Bill Keister can be found tending two smokers behind his Cape Coral restaurant six days a week.
And that’s a very good thing for Southwest Florida barbecue lovers.
Keister opened Big8 BBQ —on 47thTerrace between Front Porch Social and Fish Tale Grill by Merrick Seafood —with his wife Marjan Bakan in 2020.
“It was right in the middle of the pandemic,” he said. “I’ve been in the restaurant business, mostly consulting, for a long time. I’d say in the last 12 years, I’ve really gotten into barbecue.”
In that time, he’s perfected all his recipes, from his four homemade sauces — traditional K.C., sweet & spicy Memphis, mustard vinegar Carolina and “spicy" Texas — to the best-selling 8 cheese Mac-N-cheese side.
“Anyone can barbecue,” Keister said. “But there are a couple of things I do before and after the smoker that other folks don’t do. Anyone can do baked beans. I do mine differently.”
The same can be said of his collard greens (spicy with peppers added), smoked potato salad, cornbread with honey butter and mayo and vinegar-based coleslaw.
His brisket, which cooks for 14 hours, is the first to sell out on any given day despite his ability to make “30 15-pound briskets at one time” in his smokers.
Other meats Big8 features in sandwiches and plates include burnt ends, pulled pork, Carolina pulled chicken, meatloaf, turkey, sausage, pastrami and ribs.
Family packs, samplers, salads, handhelds, pasta bowls, smothered smoked potatoes and much more round out a mouth-watering menu.
Customers can have orders delivered, picked up in person or enjoyed at tables and booths in the spacious dining room. Outdoor seating is available as well.
And while “business doesn’t stop” on the Fourth of July and Super Bowl Sunday (“a ton of meat and wings are sold”), Labor Day is no slouch either.
To help folks celebrate, Keister is offering a dine-in and pickup special of a free slab of ribs with your $100 or more order from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2.
“That’s a $35 value,” he said. “It’s 35 percent off.”
Customers can also get a free pulled pork sandwich with a $20 purchase anytime by going to big8bbq.com and signing up for the newsletter.
Both are sweet deals for one of our favorite barbecue joints around.
Big8 BBQ, 1217 SE 47thTerrace, Cape Coral; open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (or until sold out) Wednesday to Monday; (239) 205-6689; big8bbq.com or on Facebook and Instagram
Big8 isn’t the only barbecue in town. Here's a quick look at 13 other stops:
Barbecue food trucks, drive-thrus, pop-ups and pick-ups
Beau’s BBQ: Tyler Goguen’s food truck serves Texas-inspired barbecue at Backyard Social from Wednesday to Sunday and every other Monday and Tuesday. And be on the lookout for Tyler’s second food truck, Beau’s Tex-Mex, which has that same Texas barbecue but with a Mexican twist. 16371 Corporate Commerce Way, Fort Myers; (239) 240-1377; beausbbqfl.com or find on Facebook and Instagram
Big Nick’s BBQ:The double smash burgers, brisket, pulled pork and brisket mac and cheese are just a few of our favorites from this small, Dairy Queen turned drive-thru wonder near Rutenberg Park. 9211 Cypress Lake Drive, Fort Myers; (239) 204-2498; bignicksbbq.com or on Facebook
Crazy Q:Matt Harrison has been serving his barbecue, slow cooked over a hardwood fire, in front of Crazy Lure Bait & Tackle for four years. Pork spare ribs, brisket, beef ribs, turkey legs and more are on the menu from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday to Sunday. He’ll open at 11:30 a.m. Labor Day too. 4839 Vincennes St., Cape Coral; (823) 215-6277; follow on Facebook
Dave’s Bangin’ BBQ: Although this pop-up is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday to Sunday, items can start selling out around 1:30 p.m. Brisket and ribs are usually the first to go. Note: It will be open Thursday to Saturday only on Labor Day weekend. Find it at New Testament Baptist Church, 2805 NE Pine Island Road, Cape Coral; (239) 645-6947; davesbanginbbq.com or follow on Facebook and Instagram
Jonesez BBQ:You’ll find award-winning homestyle cooking at this nearly 3-year-old family-owned and operated takeout joint. Some of our favorite ribs, chicken and pulled pork is on the menu along with an assortment of pies, cakes and cobblers. 13438 Palm Beach Blvd., Fort Myers; (239) 226-6262; jonesezbbq.com or follow on Facebook and Instagram. Keep an eye out for its food trucks too.
Note: McCarter’s BBQ has been a staple on the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Cranford Avenue in Fort Myers for decades. But damage from Hurricane Ian and owner Willie McCarter’s recent knee surgery jeopardized the business. Care to help? Go to McCarter’s GoFundMe page for more.
That BBQ Place:The bad news is John Petrus closed his Matlacha restaurant for good in July. The good news is his bright green food truck — the Chuck Wagon — can be found serving his central Texas barbecue at various stops throughout the area. Follow That BBQ Place on Facebook to see where it’s stopping next.
Barbecue restaurants
Famous Dave’s:Barbecue here is hand-rubbed with fresh spices and slow-cooked over hickory logs. 12148 Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers; (239) 690-3283; famousdaves.com
Hogbody’s Bar & Grill:This longtime family-friendly North Fort Myers staple is known for its 50-plus flavors of wings, 20 burgers, and low-key barbecue. 10440 Bayshore Road, North Fort Myers; (239) 543-8800; hogbodys.net
Liki Tiki BBQ:After Hurricane Ian washed away its Estero Boulevard location, a new spot opened on San Carlos Boulevard with its popular pulled pork, brisket, St. Louis ribs and baby backs. 17650 San Carlos Blvd., Fort Myers Beach, (239) 224-4923; also at 590 Tamiami Trail N., Naples, (239) 331-8510; likitikibbq.com
Mission BBQ:The Maryland-based chain which opened its first location on Sept. 11, 2011, has made fans throughout Fort Myers and Cape Coral with its oak-smoked, Texas-inspired brisket, fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs, tender & juicy pulled chicken, jalapeno-cheese sausage and more. 1519 NE Pine Island Road, Unit 60, Cape Coral, (239) 356-5542; 12984 South Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers, (239) 603-6700; mission-bbq.com
More:Craving Cuban sandwiches in Cape Coral and Fort Myers? We've got a few suggestions
Rib City:What began with a small family-run barbecue joint on US 41 in Fort Myers in 1989 has grown into 11 corporate Florida restaurants and nine franchises in four other states. New menu items for the 35-year milestone include pulled pork nachos, street corn, fried pickles and the Shredder — a pulled pork sandwich topped with coleslaw. Local locations include Fort Myers, North Fort Myers, east Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Lehigh, Estero and Naples. Go to ribcity.com for more.
Smoke’n Pit:This family-owned and operated restaurant has been a local favorite since 1998. From sandwiches, plates and specials, it still has some of the best deals around. 1641 North Tamiami Trail, North Fort Myers; (239) 997-7982; smokenpitbbq.com
Texas Tony’s:Tony Phelan opened his first rib & brewhouse in 2010 with slow-cooked and hand-sliced-to-order Texas-style barbecue. A secret rub and orange wood give this barbecue its unique flavor. 738 SW Pine Island Road, Cape Coral, (239) 347-7033; 4519 Tamiami Trail E., Naples, (239) 732-8392; texastonys.com and on Facebook
Robyn George is a food and dining reporter for The News-Press. Connect atrhgeorge@fortmyer.gannett.com
