I have been running the Red Arrow Diner for 39 years. Four locations, open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year -- and in that time, I have sat across from a lot of people. But I will tell you, the energy that Nick and Ben walked into the studio with on recording day? I felt it the second they came through the door. These two are brothers, and it shows in every single thing they do -- the way they finish each other's sentences, the way they bicker about the smallest details, the way they both said "BRISKET" at the exact same time when I asked them to choose. I loved every minute of this conversation.

Nick started smoking meats pre-COVID -- just at home, for the family, because he enjoyed it. Their sister, who worked at a marketing firm, started recording him. She'd set up lights in the kitchen, film him drinking a beer and cooking with a running commentary of puns, and upload it to YouTube. It wasn't a viral hit. But it picked up a following. They did about 12 to 14 episodes before they started taking it seriously.

Then COVID hit. Ben -- who had spent 20 years in retail, most recently as a General Manager at Petco -- would come by and eat whatever Nick was making. He'd say, "This is really good. What are you doing?" And slowly, the idea of a food truck started coming up in conversation. They talked about it. They didn't have the funds. They kept talking.

Then in June of 2024, their mom passed away.

She left them a little money. Nick brought it up again. Ben said he was willing to put everything he had into it. A week later, they were ordering a custom 8x20 trailer from Georgia -- with a 4-foot patio and a smoker right on the back.

The Name, the Logo, and a Gaming Alias Nobody Expected

Here's something I did not see coming: the name "Sigs Kitchen" comes from a video game tag. Nick lives about 10 minutes from Sig Sauer Firearms in New Hampshire. He owns a SIG. For years, his gaming name was just "Sig" -- it made sense for a shooter game, and it stuck. Whenever he'd post pictures of food in Discord channels with his gaming friends, he'd caption them "Sigs Kitchen." Someone actually made him a skull-and-crossbones logo that said the same thing. He used it as his avatar for a while.

When it came time to name the business, the debate between the brothers was -- I'll say it -- legendary. Nick wanted "Meet Your Match" (as in meat, m-e-a-t). Ben suggested "Smoke Brothers." Nick said it sounded like a vape shop. Ben floated "Fatties." They went back and forth. As Nick told me on the episode: "It took us longer to name the truck than to pick out the trailer." 

Eventually Nick said, why not just go with Sigs Kitchen? Ben's response: "That's you. I'm not on the logo." Nick told him he didn't care -- he just wanted to run a successful business. Ben's counter: if they were using the name, Nick had to be on the logo. So the logo got redesigned. Both brothers became cartoon characters. And the rest, as they say, is barbecue history.

A Pig on the Back of the Truck

Their mom -- an "old school Italian" cook who could make any cuisine and make it masterfully -- was infatuated with pigs. Nick told me she had millions of pig figurines. Everything was pigs.

When they decided to build a BBQ-focused business, pork was a natural anchor. And to pay tribute to her, they put a big pig on the back of the truck. It says "In Love and Memory" with her name and her dates.

That's it. That's the whole story. And when Nick said it during our conversation, the room got quiet in the best way. This is exactly what Beyond the Plate is about.

Award-Winning Wings, a Brisket Melt Toasted in Beef Tallow, and Corn They Smoked Themselves 

Okay -- the food. Because we have to talk about the food.

They entered a wing competition at Wallally's in March 2025 just to get their name out. They didn't think they had a shot. People were coming up to them before the competition even started saying "we hear you're the ones to beat" -- and they had no idea what those people were talking about. They won. Their habanero jerk wings took the competition.

Their top-selling sandwich is the brisket melt -- shredded brisket on Texas toast, toasted in beef tallow, topped with caramelized onion and fried provolone and two housemade sauces. I nearly ordered one on the spot. They also do a smash burger called "Meet Your Match" (Ben finally got his name) -- topped with pulled pork AND shredded brisket. Just in case one protein wasn't enough.

Their sides are housemade: smoked three-cheese mac (shredded cheese, milk, then into the smoker for hours), a Latin-style potato salad with Spanish olives and pimentos that a customer ate two full servings of before realizing he "hates olives," and BBQ pit beans that get smoked for three to four hours with ground beef, bell pepper, and their signature rub.

And before they even had the truck, they were selling their housemade rubs -- pork and poultry, habanero jerk, and an all-purpose SPG. That Christmas? Nearly three grand in rubs, shipped to Florida, Maine, Virginia, and Georgia. No truck. Just the rubs. That tells you everything about who these two are.

What I Love Most About This Episode 

I keep coming back to something Nick said when I asked what he was most proud of.

"Taking the step. Trusting God and letting him lead the way. And the flexibility -- like sitting on the porch having a beer while the smoker runs. That's a tough day at work. I'll take it." 

And then Ben said the thing that got me.

"We set out with this in remembrance to our mother and I think we're making her proud."

Yeah. You are. Without a doubt.

Go find Sigs Kitchen BBQ. Follow them on Facebook for their weekly schedule -- that's their main platform, and they post every Monday or Tuesday where they'll be. Their home base this season is 224 East Street in Methuen, Massachusetts, Thursday through Sunday when they're not on the road. And if you see a line -- get in it. Because they've been selling out in under three hours at almost every single event this year.

Facebook: Sigs Kitchen

Instagram: @sigskitchenllc

TikTok: @sigs.kitchen

New episodes every Tuesday -- Beyond the Plate with Carol

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ABOUT CAROL ERICKSON

Carol Erickson has owned Red Arrow Diner since 1987 -- four locations across New Hampshire, open 24/7. She started Beyond the Plate to tell the real stories behind the people who make New England's food and hospitality scene what it is. Not just what's on the menu. What's behind it.

Red Arrow Diner: redarrowdiner.com  | @redarrow24diner