For as long as he can remember, Bobby Martin, owner and chef of Three Little Pigs restaurant in Starkville, recalls his family encompassing True Maroon traditions.
Born and raised in Memphis, Tenn., Martin’s family has owned English bulldogs since he was six, every one bred from Mississippi State University’s mascot. He said his family pet and love for animals led him to MSU in 1994 for the pre-veterinary program, but changed his career path after working on the side.
“I came down here to be pre-vet,” he said. “My freshman, year I did not work at all. My sophomore, year I went to work and got a job at Harvey’s as a salad prep cook and ended up working for them through the rest of college.”
Martin said he credits his culinary beginnings to Harvey’s chef Carnell McGee. After learning more, Martin said he became interested in the restaurant industry and graduated from MSU with a business degree.
Upon graduation, Martin moved to the state of Washington to begin his career in the restaurant business. He ran a seafood house and also managed a kitchen at a restaurant called The Wild Buffalo. As his knowledge of cooking and menus grew, Martin returned to Starkville in 2006.
“I was looking for a place out there, but family brought me back this way. I was looking for a place to call my own and open my own business,” he said. “After several years of looking and trying, and looking and trying, I found out there was a Three Little Pigs in Starkville for sale.”
Martin bought and reopened the restaurant located on Avenue of Patriots in May 2011. He said he kept some of the items on the menu but has also expanded his items as his business grew.
With the expanded menu, Martin said he grew in his skill of cooking and experimenting with food.
“When I bought the place, it was basically breakfast and pork shoulder. I brought in brisket, which has been, by far, the best thing I have added to the menu,” he said. “As much cooking and as much things I have done in my life, I had never cooked a brisket until May of 2011.”
Martin said he gets inspiration from eating at other restaurants when traveling. When trying something he likes, he said he will recreate his version of that product. After months of practice, Martin said he perfected his brisket recipe.
Aside from his best-selling brisket, Martin has also added smoked prime rib, catfish and smoked sausage poboys, smoked chicken, barbecue nachos, sweet potato waffle fries and a bulldog brisket sandwich.
The owner said his menu will increase even more during the holiday season. Martin said he will be offering brined turkey and spiral cut bone-in honey glazed hams, hickory smoked on site. He said his technique of brining takes a while but said it is worth the wait to perfect the final product.
“The fact that we brine them, it’s about a 24-hour process, then smoking it is going to take a couple hours,” he said. “It’s basically about a 48-hour process to make sure we have it they way we want it done going out the door.”
Martin said customers are still discovering the restaurant, so he uses daily specials and a 10 percent student discount to bring in the crowd. He said the discounts mixed with a casual, relaxed atmosphere and a staff that cares is what brings people back for more.
“My favorite times are the times that the music’s rocking, people are drinking beers, sitting back and relaxing and having a good time, enjoying the barbecue and hooting and hollering on the way out about how much they loved it,” he said. “We have a good time. It’s the hardest work I’ve ever done in my entire life, but it’s fun.”
Martin also said his increased menu has resulted in growth and a group of loyalists since opening the restaurant.
“I went to school here, I grew up in college eating The Little Dooey and Petty’s. That was the barbecue place when I was in school,” he said. “I enjoyed them in school, and to hear people say they enjoy us best in town that certainly makes me happy.”
From eating Rendezvous famous barbecue in Memphis with his family as a boy to picking up techniques at every stop along the way, Martin said he has enjoyed his experience in the food industry but is happy to be back in the place he calls home and give back to the community.
“It’s been a slow climb up. We don’t plan on going anywhere. We plan on being here years to come. It’s been awesome to be back in Starkville to see how much growth has been here,” he said. “We’ve been able to feed the football team, feed the basketball team and residential halls and picking up all the university business. In a small way it’s like I’m able to give back a little bit to a place that I came and made home for four years and now it’s permanently home.”