FARMINGTON — The ribs were smokin’ Thursday noon, tickling the senses of those around the Mt. Blue Shopping Plaza.

“That’s the idea — to let people on this side of town see and smell the barbecue,” said Bernard “Bubba” Bates, owner of GrantLee’s Tavern & Grill.

GrantLee’s started as a Civil War-themed restaurant on the Fairbanks Road, and continues to serve smoked ribs, brisket and chicken from that site.

Bates does most of his prep work there, but this summer, he’s taking it on the road.

He has opened a food-truck business in a corner of the Mt. Blue Shopping Plaza on Routes 2 and 4, next to Bouffard’s Furniture.

There’s little barbecue here locally, and he hopes to build a following, drawing more people to the restaurant, he said.

Last summer, he converted a snowmobile trailer for food preparation, finishing in time to serve at the Farmington Fair.

This summer, he’s taking off and doing other things, he said. He plans to bring his barbecue to mud runs in Livermore, the Wilton Blueberry Festival, the Farmington Fair and other local summer events.

A large Lang smoker from Georgia sits near the food truck. Wafts of the sweet, smoked meat filled the air as Bates sprayed the ribs and chicken Thursday with apple juice. 

The ribs take six to eight hours, briskets and butts about 12 hours; Chicken is only four to eight hours, he said. He smokes the meat using local sugar maple wood, he said.

“Down South, they use hickory, but it’s not available here,” he said. “The local wood gives a sweet taste.”

Most of the meat is used for pulled sandwiches. French fries, onion rings and cornbread are also available. There’s no dessert. Most people don’t have room after eating the sandwich, he said.

Bates opens the food truck from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., five days a week, while his daughter, Rebecca Couture, manages the restaurant. Sometimes the hours are extended, depending on whether there is meat being smoked. It takes some planning, he said.

Bates, from Farmington, purchased the restaurant property and took over the restaurant after his brother and sister-in-law, Richard and Vicky Bates, created the Civil War atmosphere.

A graduate of Mt. Blue, Bates said he followed his brother, a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, to work on power lines for years. He basically cooked only for himself until he took on the restaurant.

“They got it going for me,” he said.

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