Opening Friday: Sweet Heat BBQ Restaurant

Six months after opening, Mandoohouse has canned the Greek/Korean mashup and gone to a new concept: BBQ.

Owner James Brundage and his son, manager Chris Brundage, have partnered with chef Kermit Griffin and will have a grand (re) opening Friday as Sweet Heat BBQ.

James Brundage purchased the former Myknonos Restaurant at 1810 Michael Faraday Dr. last summer. The rookie restaurant owners reopened as Mandoohouse in September, but the concept didn’t take hold (and was often closed due to equipment, ordering and operational issues).

Griffin brings nearly 15 years of food service experience to Reston. He is the former executive chef at South Carolina’s Beaufort Inn, as well as several other southern restaurants. He is a culinary teacher, culinary historian and restaurant consultant, according to his LinkedIn profile. He most recently was chef at Bethesda’s Vino Vola, and competed on the Food Network’s Guy’s Grocery Games.

On the menu at Sweet Heat: pulled pork sliders; sweet potato fries; low country red rice; ribs; and “The Tailgater,” a $78 platter for eight that features “pulled pork, half bird, brisket, 1 turkey breast, 1 slab ribs, and three sides.” The restaurant features Carolina-style, as well as Kansas City-, Caribbean- and Korean-style barbecue sauces.