For nearly two decades, Mike Lewis has been a cornerstone of the Houma food scene, serving up low-and-slow brisket that has earned him a devoted local following. Now, the man behind Big Mike’s BBQ Smokehouse is preparing for his most ambitious chapter yet: a sprawling flagship location on LA 311 that will include a small music venue and recreational green space.
The upcoming location, which broke ground late last year near Polk Street, represents a significant scale-up for the brand. At approximately 7,700 square feet, the new facility is more than triple the size of Lewis’s current Houma outpost.
“This was always the vision,” Lewis recently told What Now New Orleans. “I’ve gotten a little older, a little wiser, and have more resources than we once had. It’s allowed us to complete the vision, basically.”
The site will feature a dedicated stage for live performances and a bar accessible from the outside, allowing guests to transition seamlessly between a plate of ribs and a night of live music. The outdoor area is planned as a family-friendly hub with fires, games, and enough room to finally host the restaurant’s signature events, like Craft and ‘Cue, on-site.
For Lewis, the expansion is deeply personal. Having faced the total loss of a previous location to an electrical fire and navigating the devastation of Hurricane Gustav, the new smokehouse is a testament to resilience.
“Those setbacks ended up being lessons more than they were devastation,” Lewis explained. “We’ve built up some trust with the community… they know that we’re really going to put our best foot forward.”
While the core menu will remain focused on the 14-hour-oak-smoked brisket and signature sauce that put Big Mike’s on the map, the new space will eventually allow for experimental offerings and expanded weekend hours, potentially including weekend morning coffee and music in the green space.
As the project moves toward its anticipated Fall 2026 opening, Lewis remains focused on the fundamental philosophy that brought to Big Mike’s in 2007.
“You’ve got to earn the community’s trust and you have to do your job,” Lewis said. “At the end of the day, we’ve got to do our job.”
For Houma residents, “doing the job” has never tasted so good.
