Lines could often be seen stretching out the door of the Pflugerville restaurant, which is tucked amid shops in a small shopping center. In mid-June Brotherton’s expanded its dining area from 19 seats to 77, with additional tables outside.
Initially, the restaurant opened as Black Iron Eats, a sandwich shop, offering spins on traditional favorites by Executive Chef Marvin Briley and owner Kelly Gerry in August 2016.
“Having a restaurant is something I’d always wanted to do,” Gerry said. “I’d never worked in retail, but I love service and I love food. So after I retired from my job in oil and gas, Marvin Briley and I decided we were going to do it.”
The plan was to start small and slowly build a brand, but then John Brotherton entered the shop, and things advanced quickly. Brotherton had a reputation for his brisket-making skills.
“I realized, ‘This dude knows a lot of people,’” Briley said with a laugh. “I went to his barbecue pop-ups, and we started talking and decided to do a sandwich together. He said he’d do a brisket, and I said I’d make a French dip to go with it. We posted that his brisket was in here, and the line went out the door.”
Brotherton had been selling his barbecue part-time since 2010 out of a food trailer.
“I got so many orders that I was able to quit my job and cook full time. I did catering and started doing popups out of the truck,” he said.
“Barbecue and iconic sandwiches together—there is a lot of synergy between both our businesses.”
In mid- to late July, a dinner menu with full-scale barbecue will be added.
“We’re seeing a pretty solid progression,” Gerry said of plans for the future. “The idea is to eventually move into a location that will give us a lot more freedom to do something on a much greater volume but without losing the feel of what we started.”
Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue
15608 Spring Hill Lane, Ste. 105, Pflugerville 512-547-4766 www.blackironeats.com Hours: Tues - Sat 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
