Joe’s Barbecue in Kent to Open Brick-and-Mortar Eatery at Same Locale

Joe’s Barbecue in Kent to open brick-and-mortar eatery at same site in Brimfield. Credit: Douglas Trattner

Since late 2017, Joe Menendez has been holding court on a gravel parking lot in rural Brimfield Township. His bootstrap barbecue business started with a small smoker and a pop-up tent, from which he sold ribs. Along the way, he upgraded to larger and larger smokers while adding items like brisket, pulled pork, half chickens and sliced turkey. Menendez erected a trailer to house his 1,000-gallon offset smoker and parked a food truck nearby to serve as a makeshift carryout restaurant.

It’s not hyperbole to say that Joe’s is producing some of the best barbecue in the region, which is why he flies through 100s of pounds of smoked meat per day and sells out habitually, even with the small set-up.

Over the past five years, Menedez has been working on the next phase of his barbecue business. His plans called for demolishing the vacant commercial building on the parcel that he owns – long home to Sully’s Tavern – and replacing it with a brick-and-mortar restaurant. At long last, those plans have been set in motion.

“I really wanted the building in, like, year two,” he says. “It’s year seven, so…”

Menendez is anything but resigned. At every stage he has fought his way through complications – zoning hurdles, administrative obstacles, the slings and arrows of bitter rivals – in service to his passion, his product and his business.

“I literally just want to sell barbecue, that’s the whole goal,” he told Scene. “I just want to make my shit as good as possible and then build a restaurant so I can make it better.”

If things go as planned, that restaurant will be completed by late-spring or early-summer of 2025. Demolition of the old structures has begun, which will be followed by prep and infrastructure work. When the dust finally settles, fans of Joe’s Barbecue can look forward to a fast-casual setup with indoor and outdoor seating.

“We’re trying to keep the whole vibe of the trailers, because I like how people can stop in for lunch and get their stuff and leave in two minutes if they want. But also it’s nice to be able to put together some nice looking trays and have people eat in the restaurant.”

There will be little to no changes when it comes to the smoked meats, says Menendez, but customers can look forward to a wider selection of sides, desserts and other items. At present, Joe’s Barbecue operates without any conventional kitchen equipment.

“Everything’s cooked on the smoker,” Menendez explains. “We don’t even have a range or oven or anything. That doesn’t seem that weird until you’re like, Oh, we make macaroni and cheese but I can’t boil pasta. It’s cooked in the sauce. Potatoes for the potato salad are cooked in the smoker. That’s crazy.”

In the meantime, you can find Menendez – and some of Ohio’s best barbecue – just down the street at Brimfield Bread Oven (3956 State Route 43), where he’ll stay until he gets the all clear to relocate back to his original perch.