Pontiac Times

Where there’s smoke, there’s meat!Inside that red building at 150 S. Washington St., something magical is happening. Log after log is being tossed into a glowing fire, while pieces of meat slowly soak up heat and smoke until they reach the peak of juiciness, tenderness and flavor.

Hungry yet? Good! Because Fletchy’s Smokehouse is officially open for business.

Owned by Metamora residents Shawn and Deanna Brecht, Fletchy’s Smokehouse offers a plethora of proteins, including brisket, pork, chicken, ribs and wings. 

“We smoke all our meats fresh every day,” Shawn said. “Nothing is held over. The meat you get is smoked that day. If you’ve ever had a hamburger cooked the day before and you reheat it, it’s just never the same.”

All of Fletchy’s meats are smoked using applewood and cherrywood from Michigan. According to Shawn, the smoke they produce creates a flavor that’s "smoother" and “a little more mellow” than the hickory, mesquite and oak used in traditional southern barbecue.

Shawn prides himself on the fact that “nothing comes out of a box” at Fletchy’s Smokehouse.

“Everything is made from scratch, from the bleu cheese and ranch dressings to the cream cheese frosting on our desserts to our four signature barbecue sauces,” he said. 

The brisket and ribs are Shawn’s favorite menu items followed by the “pig tail pasta and cheese” and the sweet and creamy coleslaw, which he described as “phenomenal.”

“Of course, the corn bread is not too far off, either,” Shawn added.

The restaurant’s interior has a rustic look and is reminiscent of an old-school southern BBQ joint. Wood taken from a 150-year-old barn in Lapeer County lines the walls. 

“I want customers to feel like they’ve stepped back in time,” Shawn said.

Shawn is no stranger to Oxford. His mother, Judith Shoults, grew up in Thomas (an unincorporated village tucked away in the northern part of the township) and graduated from Oxford High School in 1962. She and his father, Edward Brecht, were married at Thomas United Methodist Church on June 8, 1963. Edward spent many years working for Sea Ray Boats when the company was based in Oxford Township.

If the name “Fletchy’s” sounds familiar, it might be because Shawn owns Fletchy’s Otter Belly Lodge, which is located in the Keweenaw Peninsula on the shoreline of Eagle Harbor. They serve mouthwatering barbecue there, too! He also previously owned a Fletchy's barbecue restaurant in Imlay City.

Fletchy’s Smokehouse in Oxford is open from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday (winter hours). For more information, please call (248) 800-4064. Shawn noted he’s still looking to hire a front of house manager.

Original source can be found here.