MOORHEAD — Finally, a golf lounge where a “slice” is a good thing.

A new partnership between The Clubhouse Indoor Golf Lounge at 805 30th Ave. S., Moorhead, and Jay’s Smokin’ BBQ in Fargo means slices are welcome, as long as they refer to Jay’s sliced brisket or slices of homemade pizza.

Last week, the Jacey “Jay” Henrichs family opened a kiosk there called Jay’s at the Clubhouse, where guests can order the barbecue joint’s trademark brisket, pulled pork, “sammiches,” pizzas and white-cheddar macaroni and cheese Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Jay’s

award-winning ribs

also will be available every Friday, said Brianna Henrichs-Arnold, Jay’s manager and daughter.

“The smoked meat is our bread and butter,” she said.

It was Clubhouse co-owner Matt Gilbertson’s brainstorm to bring Jay’s carnivore-friendly cuisine to the golfing venue. “Whenever we play golf throughout the year, food is a part of it,” Gilbertson said. “It’s not just booze. It’s golf, food, camaraderie and beverages.”

Even so, you don’t need to play golf there to order Jay’s food, added Gilbertson, who co-owns the golf lounge with Realtor Jason Ennen.

The business partners see Jay’s as another great dining option in south Moorhead, which has lost several eateries over the last few years.

“This will be stepping up our game quite a bit,” Ennen added.

Jay’s at the Clubhouse will be located in a brick-lined corner of the building, right off the bar, kitchen and seating area in the front of the business.

“They said this is the space we have and we said, ‘We’ll make it work,’” Henrichs-Arnold said.

Chris Flynn / The Forum

Gilbertson has been a fan of Jay’s Smokin’ BBQ since the Henrichs family first opened a food kiosk in the Moorhead Center Mall, where Gilbertson’s Downtown Chiropractic is located.

The business owners have stayed in touch through the years. When Gilbertson and Ennes opened the 4,000-square-foot golf lounge in November of 2021, its five-simulator lounge also featured a full bar and quick bar fare like frozen pizzas or taco in a bag.

Chris Flynn / The Forum

“We never had enough space for a full kitchen, which is why we’re having Jay cater in on a daily basis,” Gilbertson said.

The Clubhouse owners have already seen an uptick in traffic since the Henrichs set up shop there last week. They see the food kiosk as a welcome addition for all those who schedule tournaments, fundraisers, leagues and events like groom parties there.

Chris Flynn / The Forum

Brianna Henrichs estimates about one-third of Jay’s menu will be available, including its plates, basic sandwiches, pizzas, a couple of appetizers, several dessert options and a limited selection of lunch specials.

Specific main-course standouts will be the brisket plate (a half-pound of smoked brisket served with a choice of two sides), the Smokin’ Turkey Club (turkey on a soft pretzel roll with chipotle mayo, house-smoked bacon and Swiss cheese) and The Smokin’ (a smoky, salty pizza topped off with brisket, turkey and pulled pork).

And then there’s the ribs. “Of course, the ribs every Friday was a requirement,” Henricks-Arnold said, laughing. “That was written in the fine print.”

Chris Flynn / The Forum

Although the restaurant offers four house-made sauces — including a mustardy “Golden Sauce” and a zestier “Minnesota Spicy” — Jay said the real indicator of the best barbecue is how well the meat is smoked. “I don’t mind putting sauce on it, but the meat should be good without anything on it,” said Henrichs, who first started smoking meats at home over a decade ago after Brianna gifted him with a smoker.

The restaurant business was a natural next step for him. His grandfather, Tom Tvedt, ran Tom’s Pizza in Moorhead for decades. “I remember schlepping pizza. We grew up in there,” he said in an earlier interview.

After spending 30 years in information technology, Jay pivoted from PCs to pulled pork

in 2018

when he and wife, Rochelle, opened the Moorhead Center Mall location.

They added a second location in 2021

in the space that formerly housed Mom’s Diner in Tailgators at 1322 Main Ave., Fargo. Since then, Jay’s has also taken over the Tailgators kitchen and provides food to the bar as well, Henrichs-Arnold said.

Jay’s also relocated from the Moorhead Center Mall to the Moorhead American Legion for a while, but the family shut down that operation in 2022 after Jacey suffered

a heart attack

. With its move to The Clubhouse, Jay’s can still offer a Moorhead location.

Their new, snug quarters serve as a positive reminder of Jay’s start in the Moorhead Center Mall in 2018. “It mimics when we first opened up in Moorhead, and people could just walk up to the counter and we’d be able to connect with everybody,” Henrichs-Arnold said.

Chris Flynn / The Forum

They also hope to maintain that connection with customers through consistent staffing. The Henrichs said Jay’s employee Gage Durbin will become a regular fixture at the new location.

“I like to have a familiar face for when people come back,” Henrichs said.

Jay’s at the Clubhouse prices range from lunch specials, which include a sandwich with beans and chips, for $10.50, to three-meat combo plates, which start at $22.50.

People can order to dine-in or take out between the hours of 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Lunch specials will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m daily.

Learn more at

https://www.facebook.com/theclubhousefm

or the

Jay’s at The Clubhouse Facebook site

.