Martin’s Place BBQ

In 1925 Martin Kapchiskie began selling barbecue out of his store, a wooden ship-lap building at the corner of what is now South College Avenue and Sulphur Springs Road. The original structure was torn down and replaced with the current building in 1939. The smell of smoked brisket and sausage has filled the air inside the walls of Martin’s ever since.

Many folks don’t realize there was a time when Martin’s sold more than barbecue. The old original store used to sell gasoline and, after the new building was built in ‘39 they also operated as a cafe. After WWII they added a meat market. However, they moved back to a menu focused exclusively on barbecue in the 1960s when Martin retired and turned the business over to his son Albin “Bean” Kapchinskie. Albin passed away in 1976 and his son Steve has run the business ever since. He inherited it when he was only 19 years old, but had been working at Martin’s since he was 12. He was certainly no stranger to the business.

Today when you visit Martin’s you feel the nostalgia the second you walk in the door. The first thing you notice is the smell of the oak smoked pits, which gets your mouth watering right away. A quick look around and you just sense the history that’s been made in the place. There’s a horseshoe shaped bar dating back to 1955 and tables that have seen many thousands of domino games over the decades. Photos and memorabilia cover the walls and tell the story of

Martin’s to those who take the time to look and read. If you want to learn even more, just ask Steve’s wife Betty. She has been working the front counter since 1999 and has forgotten more about Martin’s Place than most people ever knew.

Martin’s menu is exactly what you’d expect. There’s the extremely flavorful brisket (sliced or chopped), juicy ribs, smoked sausage and sliced pork. The tasty sides include beans, potato salad, cole slaw, fried okra, and a lot more. One of the best deals is a lunch special that features a barbecue sandwich, fries or tots and an iced tea. Of course they also have a full range of 2, 3 and 4 meat plates or you can buy it by the pound (and you may have a hard time resisting doing just that).

When you stop in to give Martin’s a try (and we hope you will), take a little extra time to look around and soak in the history. If the walls could talk, oh the stories they would tell! Once you fill up on barbecue and history, if you want to talk real estate just give us a call. While Martin’s knows barbecue, we know real estate! We’d love to spend some time hearing about your Martin’s experience and helping you find the perfect property right here in Aggieland. We look forward to hearing from you!