Big Mike’s BBQ is going big on Louisiana Highway 311 in Houma, turning its pit-room pedigree into a full-blown flagship that doubles as a small music hub. The new spot will pack in a “micro-venue” and outdoor green space for family events, with far more seating and performance room than the Barrow Street location. Construction kicked off late last year, and the team is still eyeing a fall 2026 opening.
As reported by What Now New Orleans, the new building clocks in at roughly 7,700 square feet, more than three times the size of the current Houma restaurant. Plans call for a dedicated indoor stage and a bar that customers can access from outside, along with enough back-of-house space for the kitchen to test new menu ideas and keep weekend service running later.
“This was always the vision,” owner Mike Lewis told What Now New Orleans, explaining that an electrical fire and Hurricane Gustav helped shape how the new build came together. He said the larger flagship will finally give Big Mike’s room to host its own festivals and try out morning coffee-and-music pop-ups on weekends.
The project formally broke ground in late 2025 at the corner of Hwy 311 and Polk Street, the local Times of Houma/Thibodaux reported, and the local chamber of commerce publicly applauded the Lewises for pouring fresh investment back into Houma. Officials and business advocates are pitching the flagship as a catalyst for the 311 corridor, expecting more restaurants and retail to follow the highway’s ongoing redevelopment.
Big Mike’s started as a family effort in 2007 and built a following around its 14-hour oak-smoked brisket and house sauce, according to the restaurant’s own account. The brand already leans into live music, and the new flagship is designed to formalize that setup while keeping barbecue as the headliner on the menu.
What The Flagship Will Offer
Inside, plans call for a larger dining room, a performance stage sized for small bands and a bar that can serve seated diners and walk-up concertgoers alike. Outside, designers are mapping out a lawn with fire pits, yard games and space for events like the chain’s Craft and ’Cue gatherings.
A Boost For Local Music And Events
The micro-venue concept gives Houma a new mid-scale stage where regional acts can play without the cost and chaos of a full concert hall, while the green space is meant to keep things welcoming for families. Owners say the setup should bring steady nighttime activity to the corridor without the usual headaches that come with bigger venues, like heavy noise and packed parking lots.
For a business that has survived fires and hurricanes, the flagship is part comeback story and part experiment, a larger pit operation and a public hangout for the community that kept Big Mike’s going. If construction and permitting hold to schedule, the doors are set to open in the fall of 2026.
