Rhonda's Bar & BBQ Is Drawing Big Crowds To Brunswick

Rhonda Poessnecker is 1982 graduate of Orchard High School and the daughter of Merv and Marlene Hurtig of Orchard.

Featuring her homemade rub and barbecue sauce, Rhonda Poessnecker is concocting a recipe for success - and drawing people from all over the area - to her Brunswick bar. 

Poessnecker opened Rhonda’s Bar & BBQ on November 10 and became a nearly instant success, not only with the locals but with the area. While some would consider Brunswick a tough draw, Poessnecker beams with enthusiasm about her location.

“The location is great because I have so many communities to draw from,” she said. “Creighton is 12 miles, Plainview is 10 miles, Osmond is 20, Pierce is 25, Neligh is 19, Orchard is 15. It’s a great location because Antelope and Knox County have a good population.”

On a recent evening, Rhonda’s Bar & BBQ was nearly at capacity. Every table was full and only a couple chairs were open at the bar. To-go orders were flying out the door, a large Plainview organization was eating toward the back, couples and families were seated toward the front. 

“I’m just lucky,” Poessnecker said. “I’m lucky to have found where I’m at, and it’s really going great.”

It’s been a journey for the 51-year-old woman, who is the daughter of Merv and Marlene Hurtig of Orchard.

A 1982 graduate of Orchard High School, Poessnecker started cooking long before labor laws were in tact. When she about 10, Poessnecker started washing dishes while her mom cooked at The Corner Bar, located at the corner of the Orchard Road and Highway 20.

“Within a week, I was flipping burgers and dropping fries and mom was doing the dishes, so that’s how long I’ve actually been doing short-order cook work,” Poessnecker said with a laugh.

After high school graduation, Poessnecker left for Texas. She was back by the fall and eventually spent the next 30 years in Atkinson cooking at various locations, including her own. Last year she moved to Creighton to cook, but everything changed last fall when she set up her grill behind Meuret Grain in Brunswick, where she sold lunches to truck drivers.

“I had a lot of people telling me to come run the Brunswick bar, but I said no,” she said. “Then Jim Mullins came up and asked me if I’d be interested. Since he was an owner (of the building), I thought that was more serious.”

Poessnecker said she was immediately impressed by the remodeled bar. It also had sentimental nostalgia for her. 

“Growing up in Orchard, this was called the Office Bar and Gordon and Lona Smith owned this. And this was the place to go; everybody came to the Brunswick bar,” she said.  “As far as I’m concerned, I’m trying to get the legacy back again.”

Featuring wings, beef brisket, pulled pork, Rueben’s and baby back ribs, Rhonda’s Bar & BBQ is well on its way to doing just that. Monday through Wednesday, Poessnecker said are bar nights with baskets being served, but the barbecue and full menu are served the rest of the week.

Poessnecker, who says her favorite book to read is a recipe book, is already earning a reputation for her potato salad, homemade pies and chicken friend steak, which she cuts and tenderizes herself and hand breads with her own mixture. 

Everything has taken years to perfect.

“It’s something I’ve been doing for 15 years, messing with my barbecue. But my onion rings, I will brag and say I’ve been working on my onion rings for 20 years,” she said.

Rhonda’s Bar & BBQ is planning a grand opening event on May 30 with live entertainment. Poessnecker is excited to draw even more new faces to Brunswick. Poessnecker will be closing on a house soon and moving into a permanent residence in Brunswick, where she plans to be for quite some time.

“I finally feel like I’ve landed and am where I’m supposed to be,” she said. “I feel very blessed."

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