Columbus restaurant got cease-and-desist letter, new name, new menu. What to know

Scott Marshall opened his dream barbecue restaurant at 547 Veterans Parkway in Columbus, only to receive a cease-and-desist order forcing a name change. Now called Marshall’s Smokehouse, the restaurant is drawing attention for unusual menu items.

Here are key takeaways from the Ledger-Enquirer’s reporting:

• Marshall’s Smokehouse is the third barbecue restaurant at 547 Veterans Parkway in the past three years, following Chester’s Barbecue, which closed in 2023, and Dexter’s Southern BBQ, which closed in 2025.

• Marshall ran a food truck called Moonswiners, starting in April 2020 with his son Todd, but it broke down in 2023. In August 2025, he got the brick-and-mortar restaurant ready in 18 days, working a second job and sleeping two hours a night during that stretch.

• A cease-and-desist order in November from Moonswiners Bar-B-Q in Fort Pierce, Florida, which holds a trademark on the name, forced the restaurant to rebrand by Dec. 1. Marshall asked Columbus customers for name suggestions on Facebook and received more than 100 ideas.

• The restaurant was renamed Marshall’s Smokehouse. Marshall said the new name signals a menu expansion beyond traditional barbecue: “It’ll give us more options in our menu to display our talents in the kitchen,” he said.

• Calling it “a new way of eating barbecue,” the Ledger-Enquirer’s review in February praised the brisket egg rolls — 6-7 inches long, stuffed with brisket, white sauce and cabbage — along with boudin balls with remoulade sauce and peach cobbler egg rolls.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. All of the Ledger-Enquirer articles linked in this piece were reported, written and edited by journalists.

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Jordyn Paul-Slater

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

Jordyn Paul-Slater is the business and engagement reporter at the Ledger-Enquirer. Her work has appeared in publications such as Reuters, Fast Company and The New York Observer. She completed her master’s degree in specialized journalism at the University of Southern California and earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from George Washington University. 

Kelby Hutchison

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

Kelby Hutchison is the breaking news reporter for the Ledger-Enquirer. Originally from Dothan, Alabama, Kelby grew up frequently visiting Columbus to eat at Country’s BBQ in the old Greyhound bus station and at Clearview BBQ on River Road. He graduated from the University of Alabama with a B.A. in criminal justice and a M.A. in journalism. During his studies, Kelby specialized in community journalism.