Roving restaurant moves into Bigfork

After carting their smoked meats around the valley for years, Porteus BBQ has settled down in Bigfork. The well-known barbecue purveyor held a grand opening in the former Montana Club building on Montana 35 in October.

“It’s not something we anticipated doing,” Sherry Toavs admitted. “We were pretty content doing catering and concessions.”

She and her husband Randy bought the popular Porteus food truck from founders Jim and Dutch Porteus 11 years ago and continued the Porteus tradition of frequenting fairs, weddings and other special events. “We didn’t want to be married to a restaurant and we know that that’s what it takes,” she said.

But that all changed in June when Bob Warren, one of the new owners of the newly anointed Buffalo Saloon building, called Toavs with the proposition of moving into his new building.

“I remember the day,” she said. “I remember what I was doing. It was just that exciting, memorable moment.

“It just kind of steamrolled from there.”

Just over four months later, they opened the doors of their new sit-down restaurant. “We decided to jump in and we jumped in with both feet,” she said.

The Toavses — who have seven children and 14 grandchildren — had to branch out from their traditional staff made up exclusively of family members. But, Toavs said, “in this economy where everybody said ‘good luck finding workers,’ we’ve found a wonderful crew. Just being able to put people to work, I’m pleased with that.”

The restaurant also required a few renovations and a bit of a lifestyle change for the couple, who had planned on spending the winter in Lake Havasu. Their new space features cozy round booths and two spacious rooms for special events, and they still smoke all of their meats in the smoker in their food truck until they add a smoker to the kitchen.

“Now we have to be in the restaurant every single day,” she said. “We’re smoking everything fresh every day.”

Though neither she nor Randy are trained pit masters — Sherry developed her expertise, “cooking for an army of seven kids.”

“In the beginning we ruined a lot of meat,” she remembered. “I think we have it down now to where it’s pretty good.”

The restaurant menu includes all of Porteus’ signature creations, as well as a few new additions, like a Cuban twist on their classic O.M.G burger, bison burgers and steaks. “Bison is the big thing we didn’t have before,” she said.

She emphasized the restaurant features a lot of house-made items, including cornbread, desserts, vegetable casseroles, soups and the au jus for the prime rib. “I think that sets us apart,” she said.

Even with their new Bigfork home, she promised the catering and concessions business won’t be neglected. She expects the additional staff to meet the heavier demands during the busy summer season.

“Our family is one that if we set our minds to do something, it gets done,” she said. As proof of her dedication, Toavs said when her daughter-in-law’s water broke the night before the restaurant’s soft opening, she managed to hop on a train to visit her new granddaughter in Minnesota and make it back in time for the grand opening a few days later.

As they get more settled into their new establishment, they hope to host special events for certain holidays, such as an adult prom on Valentine’s Day. “We want to be the casual barbecue place but also the place where people can feel like they can dress up and have a nice, elegant date.”

“It’s a nice balance,” she added.

So far, customers from Bigfork, Many Lakes, and throughout the Swan Valley have been enthusiastic about the new restaurant. “It’s closer than Kalispell, and people like having another place to go. There’s been a great reception from the people of Bigfork.”

She added this community influenced their decision to finally put down roots. “The location definitely played a key part in our decision, being that there isn’t a barbecue in Bigfork.”

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at bserbin@dailyinterlake.com or (406) 758-4459.