two guys outside bbq trailer
Garrison Sherwood (L) and Dylan Boerboom (R) at their BBQ venture.
I've actually been scouting this kid's barbecue pics since 2017. Dylan Boerboom is the guy behind Boomin' BBQ and his long and smoky road has finally come to a new fork: opening his own trailer.
"While other kids were at McDonald's, I was the kid who had his birthday party at Famous Dave's."
Needless to say, barbecue has always been on his mind. When Boerboom was on the college path to become a food scientist, he realized that more debt and classroom time wasn't going to get him what he really wanted: that perfect brisket. So he started smoking meats in his mom's backyard, became evangelized by learning of Franklin Barbecue in Austin, TX, and got his first restaurant job to learn the professional ropes. He's batted around local kitchens and done pop-up and events for the last four years, learning the systems so that one day he might open his own smoke show.
It was working in the kitchen at Handsome Hog that he met former just/us chef Garrison Sherwood, whose own entrepreneurial spirit lead to the creation of SoFull gelato, which is also about to be launched. As we all know, you need a little help from your friends: the two have partnered up to help make their dreams a reality. A lot of saved dollars, and a big-old custom fit smoker trailer later, that reality is now.
brisket, pork cheeks, pulled pork on a tray
The Boomin' BBQ trailer is shooting for a soft opening on June 5th. Speaking of needing a little help from your friends, said trailer is and will be parked for the long haul in the lot of Ombibulous, the 100%-local beer and liquor store on East Hennepin now owned by chef Brandon Randolph (who is also a Handsome Hog alum). So a saucy smoked meat trailer in the same place you can pick up a full range of Minnesota-grown libations? That feels like a winning business model.
The trailer-in-residence has built a nice little deck for ordering and sports a picnic table out front. There might have been a few gents set up in their camp chairs waiting on some samples, and I feel like that's the right vibe. "We didn't want to do any pig characters or same old barbecue graphics like others," Boerboom said of the 80's flair of their trailer, "we clearly want it to be something different. We want to be different. I got into this because I couldn't find a brisket made the way I wanted it to be made. We're here to bring something new."
tray of smoked meats
They did make me a sampler which was a party of smoked meat. Soft and luscious pulled pork, fatty and luxe brisket, solid ribs, charred burnt ends, house made pickles and sauces, all on a big silver tray. "People love those beef cheeks, but what about the pork cheeks? That's something different, we haven't really seen people give them the love or treatment they deserve." Sherwood hinted that they'll have a sandwich made with those pork cheeks that will bowl you over. Will there also be a smoked burger? A bbq sloppy joe? Wagyu burnt ends? Smoked crab legs? Fingers crossed.
They are working out the kinks in their trailer, but think they'll be ready by the first real summer weekend to open with a limited menu. Like always, brisket will be a weekend special because it's so labor intensive, but they'll rotate the menu through as they work with supplier and mechanical issues. Hours will likely roll through the weekend from Wednesday onward but they're still waiting to see what traffic and flow might look like. Stay tuned to their socials as they get closer for more final details.
If you see pork cheeks on the menu, I would say: grab them.
