COLLAB Series | Eli's BBQ

Beginning December 3rd, we’re teaming up with Eli’s BBQ of Cincinnati-fame and releasing a collaborative limited-edition sushi roll. For a limited time only, barbecue lovers across Ohio will be able to enjoy their favorite Eli’s flavors at any of our 10 locations.

We came together with Eli’s to craft a new twist on an American classic – Memphis-style flavors packed into a 10-piece FUSIAN sushi roll. This collaboration is out latest in our Collab Series, which has brought new and unique flavors to traditional sushi by partnering with chefs, restaurateurs, + community influencers from around the country. 
This will be our seventh edition Collab Series to date, which has in the past featured rolls created together with notable figures in the Ohio culinary scene ranging from Cincinnati’s Dan Wright, Food + Wine’s 2012 people’s choice for Best New Chef, to Columbus-based Hot Chicken Takeover, purveyors of Nashville-style Hot Chicken, featured on NBC’s today show for its progressive hiring model.
The “Eli’s BBQ roll” will feature Eli’s flagship pulled pork with pickled jalapeños, shallots + daikon wrapped in white rice + a soy wrap, then topped with Eli’s homemade barbecue sauce and “rubbed crunch” – a blend of tempura crunch combined with Eli’s signature barbecue spice rub. As an added bonus, our customers will receive a voucher with the purchase of the “Eli’s BBQ roll” that can be redeemed at any of Eli’s BBQ’s 9 locations for one free drink of their three new signature drinks (Lemonade, Limeade or Iced Tea) with the purchase of a combo meal.
Founded by Elias Leisring + born from the motto, “slow + steady wins the race”, Eli’s started as a homegrown stand on Cincinnati’s fountain square. Today, it has grown to become a hometown favorite, and has even gained national attention as the nation’s 3rd best BBQ joint by Foursquare. Eli’s is now operating two locations in the Cincinnati area as well as in 7 locations inside Kroger stores in Ohio, Kentucky + Indiana. 

“We exist to connect people through collaboration, culture + cuisine,” our co-founder, Stephan Harman said. “The Japanese word “Sushi” (literally translated) refers to the rice we make in our restaurants, and we are constantly looking to evolve our dining experience with unique + familiar flavors. We’ve been alongside Elias’ journey since we started in 2010, we’ve been looking forward to this one for a while”
Elias has similar thoughts about the collaboration, “Eli’s is a collaborative company at its core.” he adds, “having met the FUSIAN guys a while back, I knew working with them would be great + pair perfectly with our ethos to have some fun while serving good food to our communities”
We are encouraging customers to stop into any of our 10 stores to try the FUSIAN x Eli’s BBQ roll and share photos + videos of the roll on social using the hashtag #fusianxelis.