CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – For three years, Big Dog Kitchen has been wowing tastebuds across the South with a blend of Jamaican and American infusion recipes served hot off the grill. Now, the food truck has expanded to a brick-and-mortar location that can be found at 555 Dover Road.
The business is owned and operated by three partners: Odaine Lindo, Davie Allen and Christian Hyde. Lindo started the business a few years ago in North Carolina before bringing the flavors home to Clarksville.
The beginning
“I wanted to do something quick and easy,” Lindo told Clarksville Now. “We worked at a lot of breweries and things like that, because that’s big in North Carolina, but I grew up in Clarksville, and a lot of my friends wanted me to come back and bring that same flavor and taste to Clarksville.”
In the fall of 2022, Lindo said, he decided to expand the business and set up shop on Dover Road.
“Honestly, I just felt like it was time. The food truck was doing good, it was being consistent, but I wanted to see what it would take to actually transition over to the brick-and-mortar and see how a brick-and-mortar runs so that we way we can just continue to grow,” Lindo said.
This is where Allen and Hyde come into play. Allen told Clarksville Now he owns the building and brought Hyde on as a business partner. Hyde then introduced Allen and Lindo and the three decided to partner for Big Dog Kitchen.
“We decided to create a three-headed monster and attack it all at once. When me met, I told them (Allen and Hyde) the business plans,” Lindo said. “They were like ‘Let’s do it’ and we got the keys that day and hit the ground running. We never looked back since.”
The Food
“I’m from Jamaica, so we do a lot of American and Jamaican-infused foods,” Lindo said. “Nothing is frozen; everything is fresh.”
Lindo added that the only items fried are the wings and fries, noting that everything else is grilled. The menu features multiple seasonal items year-around.
“We always provide something new. There’s never the same thing. There’s like a couple of items that are big sellers that stays the same, but a lot of times, like with the seasons, or when there’s new fresh ingredients that comes in, then we change the menu,” he said.
Popular items include the quesadillas, jerk chicken Alfredo pasta, Cajun pasta and the “Big Dog Basket,” featuring wings, loaded fries and a meltdown.
“A meltdown is basically like a burger, but instead of all the extra condiments and things like that, you have the burger, the grilled onions, and then you have the Big Dog Sauce and the lamb chop sauce on top. It’s like a smash burger; it’s just good and messy,” Lindo said. “It’s good comfort food.”
Big Dog Kitchen is open for dine-in and carryout Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. and will extend hours to 10 p.m. in the summer months.
To stay up to date on the latest seasonal menu items and other information from Big Dog Kitchen, you can follow their Facebook page or stop by the location on Dover Road.
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