Midtown restaurateur is bringing his brand of barbecue to Elk Grove’s Old Town

A new barbecue restaurant, LowBrau’s Slow and Low Smokehouse, is coming to Elk Grove’s Old Town, courtesy of restaurateur Michael Hargis.

The entrepreneur, known for the popular LowBrau and Beast + Bounty restaurants in midtown Sacramento, is opening his first suburban eatery.

LowBrau’s Slow and Low Smokehouse is scheduled to open in mid March in a former railroad warehouse facility at 9700 Railroad St.

Hargis said the restaurant will be a casual affair. Customers will order at the counter and prices will typically run from $12 to $25 for a variety of barbecue dishes, including pulled pork, brisket, chicken and ribs, all with various sides thrown in.

This is Hargis’ first foray into barbecue. LowBrau is known for German food and beer, while the food at Beast + Bounty could be described as American, including daily pizzas.

However, Hargis said he has barbecue in his roots..

“I’m from Texas. Not a lot of people know that. I was raised in Dallas Texas,” Hargis said. “My dad is a very formidable smoke guy who probably makes the best ribs I’ve ever had in my life.”

Hargis has been a presence in midtown Sacramento since 2013, opening his popular sausage and beer eatery, LowBrau, early that year.

He said he was attracted to Old Town Elk Grove because of the renaissance occurring in the area.

“I think it’s part of an opportunity to be a part of the revitalization of Old Town,” he said. “We have friends and family that live out there and it’s always been an area of interest to us.”

Hargis said micro-breweries and other restaurants that have opened in recent years, or are under construction in Old Town, have all added to the area’s appeal.

In preparation for the restaurant opening, Hargis and chef Brock Macdonald took a tour of barbecue restaurants in Memphis and Nashville.

But Macdonald said it’s a Northern California barbecue joint, Horn Barbecue in Oakland, that impressed him the most, particularly for its flavorful and tender beef brisket.

If Macdonald can achieve Horn barbecue status, then expect lines outside the door for LowBrau’s Slow and Low Smokehouse.

Yelp reviews say long waits are common at Horn, with 30 minutes the minimum when the restaurant opens at 11.

For now, Macdonald and Hargis are just focusing on perfecting their brisket and other dishes while construction proceeds on the new restaurant.

“Our goal is to really execute a super proper brisket,” Macdonald said. “To make it super proper, you have to let it go through the night. It’s like a 14- to 16-hour smoking process.”

Hours for the new restaurant have yet to be established.

This story was originally published January 23, 2023 at 5:00 AM.