Late summer 1985. I was in Cotten’s BBQ looking at a map of Jax while I waited on my lunch order. A man called out to me from a nearby table, “First time here?” I replied with, “yes sir”. He stood up, walked toward me, glass of tea, maybe something stronger in his hand, asked “you mind?” as he sat down without waiting for my answer.
He pointed to my map and said, “you can put that away, son. My names, Jake, let me tell you about my city.” A week later I learned that “Jake from Cotten’s” was the Mayor. Man talked to me for just under 2 hours about “his City” and never once tooted his own horn.
That wasn’t the last time I saw Mayor Jake at Cotten’s Barbecue. He had been going there since he was boy and it was his place when he wanted barbecue. Based on the number of times I ran into him there, he must have wanted barbecue a lot.
Fred Cotten passed away and his family continued operating the restaurant until they sold it to Billy Cowart in 2000. Billy changed the name to Billy C’s Fred Cotten Bar-B-Que. I saw the Mayor there less and less. Of course he could have said the same about me, as the food just wasn’t the same.
Different but good would have been okay but different and not very good, well, that’s just not good. I guess I’m not the only one that thought that as the restaurant which had served great barbecue for more than half a century, closed up soon after Billy C took over.
I was pleasantly surprised when about a year and a half ago John Hays leased the building and opened up Fred Cotten’s Landmark Barbecue which is ran by Megan Hays and Melanie Dosztan.
It’s nice to see, and nicer still to smell that bbq smoke coming out of the building at 17th and Main which has known nothing but barbecue for much of it’s life.
Hays was able to secure Fred Cotten’s original BBQ Sauce recipes and salad dressing recipes by hiring, Johnnie Brown, who had been stoking the restaurant’s fires and cooking great barbecue since the late 1980’s.
They offer all the original dressings and sauces as well as 2 additional red sauces and a spicier mustard sauce, making for a delicious selection of the classic Cotten’s and the new.
They serve the ribs on white bred, same as Fred always did. The spongy white bread is meant to soak up the grease. it’s cheaper than paper napkins, doesn’t leave napkin lint on the meat and it doesn’t fall apart like biscuits or cornbread. Plus you get every last delicious drop of barbecue.
The food is delicious, the service is fast and friendly and the original sauce is like a long over due visit with an old friend. Be sure and try the,
MOAB; Mother of all BBQ special,1/2 pound of pork or beef topped with grilled onions and peppers with homemade slaw on top, includes fries and a drink for $10.
If you see Jake, tell him I said hi.
The hours of operation are Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Fred Cotten’s Landmark BBQ
2623 N Main St
Jacksonville, Florida, FL 32206
(904) 634-7571
Portions of this article were originally published in the Riverside Review, August 1985.