GORE – On Feb. 1 2025, Cherokee Nation citizen Paul Ummerteskee opened the doors to his new restaurant, Stone Ridge BBQ & More, in Gore, Oklahoma.
The restaurant is operated by Ummerteskee with help from his family – his wife Rachel, daughter Leah and son-in-law, Ty.
What started at a convenience store in Westville, Oklahoma, is now a restaurant serving barbecue ribs, pulled pork and brisket, as well as traditional menu items like burgers, chicken strips and Indian tacos.
“It started out as a hobby,” Ummerteskee said. “I seen the barbecue pit masters on television and I said, ‘I can do that.’”
Paul Ummerteskee and his family started selling barbeque inside a convenience store in Westville, Oklahoma, and now owns a restaurant serving barbecue ribs, pulled pork and brisket, as well as traditional menu items like burgers, chicken strips and Indian tacos.
After that, Ummerteskee began entering barbecue contests.
“I realized I wasn’t that good at it,” he said jokingly. “But with a little help from friends I learned some of the intricacies that go into great barbecue.”
The barbecue process starts early, according to Ummerteskee, starting at 3 a.m. daily.
“The competition side of things taught us to be able to cook hot and fast,” he said. “We’re not looking at a 14-hour cook or anything like that. A brisket takes, at the longest, six hours to get done.”
Ummerteskee says the fan favorite dish is either the brisket or the ribs. He noted that the key to great barbecue is consistency.
“We tend to stay pretty consistent in the way we cook – the tenderness, the taste, the flavor. Everyone seems to love the brisket here,” he added.
One of the meals served at Stone Ridge BBQ is a 2-meat lunch special that includes pulled pork, smoked bologna, tater tots and hush puppies with Texas toast.
Community member Jerry Mannon was Stone Ridge BBQ’s first customer. He said he has eaten there consistently the entire time the restaurant has been open.
“They have the best ribs I’ve ever eaten in my life,” Mannon claimed. “I’ve tried everything on the menu, and it’s all good.
“(Ummerteskee) is a super guy,” he continued. “We’ve gotten to be real good friends. They’re very accommodating here.”
Ummerteskee says the summer months stay the busiest, but he has built a rapport with locals in the area.
“I tell our customers, ‘repeat business is the best compliment you can give us,’” he said. “To know that you’re coming back to eat our food and it’s the same thing you ordered the last three or four times tells me that you really like that particular item on our menu.”
