Bourbons Smokehouse To Bring BBQ Bliss To New Lenox

NEW LENOX, IL — Fans of homemade barbecue can get ready for some new, local flavor to add to their plates come winter when Bourbons Smokehouse opens. Bourbons Smokehouse had previously been catering-only based out of Tinley Park, and the New Lenox location will be Bourbons Smokehouse's first dine-in restaurant.

"We expect our customers to have a great experience," said Bourbons Smokehouse's Pit Master Joe Regiro, who co-owns the restaurant with his wife, Tonya Regiro. "I'm tired of having to travel for hours to get that experience. I want our customers to come and have an outstanding experience and enjoy the food, the atmosphere, and the environment, and bring their friends and family and make a community out of this."

Joe Regiro has been perfecting his barbecue technique for the past 20-plus years, he said. The results? Barbecue that doesn't need sauce to taste great, though Bourbon Smokehouse does offer its own homemade sauces, too: Bold Bite, a peppery sauce with a Bourbon kick; Smokin' Sweet, also with a hint of Bourbon, but sweeter and milder than Bold Bite; Smokehouse Original, a middle-of-the-road favorite; Kickin' Dippin, a thinner sauce that brings the heat and pairs well with pork; and Gold Rush, a mustard barbecue sauce.

"Our sauces are just as unique and just as flavorful [as the meat]," Tonya Regiro said. "Most of the time, people like to try it both ways."

"I have a strong passion and belief that the meat should stand on its own, and the sauce should be a complement to it," Joe Regiro said. "You're not going to find anything from us that's just covered and drenched in sauce and the meat has no flavor so that you need the sauce to flavor everything."

Bourbons Smokehouse's menu will be something of an experiment, with participation from its patrons helping shape it, the Regiros said. Of course there will be the traditional brisket, ribs, pork and chicken, along with tasty sides, such as mac and cheese, cornbread, coleslaw and baked beans. But, the Regiros said they want to get feedback from customers on what else should be included on the menu.

"We want to start off with quality and control and ease into it so that we make sure that every experience the consumer has with us is going to be wonderful," Tonya Regiro said.

In addition to mouth-watering, down-home South Side barbecue with all the fixins, Bourbons Smokehouse will offer patrons a full bar, gaming machines and continue catering orders, the Regiros said.

The Regiros repeatedly stressed how they want Bourbons Smokehouse to be a part of the community, not just a business in it. They plan to feature rotating, locally brewed beers; they will post opinion polls on their social media sites asking for ideas for the menu and weekly specials; and they will have a wall dedicated to honoring local veterans and first responders.

"We want to provide what the community is asking for, so why not get them involved," Tonya Regiro said.

Bourbons Smokehouse will take over the vacant space that was formerly Mattina Café at 280 E. Lincoln Highway.

For the latest updates on Bourbons Smokehouse, be sure to check out its Facebook page and Instagram account.

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