Gump's BBQ Opens Restaurant in Butler

Article by Jeff Jones | KPC News | January 25, 2021

BUTLER — In a span of just a few short years, Butler resident Seth Gump has made several significant transitions in his cooking career.

His latest move is opening a storefront in downtown Butler at 136 S. Broadway. Because Gump maintains a full-time job, Smokin’ BBQ is open only on weekends, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Since opening earlier this month, there have been many weekends when he has sold out of food.

“I always liked grilling, and I moved onto smoking about a year ago. I started cooking for friends and family and co-workers,” he said.

“Last year, I moved up to doing a little food trailer and going to different places around the area, and now I’m here.”

While Gump, 34, said he is self-taught, he also picked up tips and ideas online and from socialmedia. “Just learning along the way,” he said.

“I have hot sauce, but it’s more of a sweet, mild” taste, Gump said in describing his food.

His personal favorite is ribs. Other popular menu selections include pulled pork, pulled chicken, armadillo eggs and a screaming chicken sandwich and squealing hog nachos.

“It’s a thing I found from Texas,” Gump explained of the armadillo eggs. “It’s a jalapeno stuffed withcheese, wrapped in sausage, wrapped in bacon, smoked and covered in barbecue sauce. That’s one ofour higher-selling items.”

The screaming chicken sandwich is topped with homemade cole slaw and homemade spicy ranch sauce. The squealing hog nachos feature pulled pork or chicken, cole slaw, nacho cheese and jalapenos.

Ribs are cooked for four hours, while pulled pork simmers for 16-20 hours.

“With the ribs, you want to go nice and slow so they’re nice and juicy,” he explained. “With pulledpork, you want to go real low and slow so it’s really moist and they don’t dry out.”

“A lot of people have come from all over to try it,” Gump said of the response. His reputation hasbeen built from bringing the food truck to locations around the area, including Eastside footballgames, youth and church activities, and social media.

The food truck is shut down at the present time to focus on the restaurant, but there will be somespecial events in the summer, Gump said.

“To me, it’s relaxing just being out there cooking and getting away from everything, being in yourown little zone,” Gump. “Seeing that everybody enjoys it is always satisfying.”

Article source: https://www.kpcnews.com/butlerbulletin/article_23cea963-d193-5953-916e-9b10ca74976a.html