Todd Dukes of Porktropolis: A great believer in Southern cuisine.
Sun Prairie barbecue joint Porktropolis is moving to a bigger space at 126 N. Bristol St., and adding more Southern cuisine items to its menu of ribs, pulled pork and beef brisket. Porktropolis is currently located 10 blocks away at 1110 N. Bristol St.
Renovations are underway at the former Apostolic Church of Sun Prairie, which Porktropolis will soon call home. Owner Todd Dukes says the new restaurant space will open around July 1, and the look is going to be completely different: “We’re going from being like the Subway of barbecue, to a real restaurant,” he says. “We’ll be tripling our seating space.”
Also new: table service, revamped appetizers and a separate dinner menu.
The latter will include a Southern-style take on the Wisconsin Friday fish fry. Dukes plans on frying up catfish, grouper and cod (which will be breaded with walnuts). What makes it Southern? “Not many folks are serving grouper north of Mississippi,” says Dukes.
The Friday buffet will include side dishes such as mashed sweet potatoes, hush puppies and cheese grits.
Porktropolis also operates two food carts in the Madison area. Eventually, Dukes wants one of the carts to focus exclusively on Creole barbecue favorites: “We hope to be rolling that out early next year.”
