Kinfolk Smokehouse & Brisket, a new barbecue restaurant, has opened in Village Gate Square.
Debra and Anthony Washington run the restaurant alongside family members and close friends that feel like kinfolk.
Debra Washington has been in the restaurant business most of her life, dating back to when she started waitressing and bartending at age 18.
The couple has owned a number of business ventures. They once owned a pizzeria on West Main Street, which was going well until sales collapsed in the aftermath of 9/11.
“We gradually built our way up,” Debra Washington said. “At this point in life we’re going to finally open the restaurant that we want.”
Anthony Washington is the culinary force behind the operation. He grew up in Webster on his mother’s South Carolina cooking, but he and his father also liked sampling the varied cuisines in the area. His career as a mechanical engineer took him to Kansas City, Missouri, where he enjoyed the city’s famed barbecue, especially at Gates Bar-B-Q, a longtime family-owned restaurant chain.
Washington is a self-taught cook and enjoys taking in the latest cooking trends online. Over the years he found his way behind the grill at family picnics and church gatherings. “I knew one thing about cooking and food: it brings everyone together,” he said.
Kinfolk is meant to recreate the family-oriented atmosphere of those occasions. Meats are smoked low and slow on a giant black custom-made smoker called “Big Papa.” Washington is especially proud of the ribs and the brisket; smoked chicken is available as well.
Barbecue comes with a choice of traditional homemade sides, which include candied yams, Cajun greens, Cajun cabbage, potato salad, mac salad, Cajun coleslaw, string beans, cornbread, dirty rice, baked mac and cheese and more.
Kinfolk also serves quintessential soul food dishes including fried chicken; chicken and waffles; smothered turkey wings; smothered pork chops; shrimp & grits; fish & grits; oxtails and more. Wings are offered with Boss Sauce or Country Sweet sauce.
It has a full bar and offers drink specials during happy hour on Fridays.
The restaurant is spacious, with seating for more than 100, including a large bar and a counter where you can watch the chefs at work. It also has outdoor seating in the Village Gate’s pleasant courtyard, which is ringed by restaurants.
Kinfolk Smokehouse & Brisket is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
Find the full menu online at kinfolksmokehouseandbrisket.com. Delivery services and online ordering are planned for the near future. In the meantime, you may call in a takeout order to (585) 775-9999.
Tracy Schuhmacher covers Rochester’s food and drink scene. Notice something opening or closing in your neighborhood? Send tips to tracys@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Kinfolk Smokehouse & Brisket opens in Village Gate Square
Reporting by Tracy Schuhmacher, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
