A new chapter: Westport's Bootleg BBQ goes from food trailer to restaurant

WESTPORT — For years, Fred Melnyk has been taking his talents on the road, dishing out delicious barbecue from his trailer at local fairs and pop-up events.

Soon, you won't have to wait and wonder where Bootleg BBQ will pop up next.

The Westport resident and his Southern fare will become a more permanent presence as he gears up to open his first brick-and-mortar location at 778 Main Road.

"It was the right time, the right place, the perfect spot," said Melnyk, 47, whose restaurant is expected to debut next month at the site of the former Small Town Grill, which recently closed its doors at Village Commons plaza.

Small Town Grill, owned by Chris Cotta, announced on its Facebook page in late August that its last day of service would be Sept. 3.

Melnyk had been exploring locations for a restaurant since just before COVID, eyeing spots in New Bedford and Providence before finding the right fit in his own backyard.

"I knew I wanted to stay close to home in Westport... when this place became available I jumped on the opportunity," Melnyk said.

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In a previous conversation with Cotta, Melnyk told him if he ever considered selling, he'd be interested in taking over. An agreement was reached recently between the two, and since then things have moved quickly. Melnyk officially took the reins of the Village Commons spot, closing on the sale of the restaurant last week.

A hobby turns into a business

According to Melnyk, Bootleg BBQ is a labor of love, describing it as a hobby that turned into a business.

His barbecue venture was born in 2014. It started as a side gig for the former Little Compton firefighter, allowing him to take his passion for barbecue and share it with others.

With years of experience under his belt cooking at his own place, Melnyk eventually built his own smoker using a 500-gallon propane tank to accommodate the amount of food needed for parties. That's when the ball really got rolling.

He began catering small events for family and friends, and from there word of mouth spread and requests slowly grew.

In fact, it was Melnyk's informal beginnings that inspired the name of his eventual business. People would say jokingly, "you're bootlegging barbecue," he said, and the name stuck.

Bootleg BBQ became an official business in 2017, which Melnyk runs with the help of his wife and managing partner, Heather. It became a full-time job in 2019, when he left the fire department and was able to focus more attention on the business.

Melnyk built a second smoker, and has catered various gatherings and special events such as weddings, graduation parties, birthdays and reunions.

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The pandemic threw a wrench in business. Once COVID restrictions loosened, Melnyk rented out the kitchen at Westport Social Club during the summer of 2020, serving takeout barbecue. It was this experience, Melnyk said, that helped drive him in the direction of opening up his own place.

Event success leads to restaurant

This summer's success at Westport Rivers Winery's Sunset Concert Series, Buzzards Bay Brewing, the Westport Fair and the annual Shellstock celebration and fundraiser gave him that extra nudge he needed.

"It was the perfect storm for us," said Melnyk, noting that he's built a following thanks to exposure at these popular events.

"It felt like the ball was rolling enough and my name was out there and the reputation was there, so I decided it was time to go ahead and open a restaurant," he said.

What makes Bootleg special is its focus on traditional, Southern barbecue style. All food is smoked, using a Memphis-style rub on most meat items, he said.

"It's all true wood-fueled, wood smoked, cooked low and slow," said Melnyk, noting that cooking his brisket is a long, 16-hour process to get it just right.

Menu highlights include their "famous" pulled pork sandwich, brisket and baby back ribs — three Bootleg staples. They've also offered pork belly, and classic barbecue sides such as mac and cheese, baked beans and coleslaw. Melnyk said this year he added brisket burnt ends to the mix, which were "flying off the shelves," selling out in about an hour at any event.

As he prepares to open his Village Commons spot, he's working on expanding that menu with more barbecue items such as chicken, sausage, burgers, steaks and chicken wings.

Renovating the space

Right now, Melnyk said he's busy making the space his own, with cosmetic upgrades that include the addition of three large TVs for sporting events. He wants to be a place where people "can come and watch the game while they eat some barbecue."

The dining area, which accommodates roughly 35 people, will have the rustic feel of a roadhouse barbecue joint, Melnyk said, with old barn board accent walls and similar decor.

He's also erecting a smokehouse in the back of the property, where all the magic will happen. The 16-by-24-foot metal Quonset hut-style building, detached from the main restaurant, will house his two large smokers so that they are kept out of the elements.

There is currently a small outdoor patio space near the takeout window, and Melnyk said he may expand outdoor seating options down the road.

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Once upgrades and some final inspections are complete, they'll be ready for opening, which Melnyk said he's hoping to do sometime in November.

Melnyk said the general consensus among the local Bootleg following he's generated over the years is that everyone is "pretty excited to get this anytime, year-round."

"Everybody's been extremely positive and excited about having a new restaurant opening in town. ... A large portion of the people in town knew I was buying the place before I did," he said.

The plan is to be open Thursday through Monday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday). Melnyk said he's looking to take advantage of being one of the few places open on Mondays, as well as draw the Monday night football crowd.

"It's a marriage made in heaven there," he said.

A few Small Town Grill workers will be staying on with Melnyk, but he's still in the process of hiring more wait and kitchen staff, for a total of 10 to 12 employees to start.

Once Bootleg gets up and running and settles into its new home, Melnyk said his goal is simple: to offer "a tasty, consistent product day to day ... taking feedback from customers and making it a good experience for everybody."

"I'm quite excited about it," Melnyk said. "It's a large, new chapter in my life. I'm very hopeful that it's going to work out and give the people of Westport what they're looking for."

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Bootleg BBQ opens brick-and-mortar barbecue restaurant in Westport