Sprawling barbecue spot firing up the pit

Windmill Ice House & Bar-BQue is ready to start smoking Thursday. Located on nearly 1 acre of land on Nacogdoches Road just outside Loop 410, the new spot has an indoor dining room, a large outdoor area with seating for up to 160, a music stage, a swingset and plenty of room for families to roam around.

Co-owner Bart Simpson, one of four partners in the project, said Windmill held a series of tasting events and he’s confident the barbecue will rank with some of the best in the city.

“All of our test cooks have been received very well, and we believe we have a venue that is family-friendly and fun,” Simpson said. “We are ready to go and couldn’t be more excited. Because we have such a large open space in the middle of the city, our goal is to make if feel like it’s a rural barbecue experience.”

Simpson is a real estate professional who purchased the property in 2018 at the urging of co-owner and pitmaster Adam Hays. They were looking to team up on a restaurant and decided the location provided the template for a rural barbecue experience in the middle of the city that would be unmatched.

“Adam found it and asked me to drop by and take a look at it, and I’m glad I did,” Simpson said. “The land and location is appealing — it feels like a space in the country even though you are in the middle of the city.”

The 1,000-gallon steel offset pit, which will be commanded by Hays, is a monster. It can hold up to 100 briskets ($11 per half pound), although Windmill will start with about 20 or so for service.

The rest of the menu will include barbecue staples — pulled pork ($9 per half pound), turkey ($6 per half pound), sausage ($3 per half link), chicken ($4.50 per quarter) and pork ribs ($11 per half rack). Sides (prices from $3.50 for a single serving to $13 per quart) will be green beans, pinto beans, coleslaw, potato salad, collard greens, cream corn, South Texas rice, and mac and cheese.

Barbecue plates can be mixed and matched with as many as three meats, and will be served either classic Texas style, which means the plate comes with white bread, or South Texas style, with flour or corn tortillas and pico de gallo.

And for dessert, Windmill is keeping it simple with cookies, cobblers and vanilla ice cream.

Customers will order through a line like so many classic Texas barbecue restaurants. The ice house portion, which will offer more than 30 types of beer, won’t be available for another two or so weeks, so customers are welcome to bring their own until the beer and wine license comes through.

Windmill Ice House & Bar-BQue, 2769 Nacogdoches Road, Facebook: @windmillicehouse. Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays.

Windmill Ice House & Bar-B-Que Ribs are sliced at a test cook at Windmill Ice House & Bar-B-Que, set to open Thursday.