Matt Register
Owner, Southern Smoke BBQ · South Catering · Pitmaster
Meet Matt Register: Pitmaster, entrepreneur, and owner of Southern Smoke BBQ. Raised in Garland, North Carolina, Matt grew up where whole hog BBQ is not a trend, it is a birthright. Pig pickins, oak smoke, family gathered around a table. For Matt, BBQ was never a career plan. It was heritage. What started as a backyard hobby meant to teach his kids something lasting turned into a roadside pit, a line down the block, and a life built around fire, family, and feeding people well.
Where are you from and how did you first get into BBQ?
Garland, North Carolina. Growing up in eastern NC, BBQ is part of your life from birth. It is a staple everywhere you go. Some of my fondest memories revolve around pig pickins with family as far back as I can remember. I have basically been into BBQ since birth.
What’s the story behind Southern Smoke BBQ?
It is a long one. When I first started cooking BBQ, I wanted to learn something that was part of my heritage that I could teach my three kids. It started as a fun backyard hobby and evolved. I began giving BBQ away to friends. Then people asked me to cook for parties. At the time, I was in real estate development, so it was just a side hustle.
One random day we set our pit up on the side of the road in our tiny town. My goal was to sell 50 sandwiches. We sold over 100 in a few hours. We took an old fish market on a side street and built a kitchen onto it. I still thought it would just be something fun for the community.
The first day we opened, we had 75 people in line. I quickly realized this is what I wanted to do every day. Southern Smoke is an improbable story. We have been incredibly blessed, not just to do this for so long, but because of the people BBQ has brought into my life. Many of my closest friends now came through those doors.
What draws you outdoors when you’re not in the kitchen?
I grew up in rural eastern North Carolina, so being outside hunting and fishing was part of life. Summers were spent surfing and fishing on the coast. Now that my boys are getting older, I want to get outside with them and teach them what I have learned.
On long days in the kitchen, I think about two things. The chill of a cold north wind hitting my face duck hunting in January, and the heavy tug of a redfish in the summer.
What does a perfect BBQ day look like from fire to finish?
It starts early. There is nothing like getting fires started before sunrise, coffee in hand, smelling oak wood burning. The pits sit beside the building, so friends stop by all morning. Some are catching up. Some are checking the board.
My dad usually swings by around 10:30 or 11 to see what Crae and I are up to. When we open and the line is down the block, the Turtlebox Audio is playing good music, and everyone is having a great time, that is about as good as it gets.
My wife and kids stop by before we close. We sit out back and catch up on the day. Then I am either heading to the coast to fish in the morning or getting ready for an early wood duck hunt with my boys.
What’s a skill you’ve perfected through years of BBQ and outdoor living?
You are always learning in BBQ. But charcoal BBQ chicken, I have that dialed in every time.
What’s your go-to gear for smoking and cooking outdoors?
I never cook without a Thermapen. And I always have a Turtlebox. I need music playing.
What’s a detail most people overlook when they think about great BBQ?
The time. Someone grabs a simple sandwich and overlooks the 12 to 14 hours that went into it.
If you could pick one outdoor meal or BBQ moment you’re most proud of, what is it?
Cooking on Today was a big one.
What’s one tool you never leave behind, whether it’s a cookout or a hunt?
Pocket knife.
Which Williams Knife do you reach for, and how do you use it?
The first thing I put in my pocket every morning is an RX Flipper. When I get to work, the first knife I grab is a Petty Knife. I use it for everything, from dicing to trimming meat.
What’s something about you most people wouldn’t guess?
I coach boys and girls high school soccer. Those kids keep me young. They help me forget the stress of the restaurant business for at least two hours a day.
What’s next for you in BBQ and outdoor life?
Growing a little business wise, but spending as much time outside with my kids as possible. And chasing the elusive bull canvasback I missed a few years ago. I hope my boys are with me when it happens.
Favorite quote or motto?
The last thing my grandfather told me before he passed was, “Look around, there is always someone that could use your help.” I try to live that daily.
Photos courtesy of Tennent Rich
