From Pickles to Pitmaster: How a Colombian-Irish Kid Built a Barbecue Empire in Little Italy
“It’s a story about a kid being adopted from Bogota, Colombia, and he comes to live with an Irish family here in Wilmington, Delaware. He starts firing up some real deal barbecue in Little Italy.” That’s how Guy Fieri introduced viewers to one of the most unlikely barbecue origin stories in Triple D history—and the smoked chicken salad sandwich that’s putting Locale BBQ Post on the map.
The Pickle That Started It All
Chef and owner Dan Sheridan didn’t set out to become a pitmaster. Before the smokers fired up, he was running a small pickling company. As Guy joked, “Everybody has one of those.” But reality set in quickly—as Dan put it, they would have had to sell tons of pickles just to pay rent. “That’ll put you in a pickle,” Guy quipped. So Dan pivoted, tapping into his culinary background to go full-blown barbecue. Today, those pickles still play a starring role, made in-house with vinegar, salt, sugar, dill, their signature dry rub, and Old Bay.
The Smoked Chicken Salad Sandwich
While Locale smokes everything from beef brisket to ribs, it’s their smoked chicken salad sandwich that’s earned legendary status. “The smoked chicken salad is out of this world,” the segment revealed. “It’s got the smokiness of the chicken, the celery, ton of spices in there—it’s awesome.”
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The process starts with their house dry rub: cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cheese and salt, cayenne, black pepper, dried mustard, Cajun seasoning, paprika, and brown sugar. They take a three-and-a-half-pound chicken, spatchcock it by removing the backbone, and season it right on the skin. After resting for a few hours, it goes into the smoker for two and a half to three hours over all cherry wood at 250 degrees.
But here’s what sets this chicken salad apart: house-made bacon. Locale cures their own, using a dry rub with pink curing salt and brown sugar, scoring the fat to help it penetrate, and letting it cure for six to seven days. After rinsing on day seven, it gets smoked—cherry wood, 250 degrees. Guy couldn’t resist sampling as Dan worked, admitting the bacon was “about half gone already” because someone was eating it.
The final assembly brings together mayo, white and dark meat chicken, celery, those bacon bits, lemon, dill, seasoning salt, salt, and pepper. It’s served on a brioche bun with house-made pickles.
Real Tips from the Locale Kitchen
Spatchcock for even smoking: Removing the backbone allows the chicken to lay flat and cook evenly over those two and a half to three hours.
Score your bacon fat: Making cuts in the fat cap helps the cure penetrate deeper during that week-long process.
Cherry wood consistency: Locale uses cherry wood for everything—chicken and bacon alike—creating a unified smoke profile throughout the dish.
Guy’s Verdict
After tasting, Guy broke it down: “Not too much smoke on the chicken, we got a little celery in there—base foundation you want, right?” He praised the pickles too, calling out the dry rub and noting “the dry rub goods and the pickles too.” His final assessment? “Everything well done. Congratulations.”
If you’re craving more unexpected Triple D discoveries, check out a Monte Cristo in Idaho or the DYNAMITE Mac & Cheese that had Guy going back for more. And for the truly adventurous, there’s always a… Lobster MARTINI?! 🦞🍸
Ready to find Locale BBQ Post and other Flavortown favorites? Browse our restaurant directory to plan your next Triple D road trip.