Jason Furst and Chef Sam Pinner, the owners behind Sammy’s sandwich shop in Adair Park, will open Broad Street BBQ in South Downtown next spring.
Located on 96 Broad St., the barbecue restaurant takes over three storefronts around the corner from the restaurants and shops along Mitchell Street and Hotel Row. Broad Street BBQ will include an on-site smokehouse and to-go area overlooking the smokers, kitchen and bar, and dining room within the combined spaces of 96, 98, and 100 Broad St.
Most notably, the three-story portion of the Broad Street building facing forthcoming restaurant El Tesoro on Mitchell Street features a bubble letter-style mural of the American flag by French artist TILT. Created in 2012 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the twinning of Atlanta with Toulouse, France, TILT returned in 2024 to restore the mural.
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Furst and Pinner, who met as teenagers while attending Paideia in Druid Hills, have often paralleled each other’s restaurant careers, including working at Kevin Rathbun Steak and BoccaLupo. But the dream, Furst said, was always to open a restaurant together, which they finally did earlier this spring with Sammy’s in Adair Park. Opening Broad Street BBQ is a bonus, he said.
While living in Washington state during the pandemic, the best friends came up with the idea for Broad Street BBQ after working together on a series of barbecue pop-ups on Bainbridge Island.
“Bainbridge Island is a tourist destination, and our setup was all outside during the pandemic. So people would get off the ferry and then stand in line for Sam’s barbecue,” Furst said. “At some point, we told each other we were going to open something around Sam’s barbecue, with Sammy’s kind of being the start of that.”
People looking for a sneak peek of Broad Street BBQ should order the Uncle’s Sam’s barbecue sandwich at Sammy’s, which includes the smoked pork butt Pinner became known for on Bainbridge Island.
For Sammy’s, they purchased the same model smoker Pinner used in Washington from a company out of Brunswick, GA. Banking on the brand that has so far brought them success, Furst and Pinner will purchase a larger version of the smoker for Broad Street BBQ.
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Expect brisket and smoked pork sandwiches and plates, along with other smoked meats paired with sides of mac and cheese, hoecakes, and baked beans. Pinner is also playing with the idea of a collard green lasagna. However, one side most definitely making the Broad Street BBQ menu is Pinner’s popular Southern-style coleslaw, based on his mother’s recipe.
Look for cocktails from Sammy’s bar manager, Connor Hammond, including drinks using clarification and freezing techniques. Broad Street BBQ, Furst said, will be a more bar-focused restaurant than Sammy’s, allowing Hammond to get creative and produce easily batched cocktails to handle high volume on game and event days at nearby Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Atlanta Tech Village founders Jon Birdsong and David Cummings purchased the South Downtown redevelopment project from German developer Newport RE in 2023. The project includes 56 buildings and six acres of parking lots.
Birdsong and Cummings have continued the sympathetic renovations of these buildings started by Newport to maintain the historic character and charm of the old commercial district.
Once open, Broad Street BBQ will share outdoor space with neighboring El Tesoro at the corner of Mitchell and Broad to form a sort of town square and entertainment area in South Downtown.
“We’ll have the smokers positioned facing the park with the garage doors open on nice days to engage with people on the street,” said Furst. “And on game days, they’ll have viewing parties and other events here.”
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On May 31, Furst will depart his longtime position as general manager of BoccaLupo to continue ramping up Sammy’s and getting Broad Street BBQ open ahead of the World Cup semifinals in Atlanta next year.
“The World Cup will be a big moment for Atlanta in 2026 and for all of the restaurants in South Downtown,” Furst said. “I’ve been here for 20 years, and I think South Downtown will pop because Jon and David have really been like, ‘let’s get some Atlanta people to do something very Atlanta in the heart of Atlanta.’ Restaurants, oftentimes, will lead the way.”
Broad Street BBQ joins Tyde Tate Kitchen, Spiller Park Coffee, and upcoming locations of El Tesoro and Delilah’s Everyday Soul in South Downtown.
In April, Moods Music owner Darryl Harris opened Crates record store at 215 Mitchell St. While Moods Music sells mostly new vinyl, CDs, turntables, and books, Crates in South Downtown sells used vinyl records as well as home goods and music-related merchandise.
More South Downtown restaurant and retail announcements are expected throughout the next year.
Broad Street BBQ, 96 Broad St., South Downtown. Opening 2026.