Press "Enter" to skip to content

Dac’s Smokehouse fires up barbeque in Campustown

Dac’s Smokehouse is located at 12oo W. Main St. Campustown. Photo via Dac’s Smokehouse

Dac’s Smokehouse opened its doors under the radar Monday in Campustown, but a look inside may leave one thinking it has been open for a while.

One side of the wall is covered in white, while the other side is a chalk board with a sketch of Peter Griffin from “Family Guy” with a beer saying, “We sell beer here!” Indeed they do, as each table has a beer list with a variety of domestic beers to go along with the barbeque.

Owner Matthew White said he is very proud of his establishment and looks to serve top-tier barbeque food in the area. As he reflected on the restaurant, he talked about the idea and its humble beginnings.

“We were sitting around drinking beers one night and we came up with the name,” White said.  It’s a combination of my middle name, my business partner’s middle name and his brother.”

When asked why he chose the Campustown location, White explained that it’s a bussling hub for great businesses.

“It’s the center of everything,” White said. “There’s One World here, there’s Thanh Linh, there’s good restaurants, and we want to be a part of the community and the Bradley community. It’s a great location.”

Additionally, White talked about the high quality food that’s being served to the customers and its unique qualities.

“Our brisket we use prime beef,” White said. “We don’t use grocery store pork, we use high quality pork and then from there it’s what we do to the smoked meats. What we do traditional barbeque wise is outstanding. What we do beyond there is we make a brisket chimichurri, we make pork salsa verde, we make a chicken tandoori, and you’re not going to find it at other smokehouses.”

White emphasized that all the food, down to the sauces, is made in the restaurant, and that it is unlike any other barbeque places in the area.

“Our freezer is probably something smaller than what you have at your house,” White said. “We aren’t doing processed foods here. We are not freezing, it’s fresh. It’s different than what other barbeque places are doing, we have higher standards.”

Additionally, White wants Dac’s to be a place where the Peoria community can come together.

“We want to be very involved in the community,” White said. “This chalkboard here [the closest High School] is Peoria Central. They have an outstanding art program and I want to get the students in here to do their art on the wall. You can see here that we have a lot of blank walls that’s for art students to choose what they want to put up there. It’s not up to us to decorate it, it’s up to the community.”

Dac’s smokehouse is located at 1200 W. Main St. Campustown and is open from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Copyright © 2023, The Scout, Bradley University. All rights reserved.
The Scout is published by members of the student body of Bradley University. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the University.