab of which serves as the DJ booth.

Dykstra is a Northeast Ohio native, but he left home to pursue a career in hospitality. For more than a decade he worked for the Shake Shack restaurant chain. As area director, he oversaw operations at a dozen different locations in multiple states. More importantly, he worked for Danny Meyer, one of the most respected names in hospitality.

“I consider myself unbelievably lucky to have worked for him,” says Dykstra. “I got the playbook on how to do it right and intentional and with fiscal discipline, which is worth its weight in gold.”