Bold, audacious, remarkable and outstanding …these words describe a new Eagle restaurant as well its service.
By Pamela Kleibrink Thompson
Photography by Copper Chadwick
Bodacious Pig Barbecue opened on March 25, near the intersection of Eagle Road and Old State Street to the delight of barbecue fans that savor slow smoked meat. The Texas-style method of cooking in a barbecue pit, with the meat seasoned with a dry rub, is a welcome addition to Eagle’s restaurant scene.
Owners Tricia and Joel Anderson, residents of Eagle for two years, owned a restaurant in Hollister, California, called Maverick BBQ for six years and were voted best restaurant in town. It won’t be long before Bodacious Pig Barbecue receives similar accolades in Idaho due to the skill of pit-master Joel and his wife Tricia, who went to culinary school in Monterey, California.
The two grads from Northwest Nazarene University returned to Idaho for the quality of life and to finish raising their two sons, Canyon, 14, and Colby, 11. Tricia, the daughter of a Navy dad, was born in Japan and has lived all over the world but chose Eagle for her family and business. What does she like best about Eagle? “The schools, downtown and the community spirit,” says Tricia. Other aspects of Idaho she likes include “how friendly people are, the Boise River, hiking and biking trails, Lucky Peak, Boise Downtown, and BSU athletics.”
Tricia’s recipe for success is simple: “Surround yourself with the best people you can.”
Tricia advises those who want to get into business to “write a three year business plan first.” Tricia got help developing a solid business plan from the Idaho Women’s Business Center in Boise. The plan helped Tricia and Joel determine how many employees they needed and how to set rates of pay, hours of operation, learn about Eagle’s demographics and project revenues, evaluate their competitors and develop a menu that would set them apart.
After the business plan was complete, Joel and Tricia Anderson sat down with Sheila Spangler, Idaho Women’s Business Center Manager. Spangler, a former banker, role played a loan officer, grilling the Andersons with incisive questions about their plans. Even with their practice pitching, it took some time before they were approved for a loan.
Tricia points out that the restaurant business is labor intensive and that “you have to be able to multi-task.” Tricia notes that the long hours are the hardest aspect of working in the restaurant industry. She draws inspiration from Pastor Ed of Eagle Nazarene and the Women’s Business Center in downtown Boise. When asked what she likes most about working in the restaurant business Tricia answers, “the social aspect. We love making new friends and talking to people.”
Tricia is always looking for ways to grow through education and reads “any cookbook I can get my hands on.” Appropriately Joel is reading The Giver. Tricia believes, “Food makes people happy and creates positive memories.”
There will be plenty of positive memories created at Bodacious Pig Barbecue, a warm and inviting California/Texas-style barbecue restaurant in the heart of downtown Eagle. The Andersons restored the wood ceiling and used recycled lumber to cover cinder block walls. Banquette seating in dark tones and brick walls lend a bistro feel to Bodacious Pig Barbecue. The menu features Snake River Farms and Double R Ranch steaks, seafood, sandwiches, house ground burgers, salads and soups. Tricia’s favorite menu items include pulled pork, ribs, tri-tip and their specialty sides and salads, which she prepares fresh each morning while Joel mans the pits.
“We have a full-take out service from our window that looks into the kitchen,” says Tricia. “Busy people can call in orders ahead and have their lunch or dinner orders ready for pick-up. We also completely remodeled the dine-in restaurant down to the cinder block walls! The interior is now a hip, fun, comfortable place to enjoy Bodacious Barbecue cooked right! But, Trisha warns, “We slow cook our meats fresh each day, so when we run out, we are out for the day.”
Tricia concludes, “I love food and good food makes people happy.”
