Neighbors BBQ

Neighbors BBQ

Neighbor’s BBQ moves to new neighborhood
Popular ‘Minnesota-style’ barbecue joint also to be on national television

By Angie Riebe

Angie and Eric Drake, owners of Neighbor’s BBQ Co., are pictured at Giants Ridge in Biwabik, with their sons, Dillon and Ryan. The barbecue joint, soon to be featured nationally, is moving to a new location at The Lodge at Giants Ridge.

BIWABIK—Neighbor’s BBQ Co., and its innovative “Minnesota barbecue,” has sizzled its way into the national spotlight, with a spot on Food Network’s “America’s Best Restaurants” planned for filming in late-June.

By then—the popular smokehouse barbecue joint and sports bar that has been serving up on-site slow-cooked meats, including brisket, ribs, and chicken just south of Tower—will be barbecuing in a new neighborhood.

Neighbor’s, which opened in April 2021 at the former site of the Black Bear Café along Highway 169, is moving into The Lodge at Giants Ridge in Biwabik. Its last day open in Tower will be April 8.

Co-owner Angie Drake said Neighbor’s could be open at the new location as soon as early-June.

The business has been growing, and she and husband, Eric Drake, are continually looking to add items to the menu. They are also working to keep up with the expanding catering requests. They have thus outgrown the current space. Storing all the meats for smoking takes up a lot of room, and catering requires a larger kitchen.

So when the management team at The Lodge at Giants Ridge approached the couple about taking over its long-standing restaurant overlooking the ski hills at the ski and golf resort, the Drakes determined it was the ideal opportunity.

“We knew that it would be too much for us to try to run two locations,” said Angie Drake, who is also the longtime owner of the Laurentian Divide salons in Virginia and Biwabik. Eric also works at U.S. Steel’s Minntac facility in Mountain Iron and was a track and field coach at Mountain Iron-Buhl high school.

The new site will allow the eatery to develop a more expansive menu—breakfast through dinner—and cater larger events. “It will allow us to grow to our potential,” Drake said.

She noted that the current spot has been a wonderful place “to bring the Neighbor’s BBQ concept to life,” and it will be a great site for someone else to do something similar.

The building is currently up for sale and would be a perfect mom-and-pop-style restaurant and pub, such as a burger joint with pull tabs, Drake said. It is located on 5 acres and includes a three-bedroom house with a two-stall garage and has been updated to code in all areas including electrical, she said. The restaurant kitchen has been revamped and is “turnkey.”

In its new neighborhood, Neighbor’s BBQ will continue to supply hungry patrons with smoked meat platters such as its full or half racks of ribs; one pound or half pound brisket; and the same qualities of pulled pork; and smoked chicken, whole or half, and plenty of fixings such as cornbread, cornflake-topped creamed corn, coleslaw, homestyle mac ’n’ cheese, three bean salad, and fries.

Plans are to also offer specialty coffees, ice cream, a variety of salads, along with a more diverse menu “other than just barbecue,” Drake said.

The owner’s two sons are also involved in the business. Dillon, like his dad, specializes in smoking meats and barbecue. Brother, Ryan, is Neighbor’s mixologist and dessert specialist.

They will be working to up their game at the new site, as well, with new cocktails, “an intensive wine list,” and a bigger selection of desserts, Drake said.

The Lodge location has outdoor deck dining options, with beautiful views, as well.

But, overall, new neighborhood and all, the eatery aims to maintain its original aim—to put Minnesota on the map for barbecue.

Eric Drake’s vision was to do more than simply satisfy customers’ taste for pulled pork and rib tips. He strived to be “the birthplace of Minnesota-style barbecue.”

And it seems to be working—catching the attention of the popular Food Network show.

Eric Drake explained in a previous Mesabi Tribune story that his Minnesota barbecue uses traditional hickory smoking wood, mixed with Minnesota native oak and sugar maple.

A blurb on the Neighbor’s menu explains what that means for the flavor profile. “When you take that first bite you will notice a slight sweetness that the maple gives our barbecue,” it reads. “As you eat, you will then get that little tickle on your lips and tongue from just the right amount of pepper blend in our barbecue rub.” Briskets and pork butts are thrown in the 500-pound-capacity smoker each evening, smoking for up to 12 hours. In the morning, the kitchen crew takes them out and puts in the ribs and then the chicken.

The flavor profile, combined with Neighbor’s specialty homemade barbecue sauce, is something quite magical, Drake said.

His sauce recipe is truly a secret, bequeathed to him by an old friend and bird hunter from the south who would come up each fall to hunt with his family. Drake tried for years to obtain the recipe from his friend, but the man refused.

Then one year, the older fellow—who could never remember anyone’s name and simply called every “Neighbor,” told Drake, in his deep southern accent: “Neighbor, go grab yer boots. We’re gonna run to town right quick. I’m gonna show ya how to make that barbecue sauce today.”

As a tribute to the man, who everyone also called “Neighbor,” the Drakes named their restaurant “Neighbor’s.” The name also has a nice, warm, welcoming feel to it, Drake said.
Not to mention, his barbecue has been bringing neighbors together for years before the restaurant opened.

Smoking meats began as a hobby for Eric Drake more than 15 years ago. As soon as the smoky-good aroma hit the air, “it was like a radar would go off,” he said. Pretty soon, a block full of people would be at the Drakes’ house.

That got Drake to thinking—maybe the larger Iron Range neighborhood would also appreciate his perfected techniques.
And it seems he was correct.

Angie Drake said the national cable network plans to film at the new location and “do a 20-minute clip on us.”

In the meantime, the couple, of Kinney, have some work to do, including building an on-site shelter for the smoker.

Golfers, skiers, snowboarders and others can expect to be drawn in with the appetizing smells of meat cooking up—Minnesota barbecue style.

And the Drakes look forward to moving into their new neighborhood.