Pitmaster Rob Bechtold & Patois' Aaron Burgau Will Open Central City BBQ in 2016

A hot new barbecue spot Central City BBQ is set to open in the next six months from former NOLA Smokehouse pitmaster Rob Bechtold and Patois chef Aaron Burgau, Ian McNulty reports this week.

Central City BBQ will take over a former seafood market/Chinese restaurant at 1201 S. Rampart St. across from Paradigm Gardens and close to Dryades Market. There will be indoor and outdoor dining and a catering facility—they'll be doing whole hog barbecue for events.

This is a triumphant return for Rob Bechtold, who had to shutter his beloved (and critically-acclaimed) Nola Smokehouse last year due to an illness in the family. Bechtold worked with Burgau at Bayona back in the day, and Burgau himself is a member of Hogs For The Cause barbecue team Stand Up & Snout.

"We'll be doing barbecue the good old fashioned way," Bechtold tells McNulty, so do expect the return of this magic and then some:

Nola Smokehouse's finest [Photo: Brasted]