Erin and Sarkis Hand have added a second outpost of Sarky’s Smokehouse & Saloon at 135 North Main Street in Barre. As of its August 12 soft opening, the new restaurant joins Sarky’s in Wells River. That 100-seat restaurant opened in December 2023 at 42 Main Street North after demand for the Hands’ barbecue and their “extreme” burgers outgrew Sarky’s original 3.5-year-old Groton location.
In Barre, the Hands took over the 49-seat restaurant space in the historic Wheelock House that was renovated to become Foxy’s, the second food biz from the team behind East Montpelier’s Fox Market. Foxy’s closed in September 2025 after less than a year in operation.
Sarky’s nods to a childhood nickname of Sarkis’. The 47-year-old Waterbury native has cooked in restaurants since he was 18. He and Erin, 49, have worked in food together for close to two decades. They both cook and “do everything,” she said. “It never gets old,” her husband quipped.
The Hands started experimenting with barbecue specials in the late 2010s when they owned Sarky’s Burgers and Wings in Delhi, N.Y. For their current restaurants, they run two smokers to cook ribs, pulled pork, chicken and brisket “low and slow,” Sarkis said.
Both locations have a full bar and a broad menu, which includes wings, salads and loaded hand-cut fries, some topped with brisket or pulled pork. The popular Smokehouse Burger features a half-pound beef patty piled with house-smoked brisket, beer-battered onion rings, pepper jack cheese and sriracha barbecue sauce.
“Barre’s been eating a lot of those,” Sarkis said.
The couple plan to gradually expand hours in Barre and add the pasta dishes already served in Wells River. Check Facebook for updates.
This article appears in August 26 • 2026.
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