By Nick Pedley
News Editor 

He's got the meats

Brewster man sets up BBQ shop in Hartley

 

August 25, 2022

NICK PEDLEY/SENTINEL-NEWS

Brent Riemersma restocks his smoker with wood Friday afternoon.

There's a new pitmaster serving up smoky treats to Hartley residents and passersby on Highway 18.

Uncle B's owner Brent Riemersma, of Brewster, Minn., pulled his barbeque trailer into the former D-Lux Drive Inn location earlier this summer and has remained there since. He uses the building for dine-in seating and as prep area for his food, which has been a hit among locals and visitors alike.

"Everything I make is homemade from scratch," Riemersma said. "One day I had to use store-bought potato salad because I was short on time, and I'll never do it again. People sure told me about."

Riemersma learned how to barbecue while working in the South three decades ago. He's honed his craft over the years, easing himself into the business side of things by serving food at events like fairs and community celebrations. He decided to take a leap this year and found the location in Hartley to be fitting enough for his headquarters.

"The highway traffic is right there, and the closer you get towards the Lakes, the higher rent goes up," he said.

Riemersma's menu features barbecue staples like ribs, pulled pork and brisket. He's also willing to try new things, and has done lasagna and meatloaf on the smoker as well.

"The only thing I don't like to do is a boneless pork butt. They fall apart too easily," he said. "I'll try just about anything on the smoker, though. There are all different kinds of stuff you can cook."

Riemersma gets his meat from Nelson Locker LLC in Hartley and obtains his wood from a local source as well. A self-described perfectionist, he pays attention to the finest details of his barbecue by making his own spice blends and sauces. Catch him at the right time and you may even find him "tasting" his smoke.

"People laugh at me about it, but that's the big trick," he said. "You can screw up anything with bad smoke."

NICK PEDLEY/SENTINEL-NEWS

Uncle B's owner Brent Riemersma has been operating the barbecue joint on Highway 18 since June.

Business at Uncle B's started off with a bang this summer. He said he regularly sold out of food, but traffic has slowed recently as fall inches closer.

Eventually, Riemersma would like to open the former drive-in as his own full-scale barbeque restaurant. That will take time and money though, as several interior renovations and equipment upgrades are needed before he can open.

Riemersma said operations at Uncle B's will remain as-is for the time being. He said he has appreciated the support so far and would like to see traffic back to early summer numbers. If he's unable to open a restaurant, he plans to use the building as a prep kitchen for catering gigs and pop-up events.

"The support is the main thing," he said. "If Hartley supports me, I'll give them the best barbecue restaurant they've ever seen."

 
 

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