A popular barbecue restaurant that features slow-cooked meats and homemade sauces and sides is set to reopen in downtown Galesburg.
Smokin’ Willies BBQ, which debuted at Fat Fish Pub before renting space at Cedar Creek event venue the last three years, now has a place to call home at 161 N. Cherry St. — the original Moose Lodge.
After a soft opening last week, Tuesday marks the first official day of business in its new location. The restaurant and bar will be open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
‘We love being downtown’
Owners Tania Gibbs and Wayland Cunningham received $62,400 in revolving loan financing from the city as part of an overall $290,600 project to remodel 161 N. Cherry St.
“It’s been a long haul, so it feels amazing to finally open,” Gibbs said. “We’ve been renting, and when our last place said they were going to sell, we needed a place to call home. We wanted our own place so we didn’t have to move again.
“After we looked at this place, we knew it was it. And we love being downtown.”
Cunningham said they’ve “pretty much redone everything” at the new location, including a remodeled kitchen, a new cooler, fresh paint and decor, lighting, new windows that add natural light to the dining room, and more.
The expansion will not only give Smokin’ Willies a permanent full-time location, but allows the business to expand its offerings to include a full bar, an event center, a game room with a pool table and darts, and eventually slots/gaming.
Expanded menu coming soon
Gibbs said Smokin’ Willies will introduce an expanded menu once they settle into the new location.
“Everything we serve is homemade, and we put a lot of time and love into it,” Cunningham said. “You’re going to get things here that you can’t get everywhere.
“We have our own flavors, and everyone seems to like it.”
Beef brisket and ribs are the top sellers at Smokin’ Willies, according to Cunningham.
“There’s a lot of prep time that goes into our food, from getting it seasoned to putting it on the grill,” he said. “Our brisket goes for 17 hours, we do our ribs between 6 and 8 hours, and our pork butts are 10-12 hours.”
Smokin’ Willies started as an event/catering business which then graduated to a food truck and most recently has rented kitchens in the two existing businesses.
