Fill Up On BBQ At Velvet Smoke In Harrison

By Mike Perleberg (left to right) Velvet Smoke Barbecue general manager Josh Shuller, owner Matt Schneider and wife Andi. The restaurant recently opened in Harrison. Photo by Mike Perleberg, Eagle 99.3. (Harrison, Oh.) – Lovers of barbecue ribs, brisket, chicken and more can now satisfy their appetite inside a gas station in Harrison. The location – formerly Walt’s Barbeque inside the BP station on New Haven Road just off Interstate 74 – signifies Velvet Smoke BBQ’s very humble beginnings. Owner and smoke master Matt Schneider thinks it’s actually a pretty good fit for his second barbecue joint. After all, Oklahoma Joe’s Bar-B-Que, now one of the biggest names in Kansas City’s famed barbecue scene, started next door to a service station, Schneider is quick to point out. “I think we can make this work,” Schneider said during a busy lunch hour Tuesday. Velvet Smoke started off as a competition team in 2009. The name comes from the term sometimes used to describe perfectly smoked meat (and might also pay homage to an inside joke stemming from an episode of Seinfeld). Schneider opened his first location at a small space at Findlay Market in downtown Cincinnati in 2012. “We only had eight feet down there,” he laughs. That location has been closed with the operation now up and running in Harrison as of Thursday, September 10. Velvet Smoke BBQ in Harrison is currently open only during lunch 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, but will soon expand hours to serve dinner as they add staff. A grand opening is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, September 26. Velvet Smoke Barbecue is in a portion of a gas station/convenience store that previously housed a similar business. Photo by Mike Perleberg, Eagle 99.3. Schneider worked in design/build for most of his career. He would dine on various forms of barbecue in cities he would travel to on business. The cooking method became his hobby about 20 years ago. Eventually, he and friend Mark Stitt began entering barbecue competitions. “I built my own smokers, just kept learning. But it wasn’t until we formed the team and started competing that we really learned our craft. Since we are coming at this from the competition end, that’s what has really helped us kind of get the flavor profiles that not only judges like, but what people like, too,” explains Schneider. He describes the taste developed through his experience as “full body barbecue.” He’s hoping customers will dig the meat and sauce combinations. “We’ve been getting great feedback,” Schneider says. “We’ve been trying to go out and ask everybody to let us know what’s good what’s bad. We want the feedback.” If the Harrison location works out, Velvet Smoke may open more locations, Schneider says. Matt Schneider checks on the next batch of barbecue being cooked in the restaurant's outdoor smoker. Photo by Mike Perleberg, Eagle 99.3. RELATED STORIES: BBQ Biz Will Serve It Up In Harrison