NILES — Last year in February, when Lisa and Kyle Davey opened their food truck, Smokin’ D BBQ,  it took only 90 minutes for them to sell out of food.

From that day, customers began to track the food truck, following it across Berrien County to breweries, wineries and community events. Some even vouched to drive upwards of 40 miles to the food truck, so long as they could get a plate of barbecue.

This enthusiasm sparked the desire for Lisa and Kyle to turn their mobile business into a brick and mortar storefront that could serve customers from one consistent location.

In November, Lisa and Kyle moved the business to 1668 E. Main St. — the former site of the Gathering Place. The food truck still operates for special events, but the Daveys said they are glad to have found a place in Niles to call home.

‘“It’s exciting,” Kyle said. “It is like a new adventure.”

Those who are not familiar with the menu can expect a variety of southern style barbecue dishes. Classics like brisket, pulled pork, chicken and ribs and tips are available and each served with a side of tangy, savory barbecue sauce.

With more room to serve customers, the Daveys found they also had more room to grow their menu. They added more sandwiches to the menu, such as the a D’philly, made from shaved brisket, melted cheddar cheese, peppers and onions in between two hoagie buns.

There are also signature items like the D’Tater — a smoked potato loaded with pulled pork, shredded cheese, sour cream and butter.

A customer favorite is the brisket tacos, stuffed with coleslaw and homemade chipotle sauce. Customers have also taken a liking to the restaurant’s white barbecue sauce, which is whipped up from mayonnaise, horseradish and a vinegar base. The Daveys said the sauce is a popular barbecue condiment in the South. They added it to the menu when they opened at the brick and mortar location in the hopes that people would be adventurous enough to try it.

“It’s different. Most people are thrown off when I say ‘mayonnaise,’” Lisa said. “Most people like it. Give it a try.”

To complement it all, Smokin’ D also offers a number of sides, like thick slabs of cornbread, smoked macaroni and cheese and baked beans, to name a few.

With a goal to merge savory with sweet, Kyle said side dishes are inspired from northern barbecue recipes and tend to be on the sweeter side, while the meats are created from savory southern style recipes. 

With more than 25 years in the restaurant business, Kyle said he’s learned that the key components to creating flavorful barbecue is patience and freshness. All meat is cooked on wood and everything on the menu, except for the fries, are made from scratch.  Meat is smoked for between two to 14 hours, depending on the variety.

“Nothing is a re-heat, nothing is a leftover,” Kyle said. “It’s fresh. It’s going to be within the four-hour mark of when it was made.”

Between three to four part-time employees help Kyle and Lisa run the restaurant. Most of those employees are family of the Daveys, including their daughter. As a family-owned and operated restaurant, keeping the menu affordable was a priority, Kyle said.

“We have priced our menu so that a family of four can come in and still eat for $20, for the most part, and leave full and maybe with some to go,” Kyle said.

With local families in mind, the Daveys have donated their food to several charitable causes, including last week’s Cookout for Searra, which raised money for a local teen who was injured in a motorcycle accident.

“When we see a family in need that we can help, we absolutely will,” Kyle said.

Lisa echoed this sentiment.

“We’ve had such great loyal customers that now we are at the point where we are able to give back and that’s what we want to do, because we have had great people support us,” Lisa said.

With a blend of savory and sweet menu items to choose from, the restaurant has continued to draw customers from Stevensville, Bridgman and across the state line.

“People are excited that they can come in here and sit down and have a good meal and not follow us around in our little yellow trailer,” Lisa said. “We have a lot of loyal customers and a lot of new customers.”

Smokin’ D BBQ is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday. For more information, visit smokindbbq.net.