GALAX, Va. (WDBJ) – What started as confusion over barbecue quickly blossomed into a love and passion that draws hungry fans from hours away.

We discover the award-winning Galax Smokehouse in this week’s Hometown Eats!

“This is my dining room. This is where I invite people to come visit me. This is our home,” said Bernadette Hodges, owner of Galax Smokehouse.

Home is where the heart is and one of the quickest routes to the heart is through the stomach, especially when it comes to barbecue. Welcome to Galax Smokehouse on Main Street, you guessed it, Galax.

“I’m from Michigan, so there was no room, there was no barbecue,” Hodges joked.

So how did Bernadette ultimately become the owner of Galax Smokehouse? It all started in the Air Force and being stationed in South Carolina.

“Let’s go barbecue and I looked at him and told him how to barbecue; you are having a barbecue. You turn on the plunger and throw something on it. He said no, no, you don’t understand, and I just said, OK. That was my introduction to barbecue,” Hodges said.

Little did Bernadette know that this journey would eventually lead to the love she now has for this barbecue joint originally opened in 2003. She joined the team in 2006 and managed it until becoming its owner in 2018.

She says the small-town atmosphere motivates her.

“Being here in Galax, everywhere I go, I know someone,” Hodges said.

But this place is known far beyond the borders of Galax.

“We’ve had so many people that over the years, they would drive an hour and a half or two hours, and I thought they were coming for the music, but they were just coming to eat here,” Hodges said.

“We drove about an hour to get here,” said Billy, who has been coming from North Carolina for years for this barbecue.

“We like to know where people come from and how they got here. We encourage them to put a pin on where they’re from,” Hodges said.

From coast to coast and continent to continent, but one of the most important things about this place, besides the food, of course, is how they honor the military.

“That’s what I love, the connection with my city and the people around me. Not just for my own people, but for everyone who walks through the door,” Hodges said.

And what gets them through the door is simple.

“Obviously we really like pig,” Hodges joked.

“We ate a combination of barbecue, brisket and ribs. Very good,” said Billy’s wife Linda.

They dry rub the meat at the Smokehouse and leave the sauce to you.

“You have the choice of four different sauces; it’s a tough problem to choose which sauce is best,” added Billy.

“That’s part of what people like, they can sauce it however they want,” Hodges said.

“There’s nothing not to like,” said regular customer Larry, who has been eating at the Smokehouse since 2003.

You won’t find a flat top there. Everything you eat is smoked or fried.

“We stick to hickory when it comes to pork, ribs, burgers, smoked potatoes, smoked mashed potatoes. The chicken is smoked with applewood which has a very light flavor,” Hodges said. “It’s our chili brisket. It contains smoked brisket and smoked hamburger. It’s a hearty meal. I think it’s a Southern comfort food.

As good as the food is, Bernadette says it’s more than what’s on the plate that keeps people coming back. It’s the history on the walls, the mostly donated pigs looking out for you, and the good times had by all.

“I think that’s what a lot of people like here. It’s not just about the food, but it’s also about the people who are here who are happy to see you and build a relationship with you,” Hodges said.

“It’s a place you would want to try and come back too,” Linda added.

The Galax Smokehouse, a local restaurant where you can diversify your sauce supply and watch the pigs fly.

Galax Smokehouse is located at 101 N Main St, Galax, VA 24333 and is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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