Our Story
A Westbrook kid, three family farms, and a smoker built by hand.
Food that knows where it came from.
George Pelletier grew up three blocks from the Presumpscot River. He spent his summers stacking hay on his uncle’s farm in Gorham and his twenties cooking on the line in some of Portland’s best kitchens. Somewhere in between, he noticed the two worlds didn’t talk to each other nearly enough. The beef raised twenty minutes from his front door was being trucked out of state, while the burgers on almost every menu in town came off a truck from somewhere else.
In 2023 he found an old brick machine shop on Main Street with sixteen-foot ceilings and floors stained by a century of work. He spent that winter welding a 1,000-gallon offset smoker in the lot out back, called the farmers he’d known since he was a kid, and in the spring of 2024 George’s Burgers & BBQ opened its doors.
The idea is simple. Our beef comes from Presumpscot Ridge Farm in Windham, our pork from Old Stage Road Farm in Buxton, and our chicken from Highfield Acres in New Gloucester, all within 30 miles of our kitchen. Brisket goes on the smoker at midnight over Maine oak and maple. Pickles, sauces, cornbread and crackers are made in-house. And we print every ingredient and every calorie on our menu, because we think you should know exactly what you’re eating.
It isn’t fast food, and it isn’t a white-tablecloth dining room. It’s somewhere in between: real plates, a good bourbon list, a fire going all winter, and enough room at the table for everyone you brought.
See you at the table.
– George
From prep lists to Main Street
- 2019George starts sketching a menu on the back of prep lists between shifts in Portland kitchens.
- 2023He buys the old brick machine shop at 418 Main Street and spends the winter hand-building “Big Lou,” a 1,000-gallon offset smoker.
- Spring 2024Doors open. The brisket sells out by 7pm on the first night, and most nights that summer.
- 2025The bar program grows to 16 taps of Maine beer and cider and more than 40 bourbons. The patio opens.
- 2026We add WAYETai, an AI menu assistant, so guests can ask about any ingredient or allergen before they order.
Miles, farm to fire
Every cut of beef, pork and chicken comes from a family farm within 30 miles of Westbrook.
Hours of smoke
Brisket smokes low and slow over Maine oak and maple. Pulled pork gets 14.
Freezers for our meat
We break down whole animals in-house and grind our burger blend fresh every morning.
What Our Guests Are Saying
“Best brisket I’ve had north of Boston. The bark alone is worth the drive to Westbrook.”
Want to be part of it?
We’re always looking for cooks, pitmasters, servers and bartenders.