EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fifth story in the 2022 Battle of the Eats series, which features the best small-town restaurants as voted upon by Mitchell Republic readers. The series will appear Saturdays through Aug. 27 this summer.

HUMBOLDT, S.D. — It's not hard to imagine a world where Big J's Roadhouse BBQ & Grill doesn't exist.

No, don't blame the meat, of which Big J's has plenty. There's slow-smoked brisket, and ribs and eye-poppingly good smoked chicken wings at this low-key joint located where the gravel road meets pavement off Interstate 90 exit 379.

But without a lot of effort and timing, there might be no Big J's. Just consider this story, relayed by co-owner Justin Kjellsen: Years ago now, he and his wife and co-owner Tina were just getting started on their own in the business, scraping together a trailer and equipment to make and sell barbecue at events.

"We borrowed trucks to drive to where we're going, we took the refrigerator out of our house, just so that way we had refrigeration ... we just used small grills. We did whatever it took," he said. "God's put lots of great people in my life along the way to get us where we're going. I firmly believe that he can do anything as long as you put the work behind it."

That is the secret behind the success of Big J's Roadhouse, Kjellsen said: a lot of hustle, scrapping and a heart to serve others. And the smoked meats, of course. Think brisket, pork and chicken smoked for hours.

It's a recipe that has fueled the Kjellsens' success. They opened Big J's Road House in Humboldt in October 2014, as the Kjellsens transitioned their business into primarily a brick-and-mortar operation.

They've added a second location in fast-growing Harrisburg, south of Sioux Falls, in mid-2018, and they purchased the South Bar in Hartford. They now employ about 30-40 people.

The Kjellsens started off with borrowed equipment, making food for events across the Midwest, including the Sturgis motorcycle rally and a lot of powwows (Kjellsen is an enrolled member of the Oneida Nation in Wisconsin).

Their meat smoking started with a small, vertical bullet-shaped smoker. As the business has grown, and they've opened their restaurants, their equipment has scaled up as well. Big J's now has massive smokers at both their Humboldt and Harrisburg locations — equipment that will smoke hundreds and hundreds of pounds of meat at a time.

Big J's menu includes a wide variety of appetizer staples, including nachos, chicken tenders, loaded tots and buffalo shrimp. Standouts include the poutine (add brisket, pork or smoked chicken) and the wings.

Oh, the wings. Sauces include The Greek, BBQ, Bourbon, Buffalo, Carolina, Carolina Heat, Parmesan Garlic, Sriracha, Thai, Teriyaki, Mango Habanero and Spicy Garlic. Kjellsen recommends (and this reporter confirms) getting the smoked wings, just as they are. No sauce required for a ton of flavor.

Even Kjellsen's description of the food comes with a bit of extra spice.

"We use prime-grade brisket — we smoke that up to 20 hours. When you come and get a cheeseburger from us, man, it's 80/20 ground chuck hand-pattied, half-pound, ain't no frozen b******t. ... people are trying to sell that paper-thin b******t bacon. We're putting that Black Label, thick-cut Hormel bacon on our stuff, you know, real cheese," he said. "At the end of the day, I believe that people want to come out for quality, and dining for everybody is an experience."

A customer favorite from the sandwich board is the Diablo sandwich: slow-smoked barbecue topped with pepperjack cheese and thick jalapeno bacon. That's $17.99 for the brisket version, and a few dollars less for either smoked pork or chicken. Burgers and baskets include the Big J burger ($13.99), with cheddar and Swiss cheese, lettuce, pickles, onion and 1,000 island dressing.

Entrees include a surf and turf for $23.99, ribs at various sizes (half-rack for $16.99) and platters of pork or brisket, or get combo two-meat plates for $21-$22, with your choice of smoked meats: ribs, pork, brisket, smoked chicken or smoked wings, and you can add on grilled shrimp for an additional charge.

Dinner options include grandma's Smoked Meatloaf ($13.99) with ground chuck seasoned and smoked, served with mashed potatoes and gravy. There are salads on the menu, including a BBQ Salad topped with brisket, pork or chicken. There's a kids menu, too, with grilled cheese, chicken strips, mini corn dogs and mac 'n' cheese.

They're not done growing the business, Kjellsen said. He said he hopes to turn Big J's into a national brand.

"We want to keep expanding. But the biggest thing for me is the love of food and serving others," he said. "When I say serve others, I believe that God put us here to do one thing, and that truly is to serve others. To get to know him is to serve others in any type of way that he sees fit. And it's up to us to be the humble servants to do his work."

That includes taking care of customers, employees and even, sometimes, random strangers.

It's all service, he said.

"Literally. It's a weird metaphor, considering we serve people in the restaurant ministry, but life is really about serving others — serving others one plate at a time," he said.