“Follow the smell!” advises Larry Mondello, the owner of Mattituck’s Meat’s Meat.
When you drive past The Branch Brewing Company (9095 Sound Ave., Mattituck, 631-315-2739), you’ll understand what he means. But you also won’t be able to miss the large apparatus now sitting on the brew pup’s property — as well as smell what’s cooking inside it.
The brewery and tap room, owned by brothers Larry and Peter Frasca, which opened its doors in late 2023, is home to more than 40 beers on tap at a time and a relaxed, roomy space perfect for hangouts and parties. And now, thanks to that large outdoor contraption visible from the road, The Branch has something new on tap — really good barbecue.
The Branch has partnered with Mondello’s Meats Meat BBQ to revamp its food menu and offer a full selection of Southern-style, smoky goods. With its food truck and former store on Main Road, Meat’s Meats is known for hefty pastrami, brisket, pulled pork and pulled chicken sandwiches and specialty rubs and sauces. Mondello recently set up shop at The Branch, fulfilling a need for a unique food menu and allowing him to expand his already-booming BBQ business.
The partnership came about following a highly successful post-Memorial Day pig roast Mondello hosted at The Branch.
Photos by Doug Young
“We were looking to find somebody to take over the kitchen and the food aspect here,” says Larry Frasca. “Honestly, we couldn’t think of anyone better.”
Mondello, whose previous location lent itself well to takeout but had both limited seating and parking, jumped at the chance to work out of a bigger space, which has also afforded him the opportunity to expand his menu.
“We have all our staples the same,” says Mondello. “We added pork belly burnt ends, as well as a brisket burger three ways.”
The burgers are a particular highlight, ground and smoked in-house. There’s a traditional burger, a cowboy burger topped with onion rings and barbecue sauce, and an all-in, one-pound brisket and pulled pork burger.
Mondello has also enlisted his longtime friend, Chris Hujber, to help with the expanded scope.
“Right now, I’m just learning,” says Hujber. “I’m doing marketing, Larry’s teaching me the process of the kitchen and I’m being a resource wherever I can be.”
While the enterprising Mondello has built his own smokers, he decided to purchase a special smoker in conjunction with the move. The custom-built, 1,000-gallon smoker comes from Texas-based Heirloom Pits.
“It was a great price, the right timing…it was [brand-new]. It hadn’t even been cooked on,” Mondello says.
The smell of Southern-style barbecue — which uses a variety of woods to give the meat its flavor and aroma — has been a big hit with guests at The Branch. And that smoker has become an attraction in and of itself.
“It’s amazing how many people see it on the road,” says Hujber. “We have runners come in right off the street who smell it and want to try it.”
“So far it’s been a great response,” says Larry Frasca.
