Pasta Fest Business Spotlight: Ready to 'get sauced'? Food truck headed downtown

Since opening in the spring of 2022, Gettin' Sauced BBQ and Catering has become a go-to source for excellent food in the region.

The catering and food truck business has traveled throughout the state, satisfying their customers at every stop and growing their burgeoning reputation.

Whether it's brisket, pulled pork, nachos, mac-and-cheese or street tacos, people just can't seem to get enough of their delicious food.

Things have gone so well, in fact, that Gettin' Sauced won't just be a catering and food truck business for much longer.

With all the success and rave reviews they've enjoyed, co-owners Kevin Wolsky and Dustin Mittleider are embarking on the next big chapter for their business: the opening of a permanent location.

Located next to the Pingree Cafe just south of Pingree, N.D. – in the same building that "The 281 Stop" once called home – Gettin' Sauced will transform into a full-time bar and restaurant featuring a gaming room and new menu.

"It's basically going to be burgers, steaks, a few specialty sandwiches and of course we will include some of our BBQ and food truck stuff," said Mittleider. "... And I think we have to have our mac-and-cheese there or I'm pretty sure we're going to get disowned.

"It'll cover just about everything that anybody wants to eat," he added, also noting that he plans to hold a "barbecue night" every Friday evening featuring fresh ribs, brisket and some of the other fun foods from their food truck.

For Wolsky and Mittleider, the new location will be the culmination of a journey that began about two years ago.

"Dustin loves to cook and he's really good ... and one day I asked him to cook for my daughter's graduation just in our garage, so that's how it kind of started," said Wolsky. "... His food was just incredible, and I thought maybe I should talk to him about starting a catering business."

Wolsky, who operates multiple local businesses, was able to take care of the paperwork and business side of things, while Mittleider was able to focus on cooking – and the rest is delicious history.

At their new location near Pingree, Wolsky said they've completely redone the building's interior, tearing out several walls, putting in two new bathrooms, expanding the kitchen and much more.

"All of the inside will be new," said Wolsky. "... the only thing that will be truly original is the bar and the bar top, we didn't touch any of that."

Wolsky added that they plan to open their new place in time for opening weekend of deer season, which begins on Friday, Nov. 8.

Once open, Gettin' Sauced promises to provide another go-to location for delicious food in rural North Dakota, something that's become far too uncommon in this day and age.

Mittleider says he has fond memories of The 281 Stop, which for years was a great local place to grab a bite to eat and spend some time.

And now, he's looking forward to giving that location new life.

"I'm looking forward to bringing something back to Pingree that definitely had a great following for so long," said Mittleider. "To bring it back and kind of bring back the staple of what it was, I would say that's my main interest."

Wolsky added, "Dustin loves to cook and it comes across in his cooking, and I'm just glad to be a part of his passion."

Regular business hours once the restaurant opens are expected to be 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday, with the potential of also being open for lunch on Friday and Saturday depending on staff. Mittleider noted that the bar will likely be open before the kitchen is open, but that they'll be able to utilize their food truck in the meantime.

The street address for the new restaurant is 1750 Hwy. 281, and Mittleider believes the location is perfect.

"We thought it would be a good location right on the Highway 281 drive from Carrington," he said, "Kinda really centrally located in between a lot of good communities."

Don't want to wait a full month before enjoying some great grub from Gettin' Sauced?

Well, luckily for local residents they'll also be one of several businesses taking part in the 8th Avenue and Main Pasta Fest on Thursday, Oct. 17 in Carrington.

They'll certainly be a must-stop for anyone looking to enjoy some delicious pasta, and Gettin' Sauced could be an early favorite to take first place, having recently placed second overall in a statewide mac-and-cheese contest held in Mandan, N.D.

Meanwhile, even as they open a new restaurant, Mittleider and Wolsky will continue to operate their food truck and catering services, and anyone interested is encouraged to contact them via Facebook or email at [email protected].

Those interested can also follow along with Gettin' Sauced and the progress on their new location via their Facebook page, called "Gettin Sauced BBQ and Catering."

"To all the people that eat our food, I would just say keep eatin'," said Wolsky. "Hopefully we can keep making good stuff for them."