Jim ‘N Nick’s Community Bar-B-Q is now open and serving up mouthwatering barbecue at 7011 N. Davis Highway. The Alabama-born restaurant franchise, with over 40 locations spanning the southeast, specializes in down-home, Southern cuisine.
The “community” aspect is meant to be more than part of the company’s name, but an indicator of the way it will treat its customers with Southern hospitality.
“That’s what barbecue does, it brings us together,” District 3 Escambia County Commissioner Lumon May said at the grand opening ceremony Wednesday. “Food is the great connector.”
In the days leading up to the grand opening, Jim ‘N Nick’s generated $2,500 from soft opening sales to donate to the Gulf Coast Kid’s House.
“We kind of scoured the community as to who we wanted to partner with - their values and what they do to serve the community certainly align with our values,” said Brian Lyman, president of Jim ‘N Nick’s Community Bar-B-Q. “We're always about preachers and teachers and first responders, but when you think about kids in our community, our future generation, it's very important that we do whatever we can do to help lift them up.”
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The Southern hospitality should seep into the fabric of the community when customers stop in, whether to meet up with friends and family, or those just getting carry-out to take a break from cooking.
72-year-old Shirly Lynch, who lives just down the street from Jim ‘N Nick's, was more excited than most for opening day. She’s been waiting to have Jim ‘N Nick’s again since first trying the Montgomery, Alabama, location 15 to 20 years ago.
“I just couldn’t wait for it to get open,” she said of the Pensacola location.
After digging into her first bite of potato salad, she realized it was as good as she remembered.
The Pensacola area was a natural fit for Jim ‘N Nick’s growth, according to Lyman, for both personal and business reasons.
“My wife and I just moved here a year ago, which means a lot … we came down here when we were opening a restaurant in Foley and discovered Pensacola, and I kid you not when it was like, ‘All right, we're packing our bags.’ It has been amazing, we just fell in love with the community,” Lyman said. “From a business standpoint, it's an up-and-coming community. And I say that looking throughout the southeast. This is a thriving community, one that's growing, and certainly you want to be a part of something that's on the upswing.”
Part of the company’s claim to fame is having no microwaves, freezers or shortcuts. The smokers are visible from the dining room, the aroma wafting through the air, and the blend for the famous cheese biscuits is for sale at the counter if you want to try and recreate them yourself.
The recipes followed in the stores have been in use for decades, according to Lyman, which is why the food is reminiscent of something that would be passed around your family’s dinner table, despite being a franchise.
“I would tell you, saying nothing against the other restaurants in the area because everyone has their own niche, the fact we make everything from scratch, old school, no freezers, no microwave, is a very unique approach anymore in restaurants,” Lyman said. “This is made with a lot of passion, a lot of pride. It's old school recipes for almost 40 years so we’ve been kind of time honored.”
Some of the Jim ‘N Nicks menu classics include the slow-smoked pulled pork, tender brisket offered either marbled or lean, and smoked turkey breast. One of the ways to try a little bit of everything is the Mr. Jim’s Combo Plate that come with either two or three meats.
There are a variety of sauces to match, including a vinegar-based Carolina, Original BBQ and Morgan Co. White Sauce.
While the meats tend to steal the show - the Southern sides deserve recognition of their own, including the baked potatoes, collard greens, corn on the cob, brisket chili and creamy macaroni and cheese.
“Everyone always starts with pork - the pulled pork and the baked beans and coleslaw - and that's a great start. You have to migrate over to the mac and cheese,” Lyman said. “You have to try the cheese biscuits, because that's just an automatic, goes without saying. And honestly, 19 years later that I've been with Jim ‘N Nicks, I still do not struggle to find something I love.”
Lynch said she anticipates the location will be good for business and envisions herself popping in often if she doesn’t feel up to cooking. The location also offers drive-thru service for those who don’t even want to get out of the car.
“Davis Highway is always busy, you know they’re going to stop,” Lynch said.
Jim ‘N Nick’s has more expansion plans on the way, with nine locations planned to open over the next year, according to a statement from the company. The group is also developing their first Santa Rosa County location at 4625 U.S. Highway 90 near Davenport Lane.
More updates and information regarding Jim ‘N Nick’s can be found on the Jim ‘N Nick’s Facebook page.
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