The AU Smoke House did not lose its flavor when it moved from Foy Dining Hall to Lupton Hall over the summer.
Glenn Loughridge, the director of campus dining, said the move was focused around the idea of "rebranding" the
"Sometimes things need to completely change, sometimes they just need a
Loughridge said the move also occurred because Ceci needed to be moved into Foy.
"We wanted to put Ceci in Foy because we needed a segregated kitchen space for it," Loughridge said.
Although the new location no longer serves breakfast, fried catfish or okra, the quality of the meat and the taste have not changed.
"We know if we get anything from the meat lab, it's going to be top quality," Dickie Johnson, a chef at AU Smoke House, said. "I've never had anything look bad."
According to Johnson, the smoke house receives two deliveries of pork a week from the Auburn Meat Lab. He said the
"It's better quality and you have the reassurance that you know exactly where it comes from," Johnson said. "You don't have to guesstimate."
Gwen Ward, administrative support for Tiger Dining, said the food travels less than a mile before it is served.
"We know where out meat comes from and you're not going to get it any fresher," Ward said. "Fresh is better, isn't it?"
Because the meat comes directly from the Auburn Meat Lab, it is always fresh. Johnson said if the meat has a "slimy feel to it" or a "white/kind of green residue" to it, then the meat is getting old and should probably not be cooked.
Johnson, who prepares the meat himself, said it takes about eight and a half to nine hours to properly smoke the pork. He said he "load[s] up the smoker, put[s] wood chips in it and rub[s] down the pork shoulders" to properly prepare the pork for the next day.
Loughridge said Tiger Dining has received "good reactions" to the changes so far.
"It's been a steady climb as folks find it and try it," Loughridge said. "We've seen sales go up pretty much every week. So from the beginning of the semester to now, it's [sales] probably doubled."
Loughridge said the AU Smoke House goes through about "350 pounds of pork a week."
"Obviously, for us, it's this great piece where we're able to support both the growing of the pigs here on campus [and] the processing," Loughridge said. "And then obviously we want students to have the best products available."
Loughridge said the quality is "not going to be any better than getting it right down the street" from the Auburn Meat Lab.
Students can try it for themselves in Lupton and determine whether the quality is better.
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