A new name and a few new faces will greet you at the former Lynnville Smokin’ J’s location on First Street behind 1st State Bank in Lynnville. Earlier this year, Frank & Kathy Vander Broek finalized the deal with Ben and Jeana Van Haaften to bring their established food trailer and catering business, Frankie’s BBQ, to Lynnville. Finally after months of waiting, Frankie’s BBQ LLC of Lynnville’s licenses were approved by the State of Iowa.
Frankie’s BBQ will have similar hours to Lynnville Smokin’ J’s to start. They had a soft opening last weekend and plan to have restaurant hours of Thursday from 4-8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 4-9 p.m. The bar will have extended hours, serving until the last person leaves. Some of Frankie’s most popular items include their brisket and smoked turkey. “My turkey doesn’t taste like anyone else’s,” smiled Frank. Baked beans, jalapeno corn, cheesy potatoes, and coleslaw are also among customer’s favorite sides. Something new to the area will be Jersey Freeze Ice Cream, served for those needing a sweet treat after some delicious BBQ.
Along with the restaurant location with dine in, carry out, and a full-service bar, Frankie’s BBQ will continue to travel with their food trailer to different events and also offer catering services around central Iowa.
The Vander Broek’s are from the Reasnor area and farm, raising pure bred Angus cattle and row crop. But a hobby of smoking meats turned into a business about three years ago. “I never thought I’d own a restaurant or food business,” said Frank. “If someone would have suggested it, I would have told them they were crazy!”
But the popularity of Frankie’s BBQ food trailer through just a few short years has grown to be too much to do out of their trailer. The ability to have a licensed food kitchen and more space was just what the Vander Broeks needed. “I’m pretty excited to have a place people can come and sit down and try our BBQ. My favorite part of serving BBQ is people’s reactions when they try our food and the comments we receive,” said Frank.
In 2024, Frankie’s BBQ was awarded the “Best BBQ in Jasper County” award. Another memorable moment included when Channel 13’s RV TV visited Monroe, and Keith Murphy tasted Frankie’s BBQ for the first time. “He went back on his radio show and talked about how much he loved our smoked turkey, and our line for the food truck grew around the block and we sold out,” Frank said with a smile.
Frankie’s BBQ will have an important part in Lynnville’s upcoming 150th anniversary celebration. They will be open and hosting a bags tournament in their parking lot during the day on Saturday, June 21. They also will have their food trailer at the golf course during Saturday night’s concert event.
Frank hopes to have several of Lynnville Smokin’ J’s employees back to serve the community. They are still hiring for the restaurant and bar as well as for their food truck. Long time friends of Frank and Kathy, Stacy and Amy Schone will be managing the Lynnville location for the Vander Broeks, bringing their restaurant and bar experience they gained from their time from previous endeavors.
For more information, visit Frankie’s BBQ LLC of Lynnville’s Facebook page or contact them at [email protected].
