Ballin’ on a Budget Barbecue now open on Forgotten Mile
It’s opening day for Ballin’ on a Budget Barbecue, and owner Mike D’Antoni has been on site watching over the meats in his wood-powered slow cooker since 3 a.m.
“I got here at 2:30 a.m. and immediately started with the wood,” said D’Antoni. “I loved it. It was so peaceful, and then the birds came in before the sun came up. That’s what it takes for the meat to be cooked just right.”
Located off the northbound side of the Forgotten Mile in the parking lot of Rehoboth Beach Barbell Club, Ballin’ on a Budget Barbecue is the area’s newest roadside food stand.
D’Antoni is a former Marine corporal and has years of experience in and around commercial kitchens. He said he’d been looking to create something that would allow him to go into business on his own.
“I wanted to have something to be able to leave to my kids,” said D’Antoni. “With the support of my wife Becky, that’s happening. I went with my gut. I love smoking meat and I love barbecue, so here we are.”
D’Antoni said he keeps the menu simple so he can focus on the quality of the food – pulled pork, chicken, watermelon salad, potato salad, coleslaw, beans, sweet tea and lemonade.
The day before opening, D’Antoni said, he and Becky were home getting things ready – marinating the chicken, getting salads ready, making sure the wood was ready to go.
“It wasn’t even work,” he said. “We were just playing music and cutting veggies.”
Occasionally, the menu will feature a specialty item – opening day it was brisket.
“This is the big test,” he said, holding up a slice of the brisket with a knife after slowly unwrapping the aluminum foil. “A nice crust. A good smoke ring. The brisket hanging over the knife, bending but not breaking.”
The brisket did exactly what he wanted and D’Antoni was stoked.
“You will not be sad,” he said, excitedly.
Open for a little more than a week, D’Antoni said there’s catering in the future for his business, but for right now he’s focused on getting the roadside stand up and running smoothly.
Ballin’ on a Budget Barbecue’s hours are noon until it’s gone, Thursday through Sunday.
For more information on Ballin’ on a Budget Barbecue, 20819 Coastal Hwy., Rehoboth Beach, call 302-344-8845 or go to ballinonabudgetbbq.com.
