Sadly, Shawn's Southern BBQ is no more.

Happier times.

Sad news came on Friday afternoon.

Shawn's Southern BBQ was very good. You may remember this newspaper story from 2016: Thrillist names Shawn's Southern BBQ in New Albany the best in Indiana.

Yesterday afternoon, River City Winery's founder Gary Humphrey found the center of the target on social media.

This is what happens when you sit in the drive thru at one of those chain restaurants day after day instead of supporting locally owned businesses.

As Eric Morris of Gospel Bird put it:

You know, depending on how Shawn Pitts feels ... we could/should do some type of event for him to carry on. It's seriously the best bbq in the state and it stays true to the low-brow real deal bbq you would find in Memphis or Alabama. New Albany is truly losing a staple that makes it unique.

The departure of Shawn's Southern BBQ follows the closing of Match Cigar Bar on Main Street; so far in 2018, several higher profile Louisville establishments have expired. Is there an adjustment underway? It's too early to tell, but we'll update this post if anything else arises.

Shawn’s Southern BBQ looks great ... but is it good enough for Joey?

It has been only two weeks since my close encounter of the doofus kind with Joey at Kroger.

Joey's Song: How do those fools survive?

Lastly, your opinion of what constitutes good barbecue is both idiotic and execrable -- and the indie BBQ joint owner who was incredulous as you told him this was laughing at your cluelessness.

Now it can be revealed; the incredulous indie BBQ joint owner was none other than Shawn Pitts, new occupant of the old Pigasus spot on State Street, and subject of this profile by Kevin Gibson at Insider Louisville.

I need to get down there. Maybe Saturday ...

Shawn’s Southern BBQ opens in former Pigasus spot in New Albany

... Pitts is working from recipes that have been in his father’s family for generations, going back to Chapel Hill, Tenn. That spans about 100 years’ worth of smoking meats, in fact. That’s a lot of smoked meat.

If a sample I had is an indicator, the Pitts family knew what it was doing. What’s being served up at Shawn’s is mostly Memphis style, although Pitts won’t fully commit. He does it his own way.

“I guess I’d call it [Memphis-style],” he said. “It’s not totally dry rub, but it’s not sloppy like Kansas City style. I don’t like Kansas City.”