Baptism River BBQ is doing good business in Beaver Bay and it’s easy to see why.

Except for the buns and fries, everything they serve is made in-house. Co-owner Dan Cahill Mathews says that’s only because they don’t have room in the trailer.

“We do what we call true Northwoods barbecue. Because we source everything as locally as possible, we get our meat from animals that breathe the air of Lake Superior,” said Kaylee Cahill Mathews. “And then we also get as many fruits and vegetables as we can in season, so when we smoke it over local maple wood, we hope to create a flavor that you can only get from up here.”

“I think that’s the essence of barbecue. That’s why it’s so regional across the country,” Dan added. “Because it started with people cooking what they had and what was in abundance in their particular locality.”

They serve pork ribs and pork belly burnt ends, as well as vegetarian options like smoked cauliflower. The Cahill Mathews make their own marinades and sauces and develop their own recipes for sides like mac and cheese.

“Funny story about this (mac and cheese) recipe: I had probably tried 20 to 25 different versions and knew I had chosen the right one when my mother-in-law tried it and cursed,” Dan said. “But she doesn’t curse, so I knew I had done it right.”

The idea for the Baptism River BBQ trailer came about when Dan was on leave in 2020. He threw himself into his study of barbecue.

“Kaylee and I had also saved some money for our honeymoon since our wedding in October 2019. We had planned to go on our honeymoon in 2020,” Dan said. “But we couldn’t, so we took the money and invested it in starting this business.”

They still work full-time during the day and open the truck Friday through Sunday, usually at the Green Door just off Highway 61 in Beaver Bay.

There are also two more events coming up further down the coast. The Baptism River BBQ will be held August 16-18 at Wild State Cider in Duluth and August 23-25 ​​at Castle Danger Brewery in Two Harbors.

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