Will Southern Hospitality be ready to open in just one month?

photo: Liz Borod Wright

Judging by the construction workers congregated inside, Southern Hospitality, pop star Justin Timberlake's Upper East Side BBQ restaurant (1460 Second Ave.), looks like it will finally see the light of day. Originally scheduled to debut in April, the eatery is now aiming for a mid-July opening, according to its publicist. This will be the second NYC entry for Timberlake, who also co-owns Destino, the Midtown East Italian.

photo: Liz Borod Wright

BBQ joints may be to Memphis (where Timberlake was born) what pizzerias are to NYC, so perhaps that's why Timberlake and company chose the somewhat daring location – just one block down from Brother Jimmy's BBQ, the popular post-collegiate watering hole that promises to "Put Some South in Yo' Mouth." But with its dark-wood setting, Southern Hospitality looks a bit fancier than its neighbor, renowned for its trailer-park-meets-frathouse decor.