Tell us a bit about your business: What does your business offer and how long have you been around? Welcome to Rusty Buckle BBQ. Rusty Buckle BBQ is a no-nonsense, small town restaurant that has been open
as a dine-in restaurant for a few months shy of 5 years. Prior to that we primarily focused on catering and fundraising events for various local churches, charities and organizations.
How did you decide to get involved in this line of work? The East Montgomery County area had been without a BBQ joint since the early 1980’s. We identified a need, developed a business plan and worked from there to build a successful business. Being a native of the area, we had plenty of contacts to help with “quality control” and to generate word of mouth advertising. State and local BBQ cook-offs provided a solid training arena for us and we went from there.
Tell us a couple things you are proud of about your business. Have you had our brisket? Moist or lean, our brisket is undoubtedly our most popular protein, followed closely by pork ribs and beef ribs. The beef ribs are off the menu for the time being as their prices are too high and we don’t feel comfortable raising ours just to offer them. We’ll bring them back when they get back to an affordable level. Our dirty mac-n-cheese (comfort food at it’s finest,
creamy macaroni and cheese topped with smoked brisket) is probably the most popular side but my favorite is either the outlaw slaw or our smokin‘ green beans.
What separates you from the competition? Rusty Buckle BBQ is a one-of-a-kind “where the locals go” that stands out due to a variety of factors such as ambiance, food quality and customer service. We might not get the recognition from local and state print media that some of our fans believe we should, but we’re ok with that. We’re in touch with our customers, we’re changing and growing and love serving up the best local BBQ in the greater East Montgomery County area. We’re not in business to please BBQ purists-if such a person exists-rather we strive to provide our friends, neighbors, family and strangers, you know, the Joe Average Customer with food that is consistently good day in and day out. We use state of the art equipment, with a work smarter not harder philosophy. Our pellet rotisserie pits are computer-controlled and burn wood, 100% of the time, no gas and no oven.
What is your favorite part of running this business? Getting to meet a variety of people from all walks of life, socio-economic groups, religious backgrounds and cultures. It has been far easier to make friends out of customers than the other way around. Stop by to breath that
BBQ aroma, treat yourself to smoked meat heaven and countrified sides and bump into pitmaster and smoke ring King Allen Rhoden.
Who is your target market or ideal customer/client? Anyone who is hungry and has money. We pride ourselves on being able to turn tickets out relatively fast when compared to other eating establishments because we know that a customer’s time is as valuable as their money and we are thankful they choose to spend theirs with us. We try to price our menu fairly with the customer’s budget in mind but we can’t stay in business by giving away product. We give back to our community as a whole in a variety of ways and we love supporting the endeavors of those who choose to support us. We are also proud of our teachers, first responders and veterans and offer a discount for their dine-in orders. Thank you for your service.
Are there any special promotions, annual sales, or special events that you'd like to mention? Every year on February 14th, we have our annual ball-n-chain dinner to celebrate Valentine’s Day. The other thing is that while we are primarily open for lunch service Wednesday through Saturday, we have extended into evening service hours this summer and we will continue to do so through at least the end of September. Plan on coming out, currently offering dinner service Thursday and Friday nights only from 6-8pm or until sold out. Our Facebook page is the place to go for more details and menu offerings as BBQ is not featured for evening service. Doesn’t mean it isn’t available, it’s just not featured. Try something else; it will be good. If it wasn’t, we wouldn’t put it out.
Is there any other information you'd like your potential customers/clients to know about your business?Following our social media, primarily Facebook, is imperative in order to stay up to date as those platforms are easier to update than our website. We use top quality ingredients and we take pride in everything we put on your tray but we are not perfect and sometimes make mistakes. If something is not to your satisfaction, we’d appreciate the courtesy of having the opportunity to make it right before being trashed on social media. Come visit us if you haven’t before, come back if it’s been awhile. We look forward to serving you soon!
For more information about The Rusty Buckle BBQ Company, visit their
website or their
Facebook Page.
