Hoss Orwat had hoped to get Big Hoss reopened a few days after a kitchen fire in late June, then hoped for anytime in July. But now it looks like it will be August 14 before Big Hoss, his barbecue joint at 3961 Tennyson Street, finally is back in business.

When Big Hoss does open its doors again, it will have a totally new kitchen. "The front of the house will be the same," promises manager Sherry Boyer, with the addition of a few more TVs, but the back room is becoming "more of a cocktail area...more sports-friendly," with maybe a pool table -- and definitely no salad bar.

But that's fine. Because at Big Hoss, as Jason Sheehan noted in his review of the joint, it's the meat that matters.

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