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E

ven a blind man could fi nd his 

way unassisted to the front 

doors of Hot Spot Barbecue 

on East La Rua, drawn in by 

the unmistakable scent of smoking meat 

spilling from the fl ues of big black smokers 

that never seem to rest. They do it up 

right here, taking the low and slow route 

to achieve meats so tender, juicy, and full 

of fl avor that one bite will make you an 

addict. Barbecuing is an art form, a practice 

in patience that seems to standout in high 

relief against the frenetic pace of the world 

all around. There’s something comforting 

about its simplicity—its methods require 

nothing fancy or high tech. There are no 

touch screens or smart functions at play, 

no engineered gadgetry or elaborately 

designed systems behind its processes. True 

barbecue is the work of elements—of fi re 

and wood—coupled with time and care. 

And those elements have long outlasted the 

advancements of the modern world to offer 

a reminder that sometimes life tastes better 

when you take it low and slow. 

For the Hlubek family—a foursome 

made up of Jim and his wife Cheri as well 

as Jim’s parents, Paul and Sandi—that 

reminder is now a part of their daily lives. 

To hear Cheri tell the story, the idea to open 

Hot Spot was like the tender meat that fell 

off the bone while they themselves were 

taking it low and slow, waiting on God to 

give them a new direction for their future. 

And while their backgrounds in business 

may have been diverse, they all shared the 

commonality of knowing that the strongest 

businesses are all founded on one thing: 

serving people and making them happy. So 

when God gave them the answer they were 

waiting for, they literally went “whole hog.”

Since opening the restaurant in the 

summer of 2013, the Hlubeks have been 

tending their meats and their “Guests with 

a capital G” as Cheri calls them, “because 

they really are the main focus for us,” 

quickly becoming a local hot spot to get a 

great plate of food served with a side of true 

hospitality—not only from the Hlubeks, 

but from the staff that has become like 

family. “We’ve really been blessed with a 

wonderful staff, and they’ve been a huge 

part of our success,” Jim insists. Getting 

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story by

 

Liesel Schmidt

20-21 CoastalCuisine.indd   1

2/22/17   8:33 AM