This new Macon barbecue joint is selling out daily. See what the hype is about

Janice Walker, owner of J. Walker Brisket Company, didn’t always envision herself as a pitmaster.

Walker didn’t even start cooking barbecue until 2020, when she found herself working her corporate job remotely. Brisket became an escape from the monotony of daily life. Fast-forward a few years, and it’s grown into a business and a way of life.

“Brisket is more like therapy for me,” Walker said. “Just to perfect this right here.”

Everything is made from scratch

J. Walker’s Brisket Company opened over Labor Day weekend and has been busy ever since.

The restaurant serves plates of homemade ribs, chicken, sausages and, of course, brisket. Plates can be ordered and eaten at the restaurant, or ordered over the phone for pick-up. Each plate comes with a choice of macaroni and cheese, green beans, brunswick stew and coleslaw.

Everything from the meat, to the sides, to even the barbecue sauce is made in-house, with Walker coming in each day at 5 a.m. to fire up the smoker.

The brisket is smoked for eight to 12 hours, Walker said, ensuring the meat is melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

“Brisket will tell you when it’s ready,” Walker said. “I cannot force that.”

The chicken is brined in a tangy, herby mixture Walker created, and the ribs are cooked just short of the meat falling off the bone.

Walker said that since opening, the restaurant has run out of something nearly every day due to the eatery’s popularity. The restaurant also stays consistently busy, despite it only being open Thursday through Saturday.

“I’m thankful that we do sell out of a product almost every day,” Walker said.

Unconventional path to barbecue for this Macon restaurant owner

Walker first started cooking brisket in 2020 while she was working a corporate job remotely due to the pandemic.

While she was home, she recalled a trip to Texas years before where she tried brisket for the first time and set out to recreate the tender, meaty flavor.

She had never barbecued before, but started watching YouTube videos and mixing spices. She enlisted friends, family and neighbors as “taste testers” to get feedback on her cooking, and soon began taking orders.

“It just got to a point where I was thinking more about (cooking) than working,” Walker said.

Walker lost her job in 2024, but said it ended up being the best thing that could’ve happened. She took it as a chance to try her hand at running her own business and enrolled in NewTown Macon’s entrepreneurship course.

While she wasn’t sure what kind of business she wanted to open, the course helped her realize that her brisket could be profitable.

“Those classes got me focused and it became more of a reality that it’s possible to do this,” Walker said.

Getting the restaurant started was a family effort. Walker’s daughter, a culinary school graduate, helped her get the proper certifications and licenses to open. Her husband, whose background is in corporate management, taught her how to deal with employees and run a business. Other relatives helped clean and set up the restaurant before it opened.

Walker promoted the new restaurant on Facebook, and soon J Walker Brisket Co. was up and running and well on its way to building a loyal customer base.

Walker said she hopes to expand the restaurant’s hours and, if her success continues, consider opening a second location.

For now, Walker said she hopes to bring the same sense of peace she feels when cooking brisket to everyone who walks through the door.

“One of the things I would like to occur when people come in here … is to be able to relax for a few minutes,” Walker said. “That’s what I want to try to go for, and I hope people do feel that.”