CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — You know one of those places that's so good, all the locals tell you to eat there? This is a story about one of those places. A particular beloved spot has been put in a tough place, but they tell us everything's going to be alright.
"I came back to get some damn good bar-b-que!" laughed customer Timothy Scott, checking out his order at Excell Market Bar-B-Q in Clarksville.
"Business itself has been here for over 50 years," said Cathy Blakely, working behind the counter. "Each owner has passed down the recipe and how to do the BBQ."
Owner Luck Chaudhry carries the tradition today.
"Oh, yes sir. We work hard for it, so it's good, y'know!" he smiled.
"I've been coming here for years, honestly since I can remember," said customer Christopher Bagatini.
"We have third and fourth generations that come back to our bar-b-que," Cathy added. "I had a couple from Ohio. They Google'd us, what was the best bar-b-que within 50 miles? It sent them here."
"It's just slow cooked," Timothy chimed in. "You can't find it no more like this!"
The walls are covered in awards and articles written about that good bar-b-que. Great memories. This week will eventually be a hard memory. The smokehouse has been destroyed in a fire.
"The pit has always been here," Cathy said. "With our coals, they stay hot after we've cooked, and it'll blaze up. It just did. It was gone before anybody could do anything. It's very devastating."
"As soon as I get here, it's already destroyed, the whole place," Luck continued, gesturing to the smokehouse. "If it's not for bar-b-que, this place is for nothing."
"This is like my family," Cathy said.
As it turns out, a lot of Clarksville looks at Excell Market as family as well. They're making sure that meat's still getting cooked to perfection and served.
"We've got a church that's offered their pits," Cathy said. "We've had East Montgomery Fire Department offer their pits."
"The community, they're helping me," said Luck.
As for the smokehouse, Luck thinks he can get it rebuilt and going this month.
"We're gonna rebuild. We're gonna come back even stronger," said Cathy.
"Thank you to the community, the people who want to help me," said Luck. "I'm really so thankful. I have no words right now."
