Uncle Tom's Barbecue Opens in Homestead Today

Uncle Tom's Barbecue is in a growth spurt. The restaurant that has been serving up ribs to Miami denizens since 1948, opens the doors to its latest location in Homestead, today. The barbecue mecca starts serving today at 11 a.m. at 128 N. Krome Ave. in Homestead's historic downtown district...

By Laine Doss

September 21, 2015

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Uncle Tom's Barbecue is having a growth spurt.

The restaurant that's been serving ribs to Miamians since 1948 opens its newest location in Homestead today.

The barbecue mecca begins serving today at 11 a.m. at 128 N. Krome Ave., in Homestead's historic downtown district. The latest Uncle Tom's offers the same menu featured at its other three locations, serving affordable dinners like pulled pork ($7.95), barbecued brisket ($12.95), and a half-rack of ribs ($18.95).

This is the fourth location of Uncle Tom's, a feat for a restaurant that looked like it had seen better days just a few years ago.

In 2013, the iconic neon sign that signified good grub to tourists and locals on Tamiami Trail for more than six decades was turned off after a fire left the building unsafe. The restaurant was given a new lease on life when the Rodriguez family, which owns and operates Pasta del Giorno in Pinecrest, purchased the space. They decided to bring back the original sauce made famous by the first owners, the Fantis family.

Owner Ariel Rodriguez says his family's purchase of Uncle Tom's is as much about keeping tradition alive as it is about success. "I grew up eating at Uncle Tom's Barbecue. My family and I considered it an institution, and when the opportunity arose to purchase the restaurant, we jumped at the chance to reintroduce that legacy."

The restaurant reopened in June 2014, and two other locations, in Pinecrest and Hialeah, quickly followed. Ariel Rodriguez announced plans to launch a Homestead location just two months ago, at the opening of the Pinecrest outpost of Uncle Tom's.

Now the Homestead restaurant opens today, with some upgrades to the barbecue joint's signature food and sauces. The new location boasts a full liquor bar and a stage for live music. In addition, the restaurant also feature beers on tap, daily happy-hour specials, and TV sets so patrons can enjoy some barbecued chicken on game day.

Uncle Tom’s Barbecue in Homestead is open daily for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Laine Doss is the former food editor of Miami New Times. She has been featured on Cooking Channel's Eat Street and Food Network's Great Food Truck Race. She won an Alternative Weekly award for her feature about what it's like to wait tables.

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