Drinking Pig BBQ, the backyard pop-up turned Coconut Grove hotspot, is setting up a weekend outpost in downtown Hollywood, taking over the former J&C Oyster space at 2035 Harrison St. The new spot will run Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 8 p.m., serving barbecue for dine-in and takeout until the food runs out or the clock strikes closing time, whichever comes first.
The pop-up marks the latest growth spurt for a concept that began in 2020 as a pandemic-era front-yard operation in North Miami-Dade, according to the Miami Herald. Chef Raheem Sealey, who created the venture with his wife, Yohanir Sandoval, and partner Mark Wint, has since built it into one of the city's most talked-about barbecue brands. Sealey is also executive chef for Kyu globally and previously ran the kitchen at Wynwood's Kyu, and he created the menu for J&C Oyster, the very restaurant whose Hollywood space he is now stepping into.
That connection is no coincidence. Cesar Cifuentes, who owns the Hollywood space once occupied by J&C Oyster, is the one who approached Sealey about opening there, the Herald reports. Sealey happens to live five minutes from downtown Hollywood, and he told the paper he hopes the pop-up can become a destination in its own right.
From Front Yard to Coconut Grove Storefront
Drinking Pig BBQ opened its first permanent restaurant at 3444 Main Highway in Coconut Grove in November 2025, a milestone for a business that started as a pop-up sensation. The Coconut Grove menu leans on brisket, beef ribs, chicken, house-made sausage and spare ribs, alongside sides like mac and cheese, cornbread, collard greens and baked beans, per the Herald's earlier coverage. The restaurant describes its approach as classic slow-smoked Southern barbecue elevated with bold Caribbean flavors, according to Drinking Pig BBQ's own account of its story.
That Coconut Grove location has proved successful, Sealey said. Drinking Pig BBQ picked up Miami New Times' Best Barbecue honor for 2024, as Miami New Times reported. The brand describes itself as a cornerstone of the city's food scene. The concept's expansion has also involved a collaboration between Ariete Hospitality Group and Mae's Group, according to The Burn Miami.
What's On the Menu in Hollywood
The Hollywood pop-up will keep things focused on five core meats: brisket, chicken, pulled pork, ribs and sausage. El Monito, a mobile coffee operation, will handle coffee drinks in the space. The business will not offer delivery-app orders, at least initially, meaning hungry fans will need to show up in person for now.
Sealey said he hopes to eventually open the Hollywood space on Thursdays and Fridays as well, though the team has no firm timeline yet for expanding hours or making the location permanent. The plan, per the Herald's reporting, is to decide on the location's future after the season wraps sometime in April.
The Hollywood move isn't the only expansion on Drinking Pig's plate. The team is also opening a location at 22 W. Atlantic Avenue in Sundy Village in Delray Beach, according to What Now Miami. That outlet reported the Delray Beach menu is expected to keep Drinking Pig's core staples while likely adding more sandwiches, sides and a few salads.
Plenty of the brand's existing fan base already lives close to the new Hollywood outpost, with customers coming from Aventura, Hollywood and Sunny Isles. For a barbecue joint that started with a smoker in someone's front yard, landing in the heart of downtown Hollywood is one more sign that the pandemic pop-up has become a genuine South Florida mainstay.
