Michael Harris begins preparations for Tennesseasonings’ pulled pork each morning about 2 a.m. Photo by Buford Davis / Las Vegas Business Press
Laura Harris, co-owner of Tennesseasonings, prepares cole slaw for the lunch service, May 23. Photo by Buford Davis / Las Vegas Business Press
Pork ribs and sides at Tennesseasonings. Courtesy.
Michael Harris, co-owner of Tennesseasonings, removes roasted pork butt from the smoker for the day’s service, May 23. Photo by Buford Davis / Las Vegas Business Press
Michael Harris, co-owner of Tennesseasonings with wife Laura Harris, checks pork ribs for the day’s service. Photo by Buford Davis / Las Vegas Business Press
Sausage with pulled pork and slaw at Tennesseasonings. Courtesy.
Pork ribs at Tennesseasonings. Tennessee barbecue is traditionally pork, rather than beef, due to the historic ease of preservation the meat, according to restaurant co-owner Laura Harris. Photo by Buford Davis / Las Vegas Business Press
Laura and Michael Harris bring a taste of Tennessee to the Las Vegas valley. Courtesy.
Michael Harris begins preparations for Tennesseasonings’ pulled pork each morning about 2 a.m. Photo by Buford Davis / Las Vegas Business Press
The pig butt (a cut that refers to the animal’s shoulder) is celebrated by Tennesseasonings’ owners Laura and Michael Harris, in background. Photo by Buford Davis / Las Vegas Business Press
Michael Harris begins preparations for Tennesseasonings’ pulled pork each morning about 2 a.m. Photo by Buford Davis / Las Vegas Business Press
Michael Harris, co-owner of Tennesseasonings with wife Laura Harris, prepares pulled pork each morning, starting at about 2 a.m. Photo by Buford Davis / Las Vegas Business Press
Laura and Michael Harris offer East Tennessee-style barbecue at their new restaurant, Tennesseasonings, 7315 W. Warm Springs Road. Photo by Buford Davis / Las Vegas Business Press
Laura and Michael Harris offer East Tennessee-style barbecue at their new restaurant, Tennesseasonings, 7315 W. Warm Springs Road. Photo by Buford Davis / Las Vegas Business Press
Pork butt at Tennesseasonings. Tennessee barbecue is traditionally made from pork, rather than beef, due to the historic ease of preservation the meat, according to restaurant co-owner Laura Harris. Photo by Buford Davis / Las Vegas Business Press
Laura and Michael Harris are bringing a taste of home to the Las Vegas Valley. The couple from Chattanooga, Tennessee launched Tennesseasonings in May at 7315 W. Warm Springs Road. The restaurant features East Tennessee style-barbecue, which is traditionally devoid of beef and the thick, tomato-based sauce that many locals are familiar with.
“In Tennessee, pork is king, and a pulled-pork sandwich comes with cole slaw on it,” Laura Harris said. “That is something that is unique, that texture.”
The couple owned a catering business in Tennessee before relocating to Las Vegas in 2015, but this is their first experience with restaurant ownership. The husband-and-wife operation — with the help of one other family member — requires long work days, particularly for Michael Harris, who typically arrives between 2 and 3 a.m. to begin preparing pig butts for the day’s pulled-pork inventory.
“When I am tired, I have to look back where I came from, and a lot of people I know who are not here today and a lot of people who don’t have the opportunities I have,” he said. “I thank the Lord that I am in the position I am in. At the end of the day, I really enjoy doing this.”
“This has been my dream since I was a little girl,” Laura Harris said. “In the South, we have a saying, ‘put your foot in it.’ That means you’ve put your heart and soul into it, and have done what you can to make it pleasant and pleasurable for someone else.
