David Bancroft has always been big on beef jerky. Growing up, the chef and owner of Acre and Bow & Arrow in Auburn, Alabama, relished the snack so much that in fifth grade, he and a buddy started making and sharing their own, camping out in the school cafeteria and trading it for classmates’ dessert tickets. Teachers shut the bootleg jerky operation down, but at the just-opened second location of Bow & Arrow, Bancroft will once again peddle his jerky, this time from a dedicated cabinet in the restaurant’s attached Bluebonnet Market.
Together, the restaurant, which opened September 4, and the market, which opens later this month, allow Bancroft to feed more people the bold flavors that landed him on the James Beard Best Chef: South semifinalist list five times. He’s also doubling down on the success of the original Bow & Arrow, which commands two-hour waits on Friday nights. “With that support, I felt we could do another one,” he says. (To cut down on confusion, Bancroft and his team dubbed the first Bow & Arrow on Samford Avenue Bow Sam and the new one on University Drive Bow U.)
Photo: Visit Auburn-Opelika | Craig Godwin
Outside of Bow & Arrow in Auburn, Alabama.
Like Bow Sam’s menu, Bow U’s offerings reflect Bancroft’s roots, marrying the Mexican and Texas barbecue influences of his San Antonio upbringing with Southern comfort standards—green beans, a cheesy hashbrown casserole, and collard greens—from his time in Alabama. Pecan-smoked beef, chicken, and pork dressed in Bancroft’s rubs anchor selections. “Our rubs contain more cumin and dried chilies that bring a real oomph and let our meats slide easily from classic barbecue plates to tacos and enchiladas,” he says.
Photo: Visit Auburn-Opelika | Craig Godwin
Deer mounts from Bancroft’s friends overlook diners inside Auburn’s new Bow U.
Bancroft, who had aimed to expand the Bow & Arrow concept for years, was considering a spot in nearby Opelika when a friend encouraged him to check out a building in Auburn. On the first visit, he had to close his eyes to envision the fine-dining space decked in Bow & Arrow’s hunting-lodge aesthetic. “But soon, I could see the tiered antler chandelier replacing the glittering ones,” he says.
Bow U boasts its own personality, too, one Bancroft dubs “Old West saloon” but that also flirts with femininity courtesy of the market. “My wife says Bow & Arrow is so manly, and she wanted something softer, so we went with Bluebonnet, the Texas state flower, for the market’s name and logo,” Bancroft says. “But I still get deer heads overlooking the bar and a jerky cabinet, so I think we both win.”
Photo: Visit Auburn-Opelika | Craig Godwin
Bancroft’s slow-smoked meats anchor traditional ’cue plates, here with homey Southern sides and spicy pickles.
Bow U diners also score as they wait for their table. Once Bluebonnet opens, they can grab beers and ranch waters from the market’s coolers after adding their names to the list. Or sip spicy-cool cucumber-jalapeño Gun Slinger margaritas from its cabana bar while perusing the wares: grab-and-go enchilada casseroles, smoked bacon and brisket, jerky, mac ’n cheese, taco kits, pimento cheese, sauces, and Acre’s beloved banana-meringue-topped peanut butter pie.
And when stomachs begin rumbling and the call to a table has yet to come, they can retire to the market’s glassed-in patio to scoop salsas and queso with tortilla chips or peel open and pop boiled peanuts. “The idea was to make Bluebonnet a huge part of the experience,” Bancroft says.
Photo: Visit Auburn-Opelika | Craig Godwin
Beef brisket resting in Bow & Arrow’s smoker.
In a full-circle moment, Bancroft’s carne seca–style jerky, a case study in dedication to craft, headlines this experience. He shaves beef eye of round with the grain and dips the resulting thin, almost see-through sheets in a cure flecked with spices he won’t divulge. His ranch jerky, seasoned with his housemade ranch blend, nods to his love of Cool Ranch Doritos. Bancroft rests the jerky in the pit under finished but warming brisket. “The temp is real low, but there’s still smoke, and brisket juice drips down and lacquers it,” he says. “It’s so flavorful; I think having the cabinet full of it will be a hit.”
If present follows past, it’s not wishful thinking. Since Acre opened in 2013, Auburn continues to eat up what Bancroft dishes out, and he hopes Bow U expresses his reciprocal affection. “I love this community,” he says, “and I want everyone to really enjoy the fun, food, and energy of this place.”
Jennifer Stewart Kornegay is an award-winning freelance writer and editor based in Montgomery, Alabama, with work published in Condé Nast Traveler, Food & Wine, Wildsam, The Local Palate and more. Her articles cover a variety of topics, including food and food culture, artists and makers, and travel, but the throughline is emphasis on telling the stories of the interesting people behind them all. Read her work at jenniferkornegay.com.
