MIDDLETOWN— On Friday June 30 Middletown officially welcomed its newest restaurant, Barbecue By Biasotti, located at 21208 Calistoga Road. Owner and operator Tim Biasotti has shared his culinary talents with the community for the past year and a half through his catering company, making the decision to open a brick and mortar restaurant after careful deliberation and four different business plans.
Biasotti and his crew sold out their first two nights operating, with Biasotti noting, “Our opening day went really well. It was a lot of fun. We got a lot of positive feedback on the food, live music, atmosphere and more.” Before the grand opening, Barbecue by Biasotti participated in the Middletown Days serving food for the event, and also held a soft opening event a week prior to their grand opening as a way of reaching out and thanking the community for their overwhelming support. Biasotti said, “It has been a lot of hard work behind the scenes so it was nice to hear so much positive feedback.” Local patron Jason Spurgeon said, “The Food’s excellent, and there’s a great staff. If you don’t live in Middletown it’s worth the drive.”
The menu is inspired by Texas style barbecue, where once on a trip there Biasotti fell in love with the barbecue culture and was enticed by the bold flavors and family feeling. According to Biasotti, “Everything we do is from scratch down to our barbecue sauces, dressings in salads and slaw and much more. We cut no corners.” This often means staying up late to smoke meats from five to 12 hours at a time. Included are classics like pulled pork and smoked chicken sandwiches, pit beans, mac and cheese, and of course a “Memphis slaw” made with pickled onions. Weekly specials are also available and all menu items are limited as supplies last.
The restaurant itself has been completely remodeled, with a clean black and white farmhouse look inside and a large gathering space outdoors, with ample space for seating, live music, and games like giant Jenga. Jarrod Maynard, local plumber, said, “It’s really good food. I did the plumbing here, I know what it looked like and it’s a difference of day and night.” Currently Barbecue by Biasotti is open Fridays 4 to 9 p.m. and Sundays 12 to 7 p.m. Starting next week the restaurant will also be open on Tuesdays from 4 to 9 p.m. for “Tossy Tuesdays” which will feature tri-tip specials and corn hole tournaments by South Lake Baggers.
Barbecue by Biasotti has a small staff comprised of family, friends, past coworkers and even a former student as Biasotti notes, “It feels very good to work with those close to me. It truly is a family run business, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” While growing the business, Biasotti and his wife Tasha also grew their family welcoming their children Traeson and Tiana now having two kids under 2 years of age.
Previous to starting his business, Biasotti did a lot of fundraising in the community when he was a special education teacher. He also did a lot of cooking for friends and family. When businesses started reaching out for his services he needed to be a legitimate business. He said he figured he would do a job or two throughout the year but as soon as the word got out that he was an official catering business, bookings were made monthly, then very quickly weekly to sometimes daily. This year Barbecue by Biasotti was awarded the silver medal for both Best Barbecue and Best Catering in the Best of Lake and Mendocino 2023 competition, Biasotti shared “With continuing to grow so fast and strong with momentum on our side, expanding felt right.”
For more information on Barbecue by Biasotti including their hours and menu, please visit their Facebook page Barbecue by Biasotti LLC, Instagram @Timbiasotti or their website at barbecuebybiasotti.com.
