Chef Tom Douglas opens barbecue joint near Pike Place Market

After shutting down a dozen restaurants at the start of the pandemic, chef Tom Douglas has been quietly and slowly rebuilding his restaurant empire, revamping different menu concepts, including his most recent addition, Etta’s Big Mountain BBQ, a reboot of his seafood café near Pike Place Market.

The 125-seat tavern serves hickory smoked brisket, apple wood roasted pork ribs and turkey legs along with six sides, including jojo potatoes. The smoked meat menu will also be offered next summer in North Seattle when Douglas hopes to open a second barbecue spot next to his Serious Pie location in the Ballard Brewery District, his managing partner and chef Eric Tanaka said Tuesday.

The reboot of Etta’s comes after Douglas shuttered his critically acclaimed restaurant Dahlia Lounge in downtown and used that prime real estate to expand his two marquee brands: Serious Pie and also Dahlia Bakery in 2021. Last summer, the chef crossed the bridge to the Eastside to open an outpost of Serious Pie at The Village at Totem Lake in Kirkland.

Up next for Douglas is a wine bar and also the reopening of his much loved Palace Kitchen restaurant. “We are excited to get the Palace back up and running. That will be a big one for us in spring 2023,” Tanaka said.