Andy Husbands Plans a Kendall Square Barbecue Joint

Andy Husbands, the chef and owner of Tremont 647 and Sister Sorel, has applied for licenses to open a third venture in Kendall Square. He's slated to appear before the Cambridge License Commission on Tuesday seeking an all-alcohol permit for what seems to be a barbecue restaurant, tentatively called Smoke Shop.

The new proposal is under the LLC Boston BBQ Company, which isn't yet registered with the state. (UPDATE, 3:15 p.m.: Cambridge writer John Hawkinson noted, via Twitter, that the company is in fact registered, and has been since March. Boston BBQ Co. is filed under Brian Lesser's name.) A fledgling Twitter profile shows that Husbands, a World Barbecue Champion and co-author of such cookbooks as Wicked Good Barbecue and Wicked Good Burgers, has lots of barbecue on his mind.

Last year, Husbands, along with Brian Lesser of Sweet Cheeks, Storyville, Alden & Harlow, and Tavern Road, was rumored to be scouting the Kendall Square space that formerly housed Tommy Doyle's. The pub, which shuttered abruptly after a decade-long run, is listed on Google+ at One Kendall Square #100, the site identified on the Cambridge license board agenda.

The spot can accommodate 149 inside, with an additional 40 seats on the patio. If approved, Smoke Shop could open daily from 11 a.m. - 1 a.m., and potentially host live music.

UPDATE, 2:50 p.m.: A press release confirms the news that Andy Husbands has a barbecue restaurant called The Smoke Shop planned for the former Tommy Doyle's space, and it notes the new place is coming this fall.

UPDATE, 3:48 p.m.: John Hawkinson also noticed a sample menu, submitted with Smoke Shop's licensing application. The restaurant plans for barbecue platters with choices such a competition ribs, Texas hot links, and agave barbecue wings; meat boards "served with appropriate sauces" and items like jowl bacon, jerk pork belly, and "pig candy;" and other appetizers, snacks, and accompaniments.

.@eaterboston Sample Smoke Shop /Boston BBQ Kendall menu from their license application pic.twitter.com/lLtkDyp7nR

— John Hawkinson (@johnhawkinson) June 11, 2015