Grab a seat, have some meat at Verona's newest BBQ spot

There’s a new meaty eatery in Verona.

Off The Rails Barbeque and Drafthouse opened March 14, serving up hearty, slow-roasted barbecue from Ken Shields, the man behind the well-established food truck Oakmont Barbeque Co.

“This is a hobby-turned-business, and I always wanted to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant,” says Shields, 52, of Oakmont. “The food truck helped pave the way for this.”

Located at 549 Allegheny River Blvd., Off The Rails is housed in a former gas station and used car lot.

Shields says he will offer the same great barbecue from the food truck menu, offered in a quick-service atmosphere, with indoor seating for about 30.

Shields uses industrial-sized smokers — cooking hundreds of pounds of meat for 14-plus hours. It’s what makes his meats authentic, like his ever-popular St. Louis spare dry-rubbed ribs, brisket nachos and brisket mac ’n cheese, pulled pork and more.

“The Brisket Mac is our top seller,” he says.

A Pittsburgh native and self-taught barbecue pitmaster, Shields keeps his recipes top-secret, opening up his first business, Oakmont Barbeque Co. food truck, in 2016.

“I started off loving to cook and that turned into a passion for barbecue.

“After several years at home, we invited friends and family over for barbecues and perfected the craft and finally moved up to a larger capacity smoker and the food truck was a big part of that,” Shields says.

The Off The Rails name is a nod to Verona’s rich railroad history and hints at Shield’s food truck jumping “off the rails” to a permanent location.

The Oakmont Barbeque mobile food truck, currently parked on-site, will remain in operation.

Shields says two soft openings — one for friends and family and another for the public — helped to work out transition kinks from the food truck world to a more traditional restaurant scene.

“We really learned from those. What needs to be fixed, what needs to change, and people have fully embraced us moving into Verona,” Shields says.

Operating hours will initially be limited to Saturdays and Sundays, with an extended menu and additional days added in the future.

“With the Lent season here, I decided to limit days open to the weekends. Barbecue and Lent don’t mix,” Shields says.

Offering 12 craft beers, plans include adding wine and limited liquor choices, outdoor seating and an expanded menu.

“There’s a lot of buzz in the community of Verona and new places opening and that’s awesome,” Shields says.

Donna Bosco, owner of Bosco Hair Design in Verona, says Off The Rails’ opening is a welcome sight.

“We have been longing for some eateries in town for quite some time. Grabbing a cocktail or beer and eating in town has definitely enhanced our livability here. I’m definitely seeing an influx of young people moving into town,” Bosco says.

Off The Rails partnered with three independent Verona-area breweries: Stonewall Ciderhouse and Meadery, Inner Groove Brewing and the opening-soon Acclamation Brewing to provide the perfect brews to accompany the barbecue.