“When Back Porch BBQ opened in Ashland in 1988, it actually had a back porch,” notes Jamie Collins. “Then BT and Sue moved the business to Jacksonville in 1994. No back porch, but they kept the name.” BT and Sue Collins also kept their original menu, which they’d based on Texas barbeque.
Then in 2013, their son Blu, who’d worked with his parents since the beginning, and his wife Jamie took charge. “It only seemed natural,” Blu Collins notes, “all those years—and ten thousand gallons of BBQ sauce later—for Jamie and me to take the reins.”
“We changed the name to Back Porch Bar & Grill,” Jamie says, “and made the menu more ‘us.’ We definitely saw an uptick in customers after the switch.” Back Porch still does its renowned Texas-style barbecue, “but now it represents just one page of our five-page menu,” Jamie adds.
The restaurant smokes all of their meats, using local oak, on the pit behind the restaurant. The most popular of their meats, brisket, takes twelve hours to get just right. “We start early in the morning, and pull at night,” Jamie says. “And it’s used in a number of our dishes, including the brisket plate, a brisket sandwich, Texas French Dip, and Jalapeno brisket melt with cheese and grilled pickled peppers and onions. That’s a fun one.”
The menu also retains the half-pound “Cowboy” burgers developed when they first started. “They’re named after Hollywood cowboys, like John Wayne, the Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers, and even the massive (double-patty) Mongo,” explains Sue Collins, who still works at Back Porch. “Naming them was my husband BT’s idea,” she confides with a chuckle. “Because he’d met Roy Rogers when he was a kid.”
“Of course, you can substitute grilled chicken on any of the burgers,” Jamie points out.
Longtime customers note the display of well-worn cowboy boots that still catches the eye near the front entrance. (“I shopped for used boots at every second-hand store,” Sue recalls, laughing. “It was a search, I can tell you!”) But time hasn’t stood still on the expansive menu. Besides the old standards, you’ll find a Thai Chicken Wrap, Seared Ahi Tacos, Coconut Shrimp, and Crispy Fish Tacos with battered Alaskan cod—one of the most popular dishes, per Jamie. “We even serve them at our Britt concession booth, along with some of the burgers and barbecue items.”
Beyond Britt, Back Porch also does catering in a “covered wagon.” “We can take it anywhere,” says Jamie. “It’s perfect for outdoor weddings.”
BACK PORCH BAR & GRILL
605 North 5th Street • 541-899-8821
Monday-Thursday 11:30am-9:00pm
Friday-Saturday 11:30am-10:00pm