Farmboys Smokin' BBQ Opens Brick-and-Mortar in Danbury

Andrew Dominick July 24, 2022

Right on South Street on Connecticut Route 53 is one of Danbury’s newest restaurant openings, Farmboys Smokin’ BBQ. But Farmboys is only new in the sense that it’s finally a brick-and-mortar sit-down spot where guests can salivate over platters of smoked meat and carby sides right before you begin to tear into the BBQ that’s in front of you.

The fact is, Farmboys has been a barbecue brand since 2011. Its founder and pitmaster, Matt Lombardo, started his BBQ journey after having less than stellar experiences at a restaurant he was once fond of.

Where’d the name “Farmboys” come from? Lombardo is a South Carolina transplant. Even though he came to Connecticut when he was a child, he spent about 20 years around horses.

Lombardo showing off his Meadow Creek Smoker

“There used to be a place in Brewster that I won’t name because I won’t be that asshole,” Lombardo recalls. “I loved their brisket. One day I watched them pull it out of the fridge, throw it in the microwave, and feed it to me. I didn’t ask the first time if it was fresh, but the second time I went, they told me it was fresh, yet they did the same thing! That led to 15-16 years of BBQ for me. I started in my backyard, then started doing pop-ups to get a real public opinion instead of just serving to friends and family.”

Some of Lombardo’s pop-ups took place at Connecticut breweries such as Two Roads, Black Hog, Firefly Hollow, Thomas Hooker, and more. At the same time as he was serving BBQ at the state’s breweries, he ran Farmboys Smokin’ as a successful catering business (that’s still a thing, by the way!) since 2012 serving all the ‘cue, including that of the whole hog variety.

Chunks of smoked pork belly glazed with a sweet, spicy honey sriracha sauce

While not currently listed on the menu, Lombardo’s wings have been a hit. They’re smoked, then fried.

All of the catering and guest appearances led to Lombardo finally opening a physical restaurant in April of 2022—smoker out back and all—at the former Michael’s II Cafe in Danbury, a place where he frequently popped up to serve his BBQ.

Early on, Farmboys Smokin’ BBQ was reservation only and only open on select days with a limited menu. Now that the soft opening phase is almost kaput, meat lovers should expect an almost full repertoire that includes pulled pork, pulled beef, pulled chicken, Hummel Bros. smoked sausage (at least until they can make it in-house), and thick-cut, juicy brisket that Lombardo is proud of.

BBQ + bourbon is always a solid pairing. They make a fine old fashioned.

His brisket is smoked a minimum of 15 hours—Lombardo smokes it an hour per pound—and get rubbed in a salt, pepper, and onion powder blend. About halfway through he wraps it to get through the stall phase, so it’ll be ready to slice for service the next day.

“The brisket was complicated when I first started doing it,” Lombardo says. “I had a dry rub and a wet rub, but I like to keep it traditional with dry rub, smoke, techniques, and keep it simple. BBQ has been around for so long. People try to change it too much, so the history gets lost. It’s done in that style for a reason.”

Lombardo’s smoked mac & cheese is a crowd favorite

Brisket close-up. For other smoked beef that’s not brisket, Lombardo modifies the brisket rub. He adds fresh garlic, brown sugar, and honey to the pulled beef. Pork (pulled, ribs), though, gets a rubbing of salt, paprika, chili powder, black pepper, granulated garlic, and dry mustard. For sauces, there’s a Carolina vinegar that’s great on pulled pork, plus a sweet, Kansas City style house sauce. A spicy BBQ sauce is on the way soon.

Now a few months in, Lombardo is expanding the menu a bit by having at least some pork ribs available daily, and soon racks will be an everyday menu staple. Eventually, he’d like to add southern style collard greens, smoked meatloaf with brown gravy, a burger that he’s currently tinkering around with, and jambalaya when the weather get chillier, and you start to crave a bowl of something hearty. FYI: beef short ribs are already a weekly special on Fridays and come this autumn will be smoked prime rib once Lombardo gets the exterior crust to where he wants it.

Currently, Farmboys Smokin’ BBQ is smoking, slicing, and serving on Mondays from 12 – 9 and Wednesday through Sunday from 12 – 10 to fulfill your carnivorous cravings.

30 South Street; Danbury
203.788.9772; farmboyssmokinbbq.com