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When you get right down to it, the business of barbecue is ribs, and ribs are certainly the business of Marquita and Curtis Houston's Rib Bizz, set to debut the first week of March in Boca Raton (6020 N. Federal Hwy., 561-998-2020).
The couple, who got into the restaurant game through the encouragement of friends who were impressed with Marquita's cooking, operated a barbecue restaurant in Georgia before moving to Florida in 1999. Several years later, they
opened their first local Rib Bizz, a Boynton Beach take-out-only joint,
which they closed to move to the larger quarters in Boca.
Baby
back ribs, slow-cooked over a combo of charcoal and fruitwood, are
Bizz's specialty, as is Marquita's pulled pork. But the menu also
includes a variety of Southern culinary staples, from fried chicken and
smothered pork chops, to collard greens and mac 'n' cheese. Prices are
downright affordable, with complete dinners (entrée plus two sides)
ranging from $9 to $13.
The restaurant will sit as many as 100
indoors and out and will also feature take-out and delivery. The dining
room has been designed to "look like a house," Marquita says. "I want
people to feel at home when they're here."