Every Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., a new catering operation called Underbelly Barbecue runs a pop-up in the parking lot of Brew Belly at 18065 Georgia Avenue in Olney, Maryland. Its "Friday Smoke Show" serves smoked meats alongside the gastropub's existing beer and sandwich menu. The venture brings together two barbecue veterans whose partnership is shaping both businesses.
Two Barbecue Veterans Behind the Pop-Up
David Calkins and Ben Schwartz run Underbelly Barbecue. Calkins owned Brew Belly for roughly eight years before selling it to Schwartz, who acquired the business about six months before the outlet's report, according to The MoCo Show. Although Schwartz now holds the keys to the building where the pop-up operates, the two are working together on the new barbecue project.
Calkins founded Urban Bar-B-Que in Rockville in 2003 and grew it into a regional chain. A 2013 PRWeb release said he later struck a national expansion partnership with Ledo Pizza System and competed on the World Food Championships circuit. The original Rockville flagship closed on March 29, 2020, after more than 17 years. Schwartz, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, previously served as executive chef for Urban Bar-B-Que and was a culinary partner when Brew Belly opened, according to a Washington Post account of the 2019 debut.
What's on the Smoker
The menu draws on regional American traditions: Texas-style brisket, Memphis-style pulled pork, St. Louis spare ribs, and jalapeño half smokes. Calkins has said he may add rotating specialties such as Dr Pepper ribs, salt-and-pepper ribs, pork belly lollipops, and Texas Twinkies.
The opening setup includes four meats and five sides, with plans to expand to as many as six of each. Sides listed include honey lime coleslaw, deviled egg potato salad, burnt end barbecue beans, braised collard greens, and Cooper sharp mac and cheese. Underbelly also offers catering separate from the weekly pop-up, prepared in Brew Belly's kitchen.
Brew Belly's Changing Menu and Corridor Context
Brew Belly's sandwich lineup has also shifted under Schwartz. Traditional Philly cheesesteaks have given way to hybrids that combine cheesesteak and chopped cheese styles on sesame-seeded Liscio's rolls, the MoCo Show reported. The gastropub opened in Olney in November 2018.
The launch comes amid wider activity along Georgia Avenue. The century-old Olney Ale House reopened last October after a six-year hiatus that followed a 2019 kitchen fire, according to Montgomery Community Media. Fast-casual openings, including a Buffalo Wild Wings GO on Spartan Road and a Bubbakoo's on Georgia Avenue, have also arrived this month.
What Remains Unknown
- Whether Underbelly Barbecue will seek a standalone location has not been announced.
- How the outdoor Friday format will operate once winter weather arrives is still unclear.