who are we?
Located off of Route 47 and Interstate 74 in Mahomet, Illinois, Project 47 Smokehouse opened in 2017. It was started as a side project of local restaurateur Justin Taylor, who wanted to bring local barbecue to the emerging downtown district.
The name Project 47 comes from this project idea with the fact that it is located off Route 47. The nickname P47 comes from the P-47 Thunderbolt fighter plane. It was a World War II era aircraft produced by the United States from 1941 through 1945. Its primary armament was eight .50-caliber machine guns, In its' fighter-bomber ground-attack role it could carry five-inch rockets or a bomb load of 2,500 pounds. The Thunderbolt was effective as a short-to medium-range escort fighter in high-altitude air-to-air combat and ground attacks in both the European and Pacific theaters.
The restaurant has various items and decorations celebrating the P-47 Thunderbolt and the Air Force. We also have a full bar and side patio for dining. Our renovated back patio is like hanging out at a backyard BBQ party, complete with picnic tables, a Traeger Smoker and yard games. It also features a gigantic mural of a dogfight between the Allies and their German enemies during WWII.
An introduction to smoked meats
Barbecuing - the low-and-slow cooking of meats using live fire and smoke - is more art than science. Smoking meats takes a lot of time and dedication, and is all about getting the perfect smoke and desired cooking temperature. There are multiple styles like St. Louis, Kansas City, Memphis, Carolina and Texas BBQ, but we don't concentrate on one specific style. We use a mixture of sauces, rubs and techniques, smoking all our meats on locally grown applewood.
As we smoke our chicken, pork and turkey at a lower temperature for a much longer period of time, the myoglobin doesn't fully break down. This creates a pink tinge to the meat - the same reaction that causes the smoke ring you see on our brisket and ribs. This doesn't mean it's undercooked, just that it has been smoked. If you have any questions please ask. Thank you for visiting us!