The ex-chef at Boise restaurant Fork just opened his own BBQ joint. Order this first.

By the time lunch arrived Tuesday during Chop Shop BBQ’s grand opening, the place was packed.

Chef and co-owner Kris Ott barely broke a sweat.

The dude is used to a loaded plate. Ott was executive chef at two long-running Downtown Boise restaurants from 2015 to 2018 — simultaneously.

“After running Fork and Alavita for a little while, I became EXTREMELY organized,” Ott, 41, explains with a laugh.

Strap on your bib, 2C. This new restaurant, located at 716 W. Arthur St., adds a gourmet dimension to Caldwell’s dining scene. Tucked next to Indian Creek Plaza, the 1,300-square-foot space seats about 40. The main focus is take-out, Ott says.

Every region, every culture, seems to have its own version of barbecue. Texas or Tennessee? Kansas City? Garden City?

Ott lets his taste buds guide the journey.

“I’m, like, it’s all of the above,” he says.

So what should a first-timer order?

Go with one pound of St. Louis-Style Pork Ribs ($15), Ott says. It’s one of the restaurant’s Pit Master Plates, which also include Pork or Lamb Shoulder, Brisket and Mary’s Citrus Pepper Chicken.

“We really get a good flavor profile going into everything,” he says. “Just the way how we’re smoking it, you’re getting those real good smoke rings, and the smoke flavor has just been awesome.”

“Most places do a dry rub that day. We do a dry rub, but we let it sit for two days before we smoke it.”

A Pit Master Plate includes a honey buttermilk roll. Better yet? It comes with a small, half-pint side. Choose the Smoked Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese, Ott says.

Craving a starter? Ott recommends deep-fried Potato Grenades ($5).

Chop Shop slings two sauces for now: The house Chop Shop sauce — a mustardy, vinegary, Carolina-style creation; and Cadillac Sauce — Texas-style with molasses, brown sugar and a spice kick at the end.

Ott, who moved his family to Boise after cooking in San Francisco and Oakland for 15 years, says he’s stoked to smoke meats. After spending much of his career following other people’s visions or styles, Chop Shop is a return to his roots growing up in Vallejo, California.

“Barbecue is how I got into this in the first place as a kid,” Ott says. “We’d go deer hunting and pig hunting and duck hunting, and we’d come back and barbecue.”

Decades later, Ott’s perception of a barbecue joint is unquestionably modern.

You won’t find his sides served in Styrofoam containers. (Here’s another “mmm,” by the way: Candied Yams with Salted Caramel). All take-out products are biodegradable and compostable at Shop Shop.

The meats and vegetables are sourced as locally as possible, from places such as McIntyre Pastures and Rice Family Farms. (Want another chef’s pick? “I’m a big fan of the Lamb Shoulder,” Ott explains, “because it’s right out of Kuna from Gutierrez Farms.”)

Chop Shop’s menu will remain somewhat fluid, he says, incorporating seasonal opportunities and other creative touches over time.

“My charcuterie and the whole animal butchery will start to be a factor,” Ott says. “I’ve got some farmers I’m working with doing some custom animal growing that we can play with down the road. We’re talking about them raising a half a dozen lambs, and ‘Let’s play with what we feed them to see how it turns out.’ ”

Chop Shop sells local and regional beer and wine, and Ott hopes to add liquor in 2020. The restaurant also will open an outdoor patio in spring, adding another 30 or so seats.

Ott and co-owner Brady Gaschler originally considered opening their business in Boise. But they were impressed by Indian Creek Plaza, Ott says, not to mention growth trends west of Ada County.

Besides, it was hard not to notice all the potential hungry customers.

“To me, barbecue in Caldwell seemed like a no-brainer,” Ott says. “Because this is still kind of cowboy country.”

▪ Online: chopshop-caldwell.com. Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday. Chop Shop plans to offer online ordering soon, Ott says — probably through Grubhub.

This story was originally published December 5, 2019 at 12:53 PM.