Wildcat BBQ to Pop Up Weekly in Berry Hill

Longtime readers might remember chef Brandon Frohne from his past stints helming the kitchen of Mason’s in the Loews Vanderbilt or as the culinary director for Cracker Barrel’s biscuit sandwich startup Holler & Dash. During his time at Mason’s, Frohne was twice invited to cook at the prestigious James Beard House in NYC, and while Holler & Dash folded into Maple Street Biscuit Company after Cracker Barrel acquired that chain, Frohne has plenty to be proud of with his work there. 

More recently, Frohne hosted a pop-up culinary experience at Nashville Jam Co.’s location at 2806 Columbine Place back during a pandemic lull in fall 2020. That event featured a short menu of Frohne’s kitchen obsessions at the time, a truffle smashburger, foot-long fries and a boozy pumpkin pie. We should have guessed he was up to something then.

Now it’s become apparent that this was all just part of his delicious master plan, as Frohne has announced that he’s teaming up with Nashville Jam Co. owner Gary Baron to offer an ongoing weekend pop-up series under the name Wildcat BBQ. Starting on June 24, Wildcat will take over the NJC space on Friday and Saturday nights from 5 p.m. until they run out of food (the way that a proper barbecue restaurant should!).

This represents a bit of a full circle for Baron’s space, as it was previously home to the gone-but-never-forgotten Mothership BBQ, where entrepreneur/pitmaster Jim Reams brought the smoke to Berry Hill in the form of his alter-ego, Dr. Funkenswine. Unfortunately, barbecue is supposed to cook low and slow, and the Mothership burned fast and hot, lamentably closing after about a year of operations.

So what sort of ’cue will Frohne be bringing to the space? True to his inventive and obsessive culinary curiosity, the chef promises Southern-style barbecue infused with tropical flavors, so actually even more Southern! His proposed menu includes an offering of shareables for the table, ranging from candied ancho-tequila bacon, spicy noodles and one dish I can’t stop thinking about, Hot Ruffle lumpia.

I’m already a fan of lumpia, the Filipino spring rolls that are traditionally filled with savory or sweet items before frying, but Frohne seems to be going delightfully off the rails with this one. His thin lumpia wrappers will be stuffed with smoked brisket, spicy noodles, cabbage, cheese and chiles before he rolls them in spicy crushed ripple chips and tosses them in the fryer until they’re crispy and orange. They’ll be served with a pepper jelly-toyomansi dipping sauce. It’s so crazy, it might just work!

Side dishes include spicy watermelon with Thai flavorings, grilled corn and blueberry salad, and a sweet and spicy summer peach slaw with ginger and Fresno chiles. Desserts will also be suitably sweet, decadent and tropical with offerings like This Sh*t is Bananas!, a swirled banana and purple sweet potato pudding.

Proteins will be sold market-style, by the quarter- or half-pound. Other than that, their similarity to Texas barbecue will end at the fact that Wildcat will offer spare ribs, brisket, pork shoulder and chicken wings. After that, they’ll represent a tropical fusion emerging from Frohne’s love of bold, interesting flavor combinations. Those ribs? They’ll be slathered with what he calls “rum guava-cue” sauce and sprinkled with a coconut-chile crumble, closer in style to Laos than Lockhart. The brisket will be smoked low and slow until tender, but the Goo Goo Cluster BBQ sauce would probably blow the mind of any crusty old Texas pitmaster. Pork shoulder will arrive in a style reminiscent of al pastor, served with pineapple salsa, mojo verde sauce and tortillas. 

The Snap Crackle Pop (trademark be damned!) Chicken Wings have Frohne particularly excited. He was inspired by childhood memories of dropping salted peanuts into a can of coke before drinking it on a hot summer day. He explains in his official opening announcement: “It was such a crazy tasty little snack that we took this idea and fused it together with a Vietnamese caramel. That’s where the spicy peanut cola caramel was born. We toss smoked crispy chicken wings in the caramel and top with pastry rocks, benne seed, charred peaches, and basil. The pastry rocks explode in your mouth when you bite into the chicken. It’s very reminiscent of wood crackling in a smoker. The dish is smoky, sweet, spicy, umami … and just fun!”

That’s the attitude anyone planning to dine at Wildcat BBQ should take. BBQ purists will probably be dismayed, if not enraged, by the left turns that Frohne plans to take after the meats leave the smoker. But there should be room enough for all kinds in the big tent of barbecue, and I for one can’t wait to take the trip to the tropics with Wildcat. 

Frohne hopes to host live music at Wildcat BBQ, which will also offer craft beer and seltzer along with nonalcoholic beverages. Indoor and outdoor seating will be available, and carryout will be available. (However, preorders and reservations will not.) Just show up, get in line, place your order and leave any bad attitudes at home.