New Hope Tasty BBQ serves up faith, community, and the ‘best barbecue in town’

For nearly 50 years, New Hope Tasty BBQ in Sorrento has provided vital support to the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church and its surrounding community. In the 1970s, the church initially sold barbecue to raise funds for a church building, under the leadership of Pastor Carl Clark. Today, his son, Pastor Scotty Clark, is still leading out running the BBQ stand.

“We paid for the church selling barbecue,” Pastor Scotty said. “It’s a mutually beneficial thing for the community and for the church. We raise money to keep the church going, and nobody goes hungry when they stop by.”

For a time, the BBQ stand closed up, but was revived in 2009 to address necessary repairs for the church. Despite these challenges, the community support remains strong.

“We have a lot of customers that donate and sponsor the kids and help out with whatever the church needs,” Pastor Scotty said.

Volunteers, including some of the original cooks from the 1970s, contribute their time and effort to keep the barbecue stand running, including Scotty’s father.

“He’s 81,” Scotty said. “He started training me how to cook when I was 16. It’s kind of a lineage that’s been passed down through the years.”

In addition to providing financial support for the church, New Hope Tasty BBQ serves as a community hub where no one goes hungry.

“If somebody comes up hungry and they don’t have it or whatever, you’re going to eat anyway,” Scotty said. “We have people that say, ‘Hey, I’m gonna leave five or ten [dollars] if somebody needs help.’ ”

The story of New Hope Tasty BBQ and its impact on the community was captured in the 2014 documentary "Faith, Hope, and BBQ" by Ernie Mosteller. The film highlights the dedication and hard work of the church members and their commitment to serving the best barbecue around.

New Hope Tasty BBQ operates from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, at 31720 County Road 437. The menu includes smoked meats like ribs, chicken, brisket, and pork, alongside classic sides such as baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, collard greens and cornbread. Many also enjoy homemade desserts like sweet potato pie.

For more information, visit facebook.com/NHTastyBBQ or call (352) 434-9090.

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: At New Hope Tasty BBQ in Sorrento, nobody goes hungry