OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The owners of a popular barbecue restaurant in the metro hit the reset button. Tired Texan closed its doors for good in May. Three months later, the Papillion couple who ran the place is cooking up something new. 3 News Now Anchor Serese Cole shows us what they've got poppin' now in this week's Cheap Eats.
For years, Chip and Christine Holland have been known for one thing—their Texas barbecue.
But with sky-high meat prices and supply chain issues...
"We looked around and we were like, we can't make this work," Chip explained.
Now, they've got a new home, a new concept, and a new name.
"It's not Tired Texan," Christine said.
It's Poppin' Smoke Southern Grill.
"We wanted to pay homage to the military and at the same time kind of our past," Chip explained.
The Papillion restaurant is housed in the American Legion Building.
"It's just amazing to us we get to hang out with vets which is cool," he smiled.
What's also cool? They've completely switched up their menu.
At Poppin' Smoke, it's about comfort food.
"Pork chops, we do the chicken fried steak, we're going to do stews and chicken and dumplings and fried green tomatoes," Chris smiled.
"I've always said that I don't feel like it's eating out with his food at our restaurant because he used to cook this stuff at our house," Christine shared.
They showed 3 News Now's Serese Cole the food their customers love most—beginning with the Tumbleweeds.
"They are hashbrowns, cheese and bacon. We hand roll them, put it all together, we shred the cheese and everything," Christine explained.
Speaking of appetizers, they also make their own pork rinds.
They're deep fried, seasoned, then served.
And if you listen closely, can hear them pop.
The duo is all about mixing things up, even their burgers.
"We can't even disclose the full secret, but we use a ground ribeye, so it's really a steak burger," Chip shared.
The steak burgers are sprinkled with a secret seasoning and cooked over an open flame.
"These burgers stay good and juicy, and the flavor is just unbelievable," he said.
Their Pizza Burger is popular with customers. It comes with provolone cheese, pizza sauce and a fried surprise.
"One of the biggest tricks in the world is the fried pepperoni, so when people taste it, they're like, what's the deal with this burger?" Chip laughed.
The most popular item on the menu is the chicken fried steak—and it is huge.
"Wanna know how big our chicken fried steak is? It's as big as my head," Chip joked.
It's served with their scratch gravy and two sides.
Their outlaw cream corn is a must.
The goal is to make everyone feel at home and welcome.
"We run into people every day who are like, can we eat there? I'm like, of course you can. It's open to the public," Chip said.
As for that Texas barbecue—don't worry.
"They built me a nice little smoke shack out there," Chip smiled.
Chip is not completely done yet.
"If I see something on sale, I'll get it, I'll smoke it, and we'll have it as a special," Chip said.
The Papillion couple says the goal is to make their restaurant affordable for families. The Chicken Fried Steak meal is $12.99. The Pizza Burger with a side is $10.99. Poppin' Smoke is inside the American Legion Post in Papillion at 230 West Lincoln Street. They're open Tuesday through Sunday. For the next two Sundays, the restaurant will be closed. For more details go to poppinsmokesoutherngrill.com.
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