Barbecue restaurant plans to open in Batavia in former Smashburger
A barbecue restaurant from Romeoville plans to open a second location in Batavia.
Doc Watson's Smokehouse is remodeling the former Smashburger restaurant on the southeast corner of Randall Road and Fabyan Parkway, the owner told Batavia aldermen during a committee meeting Tuesday night.
The restaurant will feature meats treated with a dry rub of spices, then smoked. It is not served with sauces, but there will be sauces customers can put on themselves, owner Chris Kawa said.
Mayor Jeff Schielke said he recently visited the Romeoville outpost, secretly, and was pleased with what he saw and tasted.
“They probably have the most unique potato salad I have ever eaten,” Schielke said.
Kawa said he hopes to open the restaurant by the end of April.
The restaurant would join several other barbecue options in the Tri-Cities, including Oak + Swine in downtown Batavia and Firewater BBQ in Geneva. Team FIB operates a food truck on weekends in the parking lot of the Menards store in Batavia.
The Batavia Smashburger opened in 2010. It was the first Smashburger in Illinois. It closed in 2020.