CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Descend three wide steps just off of East Fourth Street, past the host's station and the massive red neon command to "Eat More Meat," and you're entering one of Cleveland's most-awaited restaurants in years.

Welcome to Mabel's BBQ, Michael Symon's shrine to smoke.

It's still under construction but the finish line is actually within sight.

"We're finally on-target to open mid-April," Symon says with more than just hopeful confidence.

More than a year-and-a-half after he announced plans for a "Cleveland-style" barbecue joint to take over the former La Strada restaurant downtown, Cleveland's most famous chef has survived endless delays. Walking through the largely completed space, it's a lot easier to understand what has taken what seems like forever and a day to open.

"This is all new," Symon says. He's pointing up to hundreds of feet of massive black steel beams and other structural supports and flooring. Those additions enabled him to securely locate a pair of multi-ton J&R Smoked-Master Ovens. There simply wasn't enough room in the ground-floor kitchen to accommodate the wood-burning units, equipment vital to an urban 'que restaurant.

Adequate external ventilation also had to be incorporated, along with other industrial kitchen fixtures. That structural expansion also enabled Symon to create essential mezzanine seating.

"This ends up being a $2 million build-out for a 100-seat restaurant, and about half of that seating is upstairs," Symon says. "We really needed to expand our capacity in order to make the numbers for this restaurant work."

The key elements - kitchen equipment, seating, the bar area - are now in place. While Symon awaits the last of what seems an endless procession of inspections - final sign-off is anticipated today - the Iron Chef is sweating a thousand last-minute details. Most are installation of decorative elements, the final touches that will transform a gutted space to a distinctively New Age take on an Old School 'que restaurant.

"The West Side Market was really our inspiration," Symon says, settling onto a stool at the bar.

"We love the feel of the market - the breadth of space, the glazed tile walls, the arched ceiling... It's 100 years old but it doesn't look out-of-date. We wanted that timelessness," he says.

Scott Richardson Design worked with Liz Symon, the chef's wife and business partner (along with Doug Petkovic) in Michael Symon Restaurants, to create the environment. They drew from market house elements and aspects of vintage Americana like lighting fixtures that resemble old-fashioned automobile headlights.

Gently arched black sound-baffling crowns the room's ceiling. To cover some walls, Liz Symon chose custom-made hand-crafted and fired glazed tiles. (Other walls are covered with wood that has been charred, to resemble charcoal, then glazed.) A barn door clad with an array of men's leather belts stands behind the host station.

On one side of the dining room a long, brushed aluminum-topped bar extends the length of the room. It's fronted with enameled dark green panels that emulate old-fashioned Coleman coolers. Behind the bar, workers have hung the framework for old gasoline station signage that will bear the restaurant's menu.

A pair of 16-seat communal tables run down the center of the dining room. ("I wanted picnic tables, and they came up with these, and comfortable chairs," says Michael Symon.) Additional tables and chair flank the side opposite from the bar.

A vast lighting fixture hung by a variety of industrial belts illuminates from above. More seating is arranged along the wall opposite the bar.

As for the menu, Symon says that there will be plenty of straight-up choices - meats such as pork roll, turkey breast and brisket offered in half-pound portions, along with full or half racks of pork spareribs, a giant beef rib, and lamb ribs. Plus some big sandwiches, and Deep South specialties such as crispy pigs ears, cracklin' and smoked tails.

But many of Mabel's flavors will be a Cleveland-style approach.

Ryan Kasson, a veteran of Michael Symon Restaurants who studied at the Culinary Institute of America and did some barbecue training in Austin, Texas, will serve as Mabel's "pitmaster."

"What's my barbecue style?" he says when asked whether it was Texas that most influenced the way he approaches barbecue. "Honestly? It's whatever Michael tells me!" Kasson says.

"What he means is, we'll use products common to Northeast Ohio and our culinary traditions here," Symon says. "And lot of it will be influenced by Eastern European flavors."

That's why instead of the "hot links" common to Southern style barbecue joints, you'll find kielbasa on Mabel's menu. One special, called This Is Cleveland, will feature kielbasa, ribs, pork roll and cabbage, all stewed in sauerkraut broth. (There'll also be "today's kraut" on the menu of sides.)

"For smoking, we'll use indigenous fruit woods, mostly cherry and some apple," Symon says. Before they're placed in the smokers, those meats will be coated with variations on a dry rub blend composed primarily of salt, black pepper and a touch of ground coriander.

As he walks us through the kitchen, the conventional salad station is missing.

"No salads!" he exclaims, bursting into laughter. "This place is really all about meat."

Actually, while beef, poultry, pork, lamb and sausages clearly dominate, Symon's "no salads" declaration isn't entirely true. Granted, there are no leafy greens featured on Mabel's menu - but you'll find traditional barbecue accompaniments like coleslaw, and the chef's Northeast Ohio approach to potato salad ("made with mustard-vinegar, German-style"), Broccoli Salad ("we're adding dried cherries and peanuts, to ours") and old-fashioned Cucumber and Sour Cream Salad.

Desserts, however, will be all-American. Symon says he's only got plans for two.

"We're talking about an old-fashioned banana pudding made with vanilla wafers and maybe some kind of chocolate pudding, maybe with peanut butter cookies.

"You know, something sweet and simple," he adds