The flames will soon seethe while plumes again billow from the smokestacks at the building that once housed Cavill’s Lounge in Taylor.
A local restauranteur is working to breathe new life into the standalone site at 14383 Telegraph Road by opening a modern barbecue roadhouse there later this year.
The Whiskey Pig is poised to become the seventh downriver restaurant owned by Jeremy Syrocki, who hopes to open its doors in November. The barbecue smokehouse will operate in the former digs of Cavill’s, a cozy karaoke bar and grille that closed its doors last November after 30 years.
“It’s on a very busy road and there’s a huge customer base out there. So I’m excited about growing in the area,” Syrocki said. “I’ve saturated the market in Trenton and Grosse Ile, so now I’m spreading out a little bit. I think enough people from that area still know my brands, but this one will help me grow.”
Syrocki’s assorted roster of eateries includes Truago, a seafood and steakhouse in Trenton; Lloyd’s bar in Grosse Ile; and Major Biddle’s, a bar and grille in Wyandotte named after the town’s settler Maj. John Biddle.
His latest venture is Mamacita’s Mod Mex, a Tex-Mex taqueria that opened May 2 at 3022 W. Jefferson Ave. in Trenton.
Syrocki said Whiskey Pig would be most in line with Rocky’s Roadhouse, a Trenton eatery under his umbrella that specializes in burgers, beer and barbecue.
The Whiskey Pig will feature an outdoor beer garden and yard with games. The menu will include smash burgers and smoked briskets, pulled pork and kielbasas served on two- and three-meat trays with sides. The bar area will feature 32 different drafts, along with an extensive Bourbon and whiskey selection.
Syrocki has been running restaurants for the past 13 years. He handpicks all of his own ingredients from local sources and preps all his dishes from scratch. He credits his father, a chef of more than 40 years, with teaching him the homestyle brand of cooking that he says has become the signature thread at all his restaurants.
“He taught me how to do everything the old-fashioned way — crock pots and scratch cooking,” Syrocki said. “So that’s what we do and that’s kind of how I’ve been successful. It doesn’t come out of a microwave, it doesn’t come out of a bag. I have as many prep hours for our food as I do cook hours.
“A lot of people think you can turn cheap products into good meals and that’s not how I feel,” he added. “I think I’ve got to buy right, I’ve got to bring it in right, I’ve got to prep it right, I’ve got to cook it right and it’s all part of it.”
Syrocki has built his empire in metro Detroit’s downriver corridor. While Whiskey Pig will be his first restaurant in Taylor, all seven are situated within about 15 minutes of one another.
“I think it’s one of the most special places,” he said of the area. “I can be from downriver to Detroit in 20 minutes. The housing’s affordable, people have good jobs from the Big Three, there’s a lot of stability, we’re right on the river. So there’s a lot of fun things to do, especially in the summertime. And I think the restaurant market, there weren’t enough restaurants here.”
