Louisville Magazine is Louisville's city magazine, covering Louisville people, lifestyles, politics, sports, restaurants, entertainment and homes. Includes a monthly calendar of events.
Issue link: https://loumag.epubxp.com/i/804303
keeplouisvilleweird.com 16 LOUISVILLE MAGAZINE 4.17 LIBA Partner Pages 502cafe.com When you walk into 502 Café Smokehouse and Sports Bar, you immediately notice the six large- screen TVs, high-top tables with sturdy chairs, an inviting pool table and multi-colored balls, and a broad wooden bar complimented by a back wall of mirrors and a vast liquor selection. What you may not notice at first – though it is the trademark of the restaurant and its secret to success – is the beef, pork, turkey and chicken that are being smoked in back for hours upon hours. A bell dings and co-owner Chris Williams hops up to gather warm platefuls of brisket or pulled pork and delivers them to customers' tables. "I was wanting to open a place where people could have a good time, drink beer and eat great food," Williams says of the café he co-owns with partner Anthony Happel. "I smoke all the meats and manage. People come back for the food. If we can get someone in the door once, they'll be back." 502 Café Smokehouse and Sports Bar – which opened in June 2016 at 1923 S. Fourth Street near the University of Louisville main campus – is William's brainchild, birthed after four years of running a BBQ food truck. "It took me probably four years to perfect the dry rub recipe. That's the secret," Williams says. "It A Conversation with Chris Williams, co-owner of 502 Café Smokehouse and Sports Bar By Rachel Reynolds comes out spicy on the turkey and a little sweeter on the brisket." There's no missing the message that meat plays center stage. A red wall is home to two blackboards – one with the chalk silhouette of a cow and the other of a chalked pig. Each is divided into multiple sections including "flank, brisket, chuck, blade, ribs." The Smokehouse offers Game Day Specials which include $2.00 brews, 75-cent wings and other tasty food. These specials are offered during all televised NFL football games and televised U of L basketball and football games. You'd think that most of the patrons were youthful and eager college students given the university's proximity – not true. "We assumed it would be mostly U of L students, but really it's a big mix," Williams says. "Families, construction workers, police officers and everybody." The bell dings again and Williams hops up to deliver more platefuls of food. While up, he also ducks behind the bar and mixes a cocktail for a customer in a baseball cap who's relaxing there. "This was my dream," Williams says as ESPN's NFL Insiders plays on the big screens.