TREGO — A new family-owned smokehouse and brewpub is set to be making a mark in our area on an already-historical site in Trego.
Strongman Smokehouse, owned by the Churchill family, opened just weeks ago on Friday, March 8, reigniting the next chapter of this long-standing hospitality venue. Located right off of Highway 53, this re-imaged property is certain to turn some heads, well before the first sip and bite.
While the Churchill family certainly has their work cut out for them with this new endeavor, they are no strangers to the food and beverage business, having owned and operated Round Man Brewing Co. since 2018, and before that, The Dock Coffee since 2015.
Having outgrown their brewing capacity in downtown Spooner, Jeff Churchill remarked that “we knew expansion was in our future, but frankly, we just didn’t have the real estate to grow, and the opportunity for acreage and outdoor recreation was just too good to pass up.”
With a little bit of luck, the previous Uncle Mike’s Bar and Grill made itself available and the Churchills jumped on it as quickly as they could.
“It really is the perfect place, with its green space and high visibility for those traveling north or south on Highway 53, to expanding our business, our brewery and our culinary presence — barbecue, smoke meats and beer — sounds pretty good to me,” Jeff said.
“The stars all kind of aligned for us here,” said Jeff’s son Spencer. “We’re project people, and we’re never afraid of some hard work.”
History of the Strongman propertyOn Oct. 28, 1881, the state of Wisconsin sold the land on N7017 Mackey Rd. to the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha railroad. In November 1884, the land was sold to the St. Croix Lumber Co. On Aug. 19, 1899, the land was sold to G.E. Crocker and then to Charles E. Wenzel on, coincidentally, Aug. 19, 1907.
Ole E. Lee was the next owner in 1911, followed by Oden Skills in 1922. At an unknown date, the property was sold to Guy and Kate Hadley, the former of whom died in 1936. Kate Hadley-Small transformed the land into a bar and restaurant called The Little Inn (also at an unknown date). It became Ester’s Trego Nite Club in 1946, owned by Ester Lierman. It was sold a couple times after that and became The Cliff House in 1966, then Johnson’s Trego Nite Club when Bernie Johnson took it over.
There was a fire on June 3, 1972, and on May 3, 1975, it was sold to Arlene and Scott Crane and Rick Bartlett, who opened the Trego Nite Club. At an unknown date, the parking lot just to the north was leased to Sandy Pushnig for Sandra Jean’s Motel.
In 1991, Edward Chaney Jr. opened The Dog House. In 1993, Mike Cook opened Uncle Mike’s Bar and Grill. That was the last owner, and the space remained empty until Jeff and Sue Churchill purchased it on Feb. 14, 2022.
“We wanted to hold onto this piece of history,” Jeff said.
They expanded the building to add a larger kitchen area and to have more outdoor seating, with roughly 75 indoors seats and 75 outside.
The family and business
Everyone in the Churchill family works for one the three establishments. Spencer, Xan and Blain are Sue and Jeff’s three children, with each one of their spouses also playing key roles in the operation.
“I couldn’t do it without the kids,” Jeff said. “They are integral to what we do. Frankly, I sometimes wish we had a few more!”
Spencer, who serves as the executive chef to both Strongman and Round Man, has years of experience in meat smoking; currently, they offer pulled pork, brisket, ribs and chicken hot off the smoker every day, with the delicious scent of smoked meats filling your lungs well before you enter the smokehouse. They also have brats, tacos, burgers and a slew sandwiches, lots of appetizers and, of course, their meticulously crafted beer, as Spencer remarked, “We’re looking to capture those backyard barbecue feels, something close to home.”
Spencer continued to reflect on his vacation time as a child spent on Cable Lake here in Spooner, noting family cookouts and time spent with friends.
“We’re looking to recreate those feelings for our guests, the feeling of casual dining in a relaxed, care-free environment where all is right with the world,” he said.
Their appetizers include popovers with strawberry compound butter, bayou shrimp and, as if Wisconsin gives them any option, cheese curds.
“People really talk about the popovers; they take a certain patience and poise that isn’t commonly seen in food service,” said Sue, as she commented that they bake each order fresh every morning.
Also on the property stands a monster of a building, housing their brewhouse and soon-to-open secondary bar and tap room. Their brewing operation here will be well over twice the size of their current system at Round Man Brewing.
Sue said that 25 restaurants and bars in Wisconsin carry Round Man beer, and with the larger brewery and loading dock, they are able to package their products in cans, allowing their guests to pick up a six pack on their way along the trails. Additionally, the family has aspirations to see their products on shelves of a number of convenience stores and liquor stores.
In the not-so-distant future, this building will also host their tap room, which will of course be open to the public, a location where people can stop in for a quick beer, enjoy their take-out meal from the pub or simply sit and enjoy the outdoors in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.
The name
Jeff said that his employer in the 1980s was the inspiration for the original restaurant’s name.
“He nicknamed me ‘Round Man,’” Jeff said.
The name went from there, and Jeff jokes that drinking beer also “makes you round.”
Spencer has spent the last 10 years as a competitive powerlifter and strongman and holds the Wisconsin state record in the deadlift. When coming up with the name, his mom said, “What about Strongman Smokehouse?”
The decor revolves around lifting, strength and the history of strongman. Most notably, a giant log serves as the tap tower.
“The log is an exact replica of the ‘Austrian Oak,’ a log used in one of the most prolific strongman shows in the world, a brainchild of mine in association with Landon Slater of Slater Logs; it truly is our crown jewel in here,” Spencer proudly purported.
Blain, the family artist, has painted a huge mural on the back wall of a strong, muscled man carrying two hogs. An adage to a once-actual event at a strongman competition where the objective was to carry two full size hogs across a distance as quickly as possible.
More fun
Spencer said they wanted to “provide a place where recreation is just as important as food and drink.”
There are four volleyball courts and a large area where a tent can be put up for live music events. They can also have campfires with the outdoor pits and s’mores for the family.
Spencer commented that volleyball is an all-age sport, and there are pods for seating outside right next to the courts so people can enjoy a burger and a beer and hang out.
Strongman is right off the ATV and snowmobile trails.
Jeff said he is proud of the staff and how they have rallied around what the family does.
“They have knocked it out of the ball park,” he said. “Our success is in our people; while it is always our objective to have a house full of happy guests, that only happens if we hold a house filled with a happy staff. Our first and last objective is to take care of the people that take care of us.”
More info
The Strongman Smokehouse kitchen is open from 11 a.m to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. As for the bar, Spencer says, “We stop serving when people stop drinking.”
They are closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Call 715.520.8477 or visit strongmansmokehouse.com to learn more.
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