The beloved barbecue restaurant Nancy’s Bar-B-Q opened in the Rosemary District today. Owner Nancy Krohngold opened her original restaurant in 2010 in downtown Sarasota; it closed in October 2020. Krohngold then turned her full focus to running her popular Lakewood Ranch location, which also ceased business operations earlier this summer after lease negotiations could not be reached.

Nancy’s return to downtown Sarasota has been reminiscent of the early years prior to opening a brick-and-mortar. Back then, Krohngold served “stealth barbecue" by popping up in empty parking lots at a moment’s notice with heaps of barbecue for hungry fans who queued in long lines.

"My friends wanted me to make my barbecue for them. I was inspired by a New York Times article and taught myself how to make it," Krohngold recalls. "The business grew into a fun side thing for me to do on the down-low in my backyard. I was a self-employed graphic designer and when 2007 came along, I didn’t have enough work. I thought, 'You know, this pork—people are buying it. It’s reasonably priced and hard to find pork like this just anywhere.'" 

So she started to scheme.

"Private businesses and organizations let me sell my pork with my catering license," she says. "I couldn’t be in the same spot every day or every week and I couldn’t advertise it, so I used to email 750 people the night before to them know where I would be."

Her scheming has continued for the last few months. Prior to opening the Rosemary District location, she advertised “stealth lunch,” in which hungry neighbors could swing by a tent outside of the under-construction restaurant to satisfy their need for her legendary barbecue—as well as a taste for the old days, when getting a bite of Nancy's food was the worst kept secret in town.

The new Nancy’s Bar-B-Q occupies the old Oasis Restaurant & Bar space, behind Station 400 and next door to Food + Beer (formerly Blue Rooster). Guests can expect the same great offerings from previous locations, which includes all things 'cue. Krohngold is particularly fond of her smoked pork and brisket, which both cook overnight.

"I heard an analogy that smoking pork is like riding a bike: once you figure it out it’s always OK, and you'll rarely fall off," she says. "But brisket is like a unicycle—you learn the skills but you might fall off every once in a while. It can be daunting but if you babysit it, it's just great."

Of today's opening, Krohngold says, "We’ve had a great showing, and I knew almost everyone. I am bowled over by the reception of folks who are loyal to Nancy’s. It’s really gratifying. I'm so happy to be back downtown."

Nancy’s Bar-B-Q’s is located at 1525 Fourth St., Sarasota. The dining room will be open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays. A full bar will also be open after the dining room closes. For more information, call (941) 999-2390 or click here.