Billy Jack’s BBQ opens Aug. 1 at 9560 Heckscher Drive in North Jacksonville.
It is next to the St. Johns River Ferry landing. The car and passenger ferry connects the north and south ends of Florida A1A, linking Mayport Village and Fort George Island.
Billy Jack’s is the latest restaurant concept from Ben and Liza Groshell. They own seven other restaurants: Marker 32, the Palm Valley, North Beach, Julington Creek and St. Augustine fish camps, Dockside Seafood Restaurant and Valley Smoke. They are also involved with their children’s AB Kitchen.
While Valley Smoke offers upscale barbecue and Southern dining, Billy Jack’s serves old-style barbecue and seafood.
“This is fast-casual, where it’s a basket food. So not a lot of fork-and-knife-type things are on the menu,” Ben Groshell said.
Billy Jack’s is at the former Barz Bar & Package site. Ben Groshell estimated it cost $700,000 to refurbish and outfit the new restaurant. CSG Construction of Daytona Beach was the contractor. The Groshells designed the interior with Liza taking care of the dining room and Ben laying out the kitchen.
The Groshells' restaurant group, Southern Table Hospitality, bought the 2.32 acres and its existing structure for $1.55 million in 2020.
The remodeled 2,520-square-foot restaurant has capacity for 120 and includes inside and outside dining.
Billy Jack’s is named after executive chef and pitmaster William Kennedy, whose nickname is Billy Jack. He is a longtime Groshell employee, most recently cooking at Valley Smoke.
“Ben is very proud to offer opportunity to some of our young chefs and people who come on board with our brands,” Liza Groshell said.
“We develop our own team members into leadership roles. That’s Ben’s way of mentoring and giving people opportunity.”
As a fast-casual restaurant, customers order at the counter. There are no reservations. The concept allows for fewer employees.
“It’s to keep the costs low. When you have the front-of-the-house management and servers we’re basically paying payroll taxes,” Ben Groshell said.
The lower the employee costs, the more that can be spent on the ever-more expensive food products, he said.
The menu includes barbecue sandwiches from $13-$16 featuring pulled pork, brisket and smoked turkey. Dinners are $14-$21 and include spareribs, chicken, pulled pork, brisket, turkey breast and smoked sausage. A combo of two protein items is $22 and a meal for two is $45. Dinners are served with white bread and two sides. There is a children’s menu.
A $12 pork sandwich, fries and soft drink lunch combo is offered Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
The restaurant is open daily from 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
The restaurant has a full liquor license and serves beer in cans, wine and specialty cocktails. There are also frozen whiskey cola and frozen strawberry citrus adult slushies.
The barbecue is smoked in an oak wood-burning firepit.
The Groshells’ secret weapon may be Gloria Holt. She will prepare in-house desserts — fudge brownies, cobbler of the day and cookies — and daily specials.
Her side dishes include smoky corn, candied yams, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, Southern hoecakes, black-eyed peas, tomato and okra, among others.
Ben Groshell met Holt at a Georgia hunting camp. He approached her about joining his team.
“I really loved her food and I’ve been there quite a few times. I told her we just love what she does. She said that she was kind of looking for a change wanted to come to this area,” he said.
Because of the location, customers can arrive at Billy Jack’s by water via the ferry. Customers parking on the Mayport side can ride without a car for $1 each way.
“If they park there to go as a pedestrian they can ride over the ferry. That could be fun,” Liza Groshell said.
