Station One Smokehouse To Open In Plainfield's Old Firehouse

PLAINFIELD, IL — Station One Smokehouse is coming to Plainfield. The central Texas-style barbecue restaurant will open in the old firehouse in downtown Plainfield on Tuesday, Dec. 18, said co-owner and head chef Brad Hudetz in a news release.

The firehouse has been vacant nearly a decade, and Station One Smokehouse is the second of two new businesses to announce in recent months that they are moving into the space.

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Hudetz, a resident of Plainfield and graduate of Joliet Catholic Academy, has worked for 20 years in the Chicago restaurant industry, including at top-rated restaurants like Alinea and Spiaggia, he said. Most recently, he served as manager and executive chef of Green Street Smoked Meats in Chicago's West Loop.

"Hosting Theo Epstein's championship party for the 2016 Cubs was a big highlight for me," Hudetz said. "Now I'm excited to bring my talents home to Plainfield."

Station One Smokehouse will feature a 4,200-pound wood-burning smoker, custom-built in Mesquite, Texas, according to the news release. Service will be fast-casual and customers can visit a carving station to have their meats sliced and served. The menu will feature sandwiches, homemade sides and sauces, and a variety of desserts.

The renovation of our town's long-time firehouse has been quite an undertaking," said co-owner Justin Hudetz, Brad Hudetz's brother. "We're happy to say that although the space looks very different, we have taken many measures throughout our decor to pay homage to the building's history. But I do think people are going to be excited to see some of the improvements we've made too."

Those improvements include an entirely glass front facade that will fold open to a large outdoor patio, a full bar, dedicated carry-out area and ample parking.

The restaurant will be open Tuesday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. It will be closed on Mondays. For more information, visit stationonesmokehouse.com or call 815-271-MEAT (6328).

Photo: Brothers and Station One Smokehouse co-owners Justin Hudetz and Brad Hudetz. (via Station One Smokehouse)