CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The doors opened on former Charleston Mayor Danny Jones’ new restaurant ‘Danny’s BBQ Stand’ on Wednesday and soon after opening, people were lined up out of those doors.
Jones was busy Wednesday serving up everything from barbeque ribs to barbeque chicken salads and soups for the Charleston lunch crowd.
“I was with other people and we tried everything on the menu,” Melissa Ellis of Charleston told MetroNews.
“We had the ribs, pulled pork barbeque and the smoked chicken salad with all the sides.”
The menu includes ribs, double ribs, pulled pork barbeque sandwich, small barbeque sandwich, soup, chili, garden salad, chicken chef salad, baked beans, coleslaw, soda, tea, and water.
Ellis said everything on the menu is a winner.
“I would highly recommend this, five stars. And I have a catering business so I know food.”
The restaurant will be open weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the 1000 block of Quarrier Street. There is a possible expansion of hours in the future.
“We came at 11 because we wanted to make sure we would not have to wait in line but the line was already out of the door,” Wilma Ellis of Charleston said.
“It’s really nice and all the food was good.”
Jones, who is also the host of 580-LIVE on MetroNews flagship WCHS-Radio in Charleston, began working in restaurants in the mid-60s at the old Sterling restaurant.
He opened his first restaurant in 1974 and the last time he served lunch in downtown Charleston was in 1989.
“I got the barbeque chicken salad, baked beans and a drink,” Joy Wright of Charleston said. ” We used to go to Nitro a lot when he had it down there.”
The restaurant seats a few dozen people in the front and back of the building. Inside on the walls are newspaper articles and other memorabilia hanging to show Jones’ history in the Charleston area.
“It’s a new, fresh feeling to this area. It’ll bring people to this street and it was a very, very nice experience,” Melissa Ellis said.