A flavor-packed new barbecue joint opened its doors in Ormond Beach earlier this month, bringing its pork, ribs and brisket to the Sunshine State.

What began as Lottie Bell’s Kitchen just over three years ago, a popular food truck known for its Texas-style BBQ, has grown into Lottie Bell’s BBQ restaurant, a place where owners Brandell Campbell and Scotty Aycock hope the local community will gather to enjoy good company and comfort food like they’ve never had before.

The food truck-turned-sit-down-restaurant began welcoming customers just over two weeks ago, after initially teasing the restaurant-to-be on social media earlier in October.

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After bringing the original food truck to life in 2020, Campbell noted it was only after years of success and endless support from new and returning customers that the duo decided to take things up a notch.

Traveling everywhere from Flagler to Brevard, the mobile eatery has allowed the pair to bring years-perfected recipes and culinary techniques to the Daytona area on a much smaller scale, before the creation of their new sit-down restaurant—a step up that Campbell says was only natural.

“Being in the area, we have a really good following of the local neighbors that have supported us really well, and we’re pretty humbled at how much support we’ve gotten,” Campbell said.

“We just couldn’t keep up in the food truck, so we decided it’s good to have a place where people can come in, sit down, and enjoy themselves. We have good conversations with people that come in — we love to talk to them. So, it was just really a natural step.”

What’s on the menu at Lottie Bell’s BBQ

Decked out in vibrant reds, whites, and blues, the rustic spot is known for its menu of classic comfort foods — one that is nearly identical to the menu food truck frequenters have known and loved, with the addition of a few new items.

Whether stopping in for a taste of the eatery’s popular smoked brisket, ribs or pulled pork, or sitting down to enjoy a cold beer and burger, Lottie Bell’s BBQ isn’t short on seasoned-to-perfection, smoked and sauce-smothered options.

Promising “flavor you can’t get anywhere else,” the duo cooks with mesquite wood, a detail Campbell tells me is crucial in bringing a taste of Texas here to the Sunshine State.

“The flavor is different than any other barbecue you’ll get around here,” he said “We try to put three to five flavors in everything we do, so you really won’t ever get anything bland here.”

The restaurant’s latest menu ranges from the brisket meal, pulled-pork sandwich, and baked potato with brisket butter, sour cream and cheese to the mac and cheese, rib plate, and chili bowl. Several new items include the fresh garden salad, blackened or fried haddock, collard greens, and home fries, alongside several new desserts, like the peach cobbler and pecan pie.

“We smoke all the meats. We make our own sauces—our barbecue sauces—things like that, which are very, very popular,” Campbell said. “So, we put together a menu of kind of what we like. We offer comfort food and, you know, people want to eat that kind of food.”

A taste of Texas: how it all began

Originally from Sweetwater, Texas, Campbell has long had a passion for cooking and the sense of community that accompanies the art. With over 35 years of experience, the humble restaurateur got his start cooking across west Texas where he showcased his culinary skills wherever he could.

“All we’re known for out there [in Sweetwater] is rattlesnakes and barbecue,” Campbell laughed.

“A few buddies and I, we’d cook for different events, a few competitions, just always had a love for doing it all the time. We made some money doing it, but it was more about the comradery — cooking with your buddies and just putting out good food.”

When it came to starting his own business, Campbell knew he wanted a place that embodied the sentiments of the South — delicious food in a family-oriented atmosphere that customers new and returning could always look forward to visiting.

“There are three things that people are looking for: they want a quality product, they want it on time, and they want it at a good price. And I think we—that’s part of what we base it off of—we want people to have an enjoyable experience here,” Campbell said.

“Having been opened a few days now, we’re really humbled and touched that so many people came in and spent the time to talk to us, and we spent the time to talk to them. And I think this is about the right size of restaurant that we can handle.”

What’s with the name?

I, like many, was intrigued and instantly curious about the new BBQ joint’s name, Lottie Bell — a name Campbell says began with his grandmother back in Texas, now living on through his granddaughter.

As traditionally Southern as it gets, Campbell recalled to me childhood memories at his grandmother’s home—the very haven of great food and even better company that in-part inspired the restaurant.

“Growing up, we’d go to my grandmother’s house all the time…and, of course, you never went to your grandmother’s house and didn’t eat. You were always going to eat before you left, you know?” Campbell explained with a smile.

“I don’t care if you went there already full, you were always going to eat something — and that was comforting to know. So, I think that’s brought here to our customers. We want you to sit down and eat; we don’t ever want you to leave hungry. We want to feed the masses, so to speak, like we were fed.”

What’s to come and will the food truck continue?

“We’ll get back to it,” Campbell said, in reference to the duo’s food truck, noting that much of their time and energy is currently focused on settling into the new restaurant.

“We would get people all the time where they’d see the food truck and wouldn’t stop — had one just this morning — and they said ‘we’re just not food truck people. Nothing against them, but we like to go in and sit down,’” Aycock said.

“We’ve converted a lot of people though,” Campbell chimed in.

Now open Thursday – Sunday, the local eatery invites both food truck and restaurant lovers alike to stop in, sit down, and enjoy a Texas-style lunch or dinner to remember.

“We put out good quality food, and we care about what we do. We’re not a chain, you know? We put a lot of effort into what we do,” Campbell said. “We can serve more people at a time now, and it’s certainly more comfortable…it’s just a more convenient way of providing good food, and now people know we’re always here.”

“That’s why we only chose [to be open] four days a week instead of seven days a week,” Aycock went on to explain. “We enjoy what we do. At seven days a week it becomes a job, but we have passion for what we do.”

Lottie Bell’s BBQ, which replaces what was formerly Salty Farms Restaurant, is located at 1452 Ocean Shore Blvd. in Ormond Beach and is open 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Thursday – Sunday. For more information, call 386-301-5333 or visit Facebook.com/brandbbq.

Helena Perray is the restaurant and dining writer for The Daytona Beach News-Journal. A New Jersey native and passionate storyteller, she can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram and Facebook. Support local journalism by subscribing