‘Intimidating but worth it.’ New Columbus barbecue spot opens in legacy building

A new barbecue restaurant in Columbus has opened at an old spot for local flavor.

Moonswiners BBQ is the third barbecue restaurant to set up its storefront at 547 Veterans Parkway. The first was Chester’s Barbecue, a legacy restaurant in the Columbus area. Chester’s on Veterans closed in 2023.

Dexter’s Southern BBQ was the next restaurant to open up at the location in 2024. It closed earlier this year.

Scott Marshall, the owner of Moonswiners, said he was intimidated to open his restaurant in the same place that was home to restaurants that were staples to the Columbus community.

“Chester’s is a famous name in this town,” Marshall told the Ledger-Enquirer. “Everyone knows him. He’s got good food. It’s intimidating to be in [the Chester’s BBQ] space. But, with our style of cooking, it’s completely different from what [past restaurants] have done.”

About Scott Marshall, owner of Moonswiners BBQ

Opening a restaurant has been a long time coming for Marshall.

“This was a dream for years,” he said. “As a kid, I loved to cook. I loved getting into the kitchen to play around. My mom and dad said, ‘Boy, you should own a restaurant.’”

But his dream of becoming a restaurant owner got delayed. Marshall started working for his father’s heating and air conditioning business and eventually became a trucker for another company. Still, his love of cooking grew.

In 2010, Marshall began hosting weekend gatherings at his house, where he cooked and barbecued for his family, friends and neighbors. The events grew so quickly, he began hosting them every week.

“People would tell me, ‘Man, this is too good to just be doing in the backyard,’” Marshall said. “I would always say like, ‘One day.’ In the back of my mind, it was always something I wanted.”

Marshall said his inspiration to chase his dream came from his son, Todd. When Todd turned 14, he started helping Marshall more with cooking and began to enjoy “playing around in the kitchen,” Marshall said.

He opened up his food truck in April 2020, under the name “Moonswiners”. The name comes from Marshall’s love of home-brewing and barbecuing.

The Marshall father-son duo ran the food truck business together.

“My passion and dream turned into his passion and dream,” Marshall said.

But the food truck journey was short-lived. The truck broke down in 2023, and Marshall turned back to the trucking business.

Around when the truck broke down, Marshall found out that the Veterans location of Chester’s BBQ had closed. He contacted the building owner shortly after, but the owner already had begun negotiations for Dexter’s BBQ opening.

So, Marshall went back to trucking.

“I had to pay the bills,” he said. “I drove big trucks for a dumpster company. I told [my boss], ‘Man, I’ll be with you one to two years. I hope to have a food truck back running by the end.’”

But, instead of reopening a food truck, the building at 547 Veterans was on the market again. Marshall thought it was best to jump right in.

More about Moonswiners BBQ

The process to open Moonswiners took 18 days, according to Marshall.

The restaurant was in rough shape and still reminiscent of Chester’s BBQ, Marshall said. The walls were a “dingy” yellow, stained with grease and smelling of smoke. It was tough to clean and get it all off, he said. After that, his family helped him paint and decorate.

During the first two weeks while preparing to open, Marshall worked a second job. He would come to the restaurant to help clean and paint after his shifts.

“I would leave [my job] to come straight down here every night, so it’d be around eight or nine o’clock at night,” Marshall said. “I’d go home, get two hours of sleep and get right back to work. I haven’t had a day off in over a month.”

Long and hard days led up to this opening, but Marshall said it’s all worth it. He emphasizes the fulfilling satisfaction of seeing customers’ reactions as they try the food.

“Cooking, to me, is a relaxation,” he said. “It’s a release. As weird as that sounds, to open a restaurant to de-stress, even though you do stress yourself back out, but it’s what I love.”

Moonswiners already has been causing a stir online, with customers posting positive reviews to the Columbus, GA Foodies Facebook group.

One food reviewer, Food’n Around with Chris, described his thoughts about the barbecue sandwich. “The meat was very soft and well prepared,” he wrote. “What really sets his place apart is their barbecue sauce, and they only have one.”

Another customer, Veronica Carnes, ordered the ribs combo plate. She shared a photo of her meal with half-eaten sides. In her post, she worte “Husbae and I tried #Moonswiners today when I tell you I’m in [pig emoji] heaven right now…Sorry about the half-eaten potato salad and cole slaw. I just couldn’t stop eating it.”

The BBQ nachos also have been a favorite in the Foodies group.

Marshall recommends new customers try the Swine fries and the loaded sausage dog.

Eventually, Marshall hopes to be more involved with the community. He expressed interest in figuring out a way to help feed the homeless in Columbus.

“Being able to give back, help people and watch people smile when they eat my food, … that brings me more joy than anything,” Marshall said. “I like being able to help other folks. I’ll give anybody a shirt off my back.”

Moonswiners BBQ posts menu changes, behind the scenes content and other information on their Facebook Page, Moonswiners BBQ.