Stubby’s Char Pit is a Haven for Carnivores

It’s summer.  It’s sizzling – too hot to cook.  There is the time-honored tradition and ritual of standing over a hot grill with beef or barbecue, but why not have Stubby’s Char Pit do it?

The 1,000-square-foot eatery at 109 Taylor Ave. (Route 71), Manasquan, owned solely by David Farneti, Manasquan, has been in business six months, following the consolidation of another Stubby’s he owned for six months at 140 Main St., Manasquan.

The char pit offers a variety of dishes such as pulled pork, rib eye steak, chicken, ribs and other mouth-watering items. Farneti has also just added beef brisket, which “From a bbq perspective is my favorite to eat,” he said.

How did the quirky name come about? 

“I came up with it to pay homage to my late mother who we used to call ‘Stubby’ – she loved to cook, and spent her entire life in the kitchen,” stated Farneti.

Farneti does his mother justice by serving as head chef at Stubby’s.  But, first a bit of history. 

“I was a global account executive at a computer sciences corporation, then I was a private consultant,” stated the chef.

So, this background qualifies Farneti to open a charcoal broil/bbq joint … how? 

“Twenty years ago, I was part owner of a bar and grill in upstate New York and that’s where I perfected my barbecue – I made the recipes up at the bar and grill,” he sai. “Here, I’m making them up and cooking.  I’m a chef by love, not by schooling.”

As the use of charcoal grill in a restaurant is illegal, Stubby’s Char Pit improvised. 

“Our meats are cooked not in a char pit, but the equivalent of a big backyard grill,” said Farneti.

You may be thinking, “There are a zillion bbq/burger joints out there,” right?  Possibly, but, “We’re not truly a bbq place – we cook all our foods on the broiler.  We sauté our veggies, then put them on the grill,” claimed the owner.

Besides, Stubby’s has a unique drawing card:  Spiedies.  What?  Short for Italian “spiedini,” Spiedies are cubes of chicken breast marinated a minimum of two days in a secret family recipe and cooked on the grill, and served in a sandwich, wrap or salad.

 “We’re the first to bring Spiedies to the Jersey Shore,” according to Farneti.  “They’re indigenous to my old hometown of Binghamton, N.Y.  I always felt the Jersey Shore would gravitate to Spiedies, and thought they were a good complement to that – people from upstate New York visit and will come in here for a Spiedie; it’s a taste of home,” he continued, noting they’re also healthy as the secret marinade includes olive oil, fresh lemons, herbs and spices.

Spiedies are Farneti’s favorite meal to make, not only because they carry on a tradition, but, “It’s heartwarming to have them accepted in another part of the country besides Binghamton.”

His most involved item to cook is the pork ribs.  A “process to make,” they involve a dry rub, extensive smoking in hickory wood, then a coating of bbq sauce.  The effort is well worth it, as “They’re unlike any others around here – we make them so they fall off the bone,” commented the chef.

Time-consuming to make, but worth it, are either the Carolina or Kansas City pulled pork sandwiches.  Carolina has a sweet-tangy mustard, and Kansas City, barbecue sauce, and the pork is slow-cooked a minimum of 18 hours on the smoker.

While Stubby’s Char Pit may appeal to the carnivore in most of us, it does offer vegan fare.  Did I mention 16 flavors of gourmet ice cream?  Oh, healthy stuff?  Sure, there’s the Stubby Salad – your basic house salad – plus their renowned cut fries in either white or sweet potato, baked beans, fried okra, and a variety of sides.

Farneti however, stands by his meat.  “Our biggest seller is our pulled pork sandwiches – people swear by them,” he said, noting “All our food is fresh and made-to-order, not processed – we don’t sell any cold cuts or anything like that – you’re getting phenomenal food, but you’re also getting healthy food.”

Perhaps this is why Stubby’s Char Pit doesn’t have any unpopular items, and oddly enough, a favorite – that perhaps contradicts “healthy” – is the 3/8” cut fries which are “truly fresh cut right in front of you,” according to Farneti.  In Stubby’s defense, the fries are cooked in canola, not peanut oil, and are available in white plain or Cajun-seasoned, or sweet.

It may sound stereotypical, but “Now that people are getting to know about our Spiedies, more women are coming in because of the health factor,” said the chef, but noted his clientele is primarily male – “they like barbecue” – and families.

Summer, obviously is Stubby’s Char Pit’s busiest season, with more foot traffic and tourists, and lunch and supper time are the busiest parts of the day.  Farneti opined “We’re very price competitive with even national chains like Subway; sales are improving every month.”

Although his eatery seats 18 at five tables, a newly added outdoor seating area in the complex Stubby’s is located has increased seating.  The char pit not only delivers within an eight-mile radius, but … to the beach.  It also doesn’t hurt that one of its clients is Liz Jeressi from the morning show, “Lou & Liz in the Morning” on 94.3FM The Point.

Keeping celebrity and non-celebrity clients happy is first and foremost, and unusual requests are met – such as customers requesting mayo on a Spiedie, which Farneti feels, “just doesn’t work – it’s marinated chicken.”

Want unusual?  Try one of Stubby’s “crazy sandwiches,” such as The Fat Cow, The Fat Chick or The Fat Pig.  The creations feature meat, cole slaw, onion rings, mozzarella sticks and special sauces, all on a Kaiser roll, and priced at $9.  Other prices range from $3 for sides to $21 for a full rack of St. Louis-style pork ribs.  Stubby’s also caters for parties up to 200, with an average price being $10-$11 per-person.

While Farneti is assisted at Stubby’s Char Pit by a staff of five part-timers, the energetic chef and “fastidious cleaner” – still exhausts himself, claiming the worst part of his day is closing as “I hate to clean up and I hate a dirty restaurant!”  However, his efforts are rewarded “When I see all the same people coming back saying how much they love our food.”

The father of four isn’t pressing his children to continue what he’s started.  “I would like to have my family continue the tradition – that would be a legacy, but it’s up to them whether they want to or not,” and added, “Eventually what I want to do is open up a chain of Stubby’s – this is the first of hopefully many Stubby’s restaurants.”

Stubby’s Char Pit is open Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-3 a.m.; and Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.  Delivery and take-out are available.  It’s phone number is 732-722-7301, and its website is www.stubbyscharpit.com.