By Vanessa Lenz
SLN Staff
For local barbecue hounds, it’s the hint of smoked meat wafting as they pass the corner of Main Street and County Road ES.
A new signature red trailer is a beacon for casual fans and foodies of the famous flavors.
Whatever the attraction, area residents are happily taking advantage of the new location of LD’s BBQ at BP in East Troy, 1880 County Road ES.
“I’ve got a pretty loyal following and I’m excited about that,” owner Leon Davis said.
The new eatery, which opened last month, is modeled after the roadside stands and mobile trailers popular in states like South Carolina and New Mexico.
Davis has been cooking since he was a teen.
“My mom didn’t have much variety in her menu. I think she only had about five things that she’d make and if I wanted a variety I had to do it,” he said.
Davis developed a passion for traditional barbecue while working as a traveling nurse in Mississippi, Arizona, South Carolina and other portions of the southern part of the country.
He learned his tried and true techniques as a barbecue fan, expanding his knowledge of the food by sampling authentic recipes and modeling his work after famous pit masters.
“I tried to copy a lot of those foods,” he explained.
Davis, who said many things make barbecue different from one place to the next, calls his signature style “Wisconsin barbecue.”
“Sometimes I want to call it ethnic because there’s a lot of deep-south influence, but then again I was an Army brat so I’ve had a lot of different styles. I’ve even had barbecue in Germany,” Davis said. “People ask me ‘Is it Texas-style is it South Carolina-style?’ It’s really a kind of a mix.”
BBQ love
Davis has been in the service industry his entire life, including 20-plus years as a nurse, but said he is happiest when making barbecue for people.
He began operating his LD’s BBQ smoker on the corner of Highway 164 and West National Avenue in New Berlin three years ago.
When the Mobil gas station he worked out of closed, Davis was forced to find a new place to work his barbecue magic.
Longtime BP owner Rob Chapman, who resumed management of the business at the beginning of the year, took the initiative to bring LD’s BBQ to the gas station.
Chapman said he was in talks with a number of fast food chains but opted for something unique to the area.
The new addition coincides with a number of updates Chapman has made to the look and amenities at his business.
Chapman said he is excited for the prospect of the traffic LD’s BBQ will bring to the area.
Davis said he’s already received rave reviews since setting up shop in East Troy and recognizes about 85 percent of the people who have come through his line.
“It was a great move,” Davis said. “This is so beautiful over here in comparison. I’ve got trees and shade and grass and it’s easily accessible. It’s going to be even nicer than where I was at by far.”
He said his business has grown rapidly via word of mouth with 25,000 tickets sold last year.
“A lot of these people who have been coming to my place have become like friends and family,” Davis said.
“I am looking forward to making many, many new friends in East Troy.”
Davis said he’s also been pleased to see many of his old friends from places like Big Bend, Milwaukee, Mukwonago, Waterford and Pewaukee.
“I have even been making friends from Northern Chicago,” Davis said.
He’s also had visits from a truck driver from the Missouri Bootheel and one fan from Canada.
Davis advises patrons to get in line early since he often sells out of his slew of choices.
“East Troy loves barbecue,” he said.
LD’s customers can have their pick of pulled pork, sliced brisket, pulled chicken or smoked sausages, along with a choice of Davis’s spicy or mild signature sauces.
Patrons can choose from sandwich selections like the McFarland (described as half pulled chicken, half pulled pork, all love) and the East Troy-born Wiley, featuring sausage covered in brisket and pork.
The menu also includes freshly baked bread, whole chicken, ribs and side items like coleslaw, potato salad and brisket chili.
Davis said customers can look forward to burnt ends and mac and cheese during the summer months.
The restaurant offers dine-in options, carryout and catering.
Davis said what sets his barbecue apart is that it’s smoked using all oak hardwood, as promoted in his tagline “100 years in every bite.”
“It’s long lasting and gives a great flavor,” said Davis.
While the meat is cooked in the onsite trailer, the serving and preparation of food is currently done inside the gas station deli area.
This summer, patrons can eat outside in LD’s 10-by-10-foot backyard canopy tents.
LD’s BBQ is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Chapman and Davis plan to expand with a full restaurant inside the gas station as early as next year. They’ll need to make sure that they are ready with all the necessary supplies, from meat slicers to cold storage options, there is much to think about.
For more information, visit www.ldsbbq.com or call (414) 610-7675.
He’s cooking for a cause
In a symbolic gesture, Davis sold his first meal for $1.26 to benefit a cause near and dear to his heart.
While Davis said the dollar is the traditional first dollar, the 26 cents is representative of the 20 children and six educators killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 14, 2012.
Davis and his wife Liz are good friends with a couple who lost their daughter Avielle Richman in the fatal shootings.
Davis said he framed the $1.26 inside his new restaurant to formally support the Avielle Foundation created in her honor.
“Avielle’s parents, Jennifer and Jeremy are infinitely heartbroken, and like so many of you, want to bring about changes to stop a tragedy such as this from happening to any community ever again,” the plaque reads.
The Avielle Foundation works to prevent violence through brain health research and community development.
“It could have been any of us. What do you do when something like that happens? It’s just a tremendous tragedy,” Davis said.
Davis plans to continue support of the foundation.
His band Hard Water is set to play two benefit concerts under LD’s BBQ tent this summer.
For more information, visit www.aviellefoundation.org.
