B.T.'s Smokehouse

B.T.'s Smokehouse
Restaurant information
Established	April 1, 2007 (2007-04-01)
Current owner(s)	Brian Treitman
Food type	Barbecue
Dress code	Casual
Street address	392 Main Street
City	Sturbridge
County	Worcester
State	Massachusetts
Postal/ZIP code	01566
Country	United States
Coordinates	42°06′41″N 72°05′40″W / 42.111281°N 72.094434°W / 42.111281; -72.094434
Seating capacity	40
Reservations	No
Website	btsmokehouse.com

B.T.'s Smokehouse is a dry-rubbed and slow-smoked barbecue restaurant located in the downtown section of Sturbridge, Massachusetts. On an average week, B.T's smokes more than 1,200 pounds (540 kg) of ribs, 1,600 pounds (730 kg) of brisket, and 1,400 pounds (640 kg) of pulled pork at their 40 seat restaurant.^[1][2]

The restaurant uses a J&R Oyler Pit, named "Black Betty", salvaged from a KC Masterpiece restaurant. The smoker can cook 1,400 pounds of meat at a time, using a mix of apple, hickory, and black cherry wood.^[3]

Introduction

B.T.'s Smokehouse is a Barbeque restaurant in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. The restaurant was founded by Brian Treitman in April 2007 in a 18 feet (5 m) roadside trailer^[4] next to the Brimfield Antiques Fair. After achieving initial success, B.T.’s was later expanded to occupy the 40-seat establishment that serves as the current location in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.^[5] B.T.'s has been credited in The Boston Globe as one of the “10 places to bask in barbecue”.^[6]

B.T.’s started offering catering services for weddings and events in 2008.^[7]

Management

Brian Treitman graduated from the The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York^[1] and had his internship with Ming Tsai's restaurant, Blue Ginger, in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Later he worked as a chef in various Napa County, California restaurants^[7] for more than 10 years.^[5] Treitman also worked as a chef in Ken Oringer’s KO Prime in Boston before starting B.T.'s.^[3]

Treitman was selected by the Worcester Business Journal as one of their "40 Under Forty" young business professionals for 2016.^[8]

Menu

Focusing on Southern-style cuisine,^[9] the menu offers natural grass-fed beef, chicken, pork, and other meats that have been dry rubbed and slow smoked for up to 14 hours with local apple and hickory woods. Treitman makes his own sauces as well as his own ketchup from scratch.^[5]

In addition to standard barbecue fare, the restaurant also offers more unusual entrees such as smoked salmon, chili made with brisket meat, and smoked turkey^[10] and chicken.

Awards and accolades

B.T.'s Smokehouse has earned numerous awards and prizes since 2007.^[11]

Food awards

• Finalist - Best Boss in Central Massachusetts 2017 (Small Business), Brian Treitman^[12]
• First Place - Best Place To Grab Lunch During Work^[13]
• The Chamber of Central Massachusetts South Business of the Year for 2016^[14]
• Voted Telegram & Gazette 2016 Best of Central Mass for BBQ^[15]
• Editors Choice - Best BBQ by Yankee Magazine, May/June 2016^[16] and Top Ten in New England, 2017^[17]
• Ranked the 20th best in “The 100 Best Barbecue Restaurants in America” by Johnny Fugitt.
  • B.T.'s is also listed in the Awards section of the book in the category “America’s 10 Best Barbecue Sandwiches.”^[18]
• Worcester'sBestChef.com's 2011 People's Choice Award (runners up), 2011^[19]
• Top Ten Barbecue Restaurants in New England, 2009^[20]
• New England Regional Chili Cookoff, 2007^[10]

In the fall of 2015, the British chef and restaurateur Gordon Ramsay stopped by the smokehouse for a brisket sandwich. Ramsay said he had heard about the restaurant while filming an episode of Hotel Hell in nearby Southbridge, Massachusetts and it was recommended he stop by for a visit. Ramsay said the brisket was "perfect".^{[21] [22]}

Environmentalism and sustainability

The restaurant obtains much of their produce from local area farms and the Pioneer Valley Growers Association. The smokehouse recycles all meat grease and vegetable oil used in the restaurant by sending the refuse to a local rendering plant. The grease from the meat is rendered into industrial soaps and cleaners and the vegetable oil is turned into bio-diesel fuel.^[23] All of the take-out materials and cups, plates, and utensils are biodegradable. The cups are made from corn, most of the utensils are made from potato starch, and the take-out materials are made from bamboo rather than the styrofoam material used in the majority of BBQ restaurants.^[5][10]

References