Meet Johnny and Jill Mitchell of Johnny Mitchell’s Smokehouse in Cartersville

Today we’d like to introduce you to Johnny and Jill Mitchell.

Johnny started out by always getting asked by friends and family to cook for events, and ended up owning a catering company. He was tricked into the restaurant industry in 2005 when he and his wife were left “holding the bag” at their first joint venture, The Dining Room at Lake Arrowhead. Three years later, landing in Euharlee as Johnny Mitchell’s Smokehouse they cooked their way to stardom earning Best in Bartow County and a spot on the Travel Channels BBQ Crawl. Suffering from growing pains, in 2015 they moved once again this time into a beautiful spot in the back of the West End Commons shopping center in Cartersville.

Famous for his smoked meats using native hickory and wild cherry wood, Johnny surprises an unsuspecting public with his ability to create beautiful food from any cuisine. The restaurant hosts internationally themed dining events as a result. Fun and creative dishes continue to flow from his beautiful new kitchen and the awards continue as Johnny earned the People’s Choice Championship at the Georgia On My Mind event. He has also earned dishes in the Top 100 Plates in the state for two years running.

Johnny together with his wife Jill love serving their community.

Has it been a smooth road?
When Johnny Mitchell’s Smokehouse opened in the small village of Euharlee in 2009, we were too busy to realize the gravity of the economic disaster looming. Newscasters on TV were counseling people to save money by not eating at restaurants! It felt like a faucet got turned off. Business went from all out to no one going out. But the weighty overhead inherent in the restaurant business remained. We went from 20 employees to 2. We went from selling $20 steaks to selling $3 BBQ sandwiches. We were unable to make our home mortgage payments but we went to work every day, all day. We prayed hard and praised God that we had work. We were eating really really well because we couldn’t sell those steaks so we ate them ourselves. We had learned how to network and build community from our first restaurant which had been located inside a gated community so we focused on building bridges, taking sack lunches to nearby schools for teachers on a budget, doing a great job with corporate catering from area businesses. We bartered. A lot. We stayed open.

Our home was saved by the Keeping Home Affordable Act. The vendors who extended us credit during those months are the vendors who we still do business with today. We experienced miracles of a supportive community.

People got tired of being afraid. We focused on events that brought people out. Business came back and we praise God everyday asking that every morsel of food in and out of our kitchen glorify God.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Johnny Mitchell’s Smokehouse story. Tell us more about the business.
Johnny Mitchell’s Smokehouse is not just a restaurant it’s our mission. Behind the scenes we offer employment to kids as their first job and to those who are getting a fresh start in their life. We require that every employee be in school or doing something that will improve their life outside of working in the restaurant.

For our guests, we create an environment that we hope nourishes body mind and spirit. We live to serve. Corporate catering is where we really shine. How do you feed 300 people in 30 minutes? Call Johnny Mitchell’s Smokehouse!

Johnny is known best for his championship smoked meats: pulled pork BBQ, beef brisket, ribs. But it’s the smoked tofu and vegan sides that bring families in to dine together. Where can everyone get what they like to eat, vegetarian and carnivore alike? Johnny Mitchell’s Smokehouse!

Celebrating something? We are proud of our partnership with Seminole Pride Beef. The steaks we serve are locally sourced. And delicious.

Creative cooking that still makes sense. Our trademarked Redneck Reuben, which was awarded Top 100 Plates in the state of Georgia, is a good example. Smoked beef brisket, not corned beef, signature sauce and provolone cheese with grilled sauerkraut on beautiful marbled rye is a smokehouse riff on the classic sandwich.

And more! We worked closely with the Brew Master at our Cartersville Anheuser-Busch Brewery to create an internationally inspired tasting menu for all of the brands they brew. How do you elevate Mich Ultra? Make a reduction with it, use it in a dressing for a cantaloupe, arugula and prosciutto salad. Shock Top is used as a braising liquid for a Moroccan inspired vegan tagine.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The competition for food service dollars is getting tougher: grocery stores offer more and more cooked options, delivered boxes of ready to prepare meals, faster casual concepts.

Saying that, I feel optimistic that our family focused, real food, really cooked with love concept will keep a place in our community’s heart (and wallet). Our kind of home cooking evokes a feeling of connection that people need. Our hectic life styles have eroded our family values. Time spent eating together is the last bastion of shared experience.

I think people are ready for real food. I think the big shift will be away from anonymous drive thru windows and back to the table for real, face to face connection. How was your day and pass the potatoes.

Contact Info:

• Address: 650 Henderson Drive
  suite 403, Cartersville, GA 30120
• Website: JohnnyMitchellsSmokehouse.com
• Phone: 770-334-3431
• Email: [email protected]
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnnymitchellssmokehouse
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/SmokewithJohnny
• Other: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g34821-d8448318-Reviews-Johnny_Mitchell_s_Smokehouse-Cartersville_Georgia.html

 

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.