This celebrated Miami chef wins bid to revive historic Overtown barbecue spot
From the minute the smoked rib fell off the bone, Akino West had the People’s Choice Barbecue Cookoff in the bag.
West, alongside his partners Raheem Sealey and Mark Wint who own Drinking Pig BBQ in Coconut Grove, competed for the chance to run a restaurant out of the historic People’s Bar-B-Q in Overtown, beating out two other challengers. His winning meal was a tribute to the Southern comfort people loved from his dishes at the beloved but shuttered local favorite Rosie’s: a smoked short rib served with mac’n’cheese, collard greens and cornbread.
West is hoping to restore the former barbecue spot to its glory days under a new name (tentatively called Black Pit BBQ) and include photos from the restaurant’s heyday and Overtown’s history. For five decades, People’s Bar-B-Q in Overtown served as a cornerstone for Black culture, fellowship and entrepreneurship. It’s now owned by the Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency who will lease the spot.
George “Pop” Lewis Sr., the first Black pharmacist in Miami, owned People’s Pharmacy, which eventually became People’s Barbeque, according to the Miami Herald archives. The space, which opened in 1962, sits at 350 NW Eighth St. in Miami and had been closed until recently for renovations. The Overtown CRA spent more than $1.5 million in renovating the space.
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“I’ve heard nothing but great stories about People’s and their barbecue program and what they’ve contributed to the community,” West said. “I’m hoping to bring some of that history back.”
Originally from Riviera Beach, West’s love for cooking came from his grandmother who he would cook with every morning when he visited her in Pahokee, Fla. But cooking in competitions are what drove him to become a chef. Akino ran Copper Door B&B, a bed and breakfast in a historic building in Overtown, opening Rosie’s inside during the pandemic. He later opened Rosie’s in Little River, which was named a Bib Gourmand by the 2023 Michelin Guide. The award-winning chef has worked at several Miami restaurants, including as an executive chef for Red Rooster in Overtown.
His dedication to his craft and his competitiveness fueled his zeal for the win at the cookoff. “Im not sitting behind a smoker for the last 36 hours to lose,” he said.
West and his partners haven’t begun negotiations with the CRA yet, but he hopes the restaurant will be open within a year. But his plans are wide: he wants a southern smokehouse that serves breakfast, lunch and an early dinner, caters to those who are also vegetarians and vegans and host events in the space that will drive foot traffic.
West said the win isn’t just about him: It’s about reinforcing Overtown as a food destination, centering the residents who will patronize the eatery and hiring Overtown residents.
“We really want to bring in people that are going to be serving the community, people that actually know the community,” he said.
