Experience Hospitality Group
This fall, Bristol Republic brings its Southern-style barbeque and Nashville-infused entertainment to Dublin. When the restaurant opens in Bridge Park alongside its new cocktail lounge, The Saddle Club, diners can expect everything from slow-smoked meats and signature burgers to creative cocktails and Southern brunch. Head Chef Greg Roy and Beverage Director Kevin Thompson share the inspirations behind the menus – and a pair of their own recipes to try at home.
Experience Hospitality Group
Bring on the barbeque
Central Ohio isn’t particularly known for its barbeque – a gap Bristol Republic’s Head Chef Greg Roy is excited to fill.
Roy has worked with Bristol Republic and its sister-locations since 2022. Columbus-born and Cleveland-raised, he’s been in the restaurant industry since he was 14. Inspired by renowned chef Anthony Bourdain and the Food Network, Roy found himself drawn to not just to the creativity of cooking, but also the uniquely-human aspect of food.
“Food became a huge thing in pop culture and has become more of an event for people rather than just sustenance or having to eat,” says Roy.
Roy carries that mindset of food-as-an-event beyond work and into his own backyard cookouts. Most recently, he cooked up a recipe for oxtails – a dish he calls the best thing he’s ever made.
Experience Hospitality Group
Raise a glass
Experience Hospitality Group
Already known for its extensive drink menu, Bristol Republic Beverage Director Kevin Thompson plans to take the program a step further at The Saddle Club.
Thompson joined the restaurant industry at 17, and has been managing beverage operations across central Ohio locations since 2022. Born in New York and having lived in North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee, Thompson brings a range of experience to his creations.
“I’ve seen a lot of cultures… and when I’m creating cocktail menus, I tend to lean towards what I’ve experienced in food more than what I’ve experienced in the cocktail world,” says Thompson.
One example of Thompson’s travel-inspired drinks is his Piña Drama Mama, an ube-centered tropical cocktail with hints of vanilla, coconut, pineapple and lime.
Alongside inventive drinks, The Saddle Club will also feature an extensive collection of rare bourbons.
Experience Hospitality Group
Abby Van Voorhis is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com
