Gettin' Sauced on 281 opens

It began with a passion, blossomed into a partnership, and now it has a new home in a familiar location at the halfway point between Carrington and Jamestown.

Gettin' Sauced BBQ and Catering, known for their delectable food truck offerings at events throughout North Dakota, now has prime real estate at what was the 281 Stop in Pingree.

After two years of existence operating in the catering world, co-owners Dustin Mittleider of Pingree and Kevin Wolsky of Carrington bought the building and its contents from previous owners Joe and Deana Uehran in August.

The result is "Gettin' Sauced on 281," the permanent location version of the eclectic barbecue menu that local customers have come to know and love.

Gettin' Sauced's bar and restaurant opened for business in late November, and Mittleider says that early customer enthusiasm has been strong for the return of Pingree's local hangout spot.

"Community-wise, people are super excited to have it back," he said. "Some of the comments I've seen are that it's a breath of fresh air, that it has a nice, uplifting vibe."

Mittleider's expanded interest in cooking, he says, came relatively late in the last few years, and the emergence of Gettin' Sauced's catering reputation has allowed the business to build a loyal base since its inception in 2022.

"I cooked my first rack of ribs seven years ago," said Mittleider. "Some of what you do is more of an art than anything, and good food just makes people happy. You're not grumpy with a full belly."

Mittleider loves the competition part of cooking for that reason, saying that presentation is one of the selling points of his work.

The truck has made stops at The Market and 8th Avenue and Main Pasta Fest in Carrington in recent months, and their renowned mac-and-cheese recipe was a statewide sensation at a competition in Mandan, placing as runner-up.

But the whole trajectory of what would become Gettin' Sauced might not have become supercharged without Mittleider's acquaintance with Wolsky.

The two have known each other since 2013 when Mittleider was manager of the Kensal-Bordulac Farmers Elevator station in Bordulac.

The ideas of the business got into motion when Wolsky asked Mittleider to cater his daughter Emma's graduation two-and-a-half years ago. Taking over his garage for the occasion, Mittleider worked his magic.

And Wolsky was hooked.

"I knew he liked to cook," Wolsky said. "Everyone thinks they have the best brisket or ribs, but can you make 70 racks of great ribs? I think Dustin's talent is that from the first serving to the 200th serving, it's the same, and still great."

While Mittleider largely focuses on the restaurant side of things, Wolsky is responsible for the organizational and business aspects of Gettin' Sauced, all while balancing time and boundless energy with his family.

"What makes our relationship work is that we don't get worked up, or don't need to, over the small things," said Wolsky.

Once they purchased the 281 Stop, the owners went to work on a major renovation and overhaul of the restaurant space.

New paneling greets visitors to the restaurant and bar, and the space also features a pool table and gaming room along with three large flat-panel screens for the big game of the day, or any other TV viewing preference.

But the one thing Mittleider largely didn't change is the bar, as it retains much of the same setup as when the Uehrans ran the 281 Stop.

A reminder of the building's past life, the 281 Stop exterior signage, hangs on the northeast corner wall.

"We took all of the carpeting down off the walls, except for one piece," said Mittleider. "That got put into a shadow box, so it's kind of a conversation piece."

Like Wolsky, Mittleider is a busy man too, working his "day job" as a salesperson at Premier Ag Solutions two miles north of Pingree and spending the latter days of the week at the restaurant.

His family is also involved with the day-to-day operations, as his wife, Katie, serves as a bartender and waiter when not at her job as a human resources generalist/recruiter at Jamestown Regional Medical Center (JRMC). They have five children, Sophie (21), Taryn (19), Nevaeh (14), JayClyn (9) and Archer (7).

Gettin' Sauced BBQ's standard barbecue fare will be front and center on the new menu, including the aforementioned mac-and-cheese, pulled pork, ribs and brisket, and other offerings such as steaks, sandwiches and burgers.

In the near future, one of Mittleider's goals is to expand the kitchen space. The current kitchen, located on the south side of the building, does not allow for some food items to be prepared on site as of yet.

"Next spring, we plan to start construction on the east side of the building, about a 20' x 36' area, to cover our larger catering events," he said.

Both Mittleider and Wolsky are bullish on the business's chance to become a destination stop for hungry travelers, as its proximity to Highways 52-281 was too tempting to pass up.

"I believe that all we can really hope for is consistency [with a clientele]," said Wolsky. "The food truck will still be out at bigger events, and that's always nice to do."

"I hope it does well, and it can be a great place for people to go eat, and bring the family."

Wolsky also mentioned that the business plans to install fuel pumps at the location next year, which could also be an economic boon to Pingree as well.

To follow Gettin' Sauced BBQ and Catering, and to inquire on their hours and open dates, visit them on Facebook. For more information, e-mail them at [email protected] or call (701) 952-0408.