Owners of Uncle Mike's Barbecue
9640 16th Ave SW, 588-2713
So you're the owners of Uncle Mike's Barbecue. I hear Elizabeth is a vegetarian. Is she the creator of the barbecue tofu sandwich [$8] and the Queen's Delight smoked mushroom and eggplant sandwich [$8]?
Mike: Yes, she is, in collaboration with the staff.
Elizabeth: Usually when you're a vegetarian, you go to a place that serves meat and end up eating sides. We want there to be a main dish for vegetarians.
Is it true Ray Charles was a fan of your mom's cooking?
M: My parents knew him. They fed entertainers.
E: People think that's cool, but it's not. He couldn't eat downtown because of segregation.
Would you say there is an identifiable Seattle style of barbecue?
E: People come here from other places—it's like a hybrid, a barbecue mosaic.
I hear the ice cream made with your barbecue sauce at Full Tilt is delicious. How did you and Full Tilt's owner invent this dessert?
M: He told me he liked my sauce. I said, jokingly, "You should put it in an ice cream!"
Do you plan to collaborate with any other White Center businesses?
M: We're all trying to support one another. I hope to have a spoken-word night here.