Steel Belly BBQ was hands-down one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. From the very beginning, they were incredibly easy to work with—responsive, flexible, and truly invested in making our day exactly what we wanted. They take the time to customize and individualize the menu, which made everything feel so personal and perfectly suited to us. Nothing felt cookie-cutter.
Russ and his wife are some of the nicest, most genuine people you’ll ever meet, and that warmth carries through their entire business. They were so accommodating and made the whole catering process completely stress-free.
And the food… absolutely amazing. I’m originally from Arkansas, so I don’t say this lightly—their BBQ is every bit as good as true Southern BBQ. Everything was flavorful, perfectly cooked, and a huge hit with our guests. People are still talking about how incredible the food was. Steel Belly BBQ didn’t just cater our wedding—they helped make it unforgettable. We couldn’t recommend them more highly. 🔥
Tyler S.
5.0
Steel Belly Barbecue LLC was very easy to work with, they delivered everything to my daughters wedding shower, set up the food table, brought plenty of condiments to go with the Pulled Pork, and before they left made sure everything was the way we wanted it to be. The Pulled pork was excellent, I highly recommend them to cater any kind of party you have.
Lynn
Lynn L.
5.0
About this vendor
Russ Nockerts
OWNER
AWARD WINNER
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Founded in 2020, Steel Belly BBQ has set out to bring the best of Central Texas-style craft Barbecue to the Frozen Tundra of Wisconsin. That means we use only prime meat cuts, cooking exclusively with wood fire using 100% oak on our custom-made offset pits. We take a very time-consuming, detail-oriented approach in making sure we are producing the most aesthetically flavorful product possible while creating a world-class barbecue experience.
Steel Belly Barbecue LLC is a wedding catering company based in Algoma, WI, specializing in classic Texas-style barbecue cuisine.
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Details
Cuisine
American
BBQ
Southern
Southwestern
Specialty
Dietary Options
Dairy Free
Gluten Free
Nut Free
Vegetarian
Food & Catering
Buffet
Catering Clean Up
Catering Delivery & Setup
Chef Stations
Food Trucks
Menu Tastings
Awards and Affiliations
2026 'Best of Weddings'
Why were they selected?
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
Join couples who chose award-winning vendors for their wedding
Meet the team
Russ Nockerts
Owner
Live fire chef Russ Nockerts is leading the way in bringing the best of Texas craft barbecue to guests all over the world. Sharing his passion for live fire cooking, every single bite is scratch made using locally sourced products to create a one of a kind barbecue experience.
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.0
24 reviews
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Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Steel Belly Barbecue is highly recommended for weddings, serving delicious, authentic Southern-style BBQ that guests continually rave about. The team is responsive, flexible, and accommodating—willing to customize menus, handle dietary requests, and travel to venues. Their professional, efficient setup and service make the catering stress-free and memorable.
Tyler S
5.0
1/31/2026
Steel Belly BBQ was hands-down one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. From the very beginning, they were incredibly easy to work with—responsive, flexible, and truly in...
vested in making our day exactly what we wanted. They take the time to customize and individualize the menu, which made everything feel so personal and perfectly suited to us. Nothing felt cookie-cutter.
Russ and his wife are some of the nicest, most genuine people you’ll ever meet, and that warmth carries through their entire business. They were so accommodating and made the whole catering process completely stress-free.
And the food… absolutely amazing. I’m originally from Arkansas, so I don’t say this lightly—their BBQ is every bit as good as true Southern BBQ. Everything was flavorful, perfectly cooked, and a huge hit with our guests. People are still talking about how incredible the food was. Steel Belly BBQ didn’t just cater our wedding—they helped make it unforgettable. We couldn’t recommend them more highly. 🔥
Lynn L
5.0
1/01/2026
Steel Belly Barbecue LLC was very easy to work with, they delivered everything to my daughters wedding shower, set up the food table, brought plenty of condiments to go with the Pu...
lled Pork, and before they left made sure everything was the way we wanted it to be. The Pulled pork was excellent, I highly recommend them to cater any kind of party you have.
Lynn
Any questions?
Thomas R
5.0
10/23/2025
We had such an amazing experience with Russ and his team at SteelBelly BBQ. The food was absolutely incredible. We served brisket and pulled pork at our wedding, and everyone could...
not stop talking about how good it was. Even days later, guests were asking how they could get more of that delicious BBQ.
My father in law, who has spent time working in Texas, said it was some of the best he has ever had, and that is saying something.
Russ and his team were also fantastic to work with. They were friendly, responsive, and patient with all of my questions. They made everything easy and stress free. I cannot recommend SteelBelly BBQ enough to anyone looking for amazing food and great people.
Bailey W
5.0
10/18/2025
Steel belly barbecue is everything we wanted and more in a caterer for our wedding! Russ was so easy to work with especially with us being from out of the area. We had our wedding ...
in the Northwoods of Wi which Russ had no concerns with traveling for. Unfortunately due to some traffic, Russ and his team were running a few minutes late but had no issues setting up as soon as they got to the wedding and everything ran on schedule, not a minute late!! The food and desserts are still being talked about how good by our guests. 1000% would recommend Steel Belly and hope you have their delicious food in the future!
Jordyn O
5.0
10/14/2025
From the first contact, Russ made the process so easy for us! We are not from the area, and he was very flexible in picking a time for us to come for a tasting, and was very accomm...
odating if any customizations were needed to the menu. On the wedding day, his team showed up early to set everything up and had it all ready on time. All of the food was delicious! The stand out for us was the last night snack of smashburgers – everyone at the wedding commented on how good they were!! Thank you to Russ and his team for going above and beyond for us, making everything perfect!
Kerri S
5.0
10/13/2025
Steel Belly Barbecue is the best barbecue around! They catered our anniversary party and our guests were complimenting the food all night. Everyone wanted to know who catered and ...
where they are located. Russ is so easy to work with and his delivery staff was amazing. If you love barbecue, you won't be disappointed with Steel Belly Barbecue!
Chance H
5.0
10/13/2025
Food was amazing, all of our guest loved it. Steel Belly was extremely easy to work with. We got Brisket, Burnt Ends, Loaded Mash, Mac n Cheese, and Elote. I highly recommend the B...
urnt Ends and Loaded Mash.
Casey H
5.0
10/13/2025
I am so happy we chose to work with Steel Belly for our rehearsal dinner! We had so many compliments on how good their food was! Highly recommend for any occasion, not just wedding...
s!
Rebecca H
5.0
10/13/2025
My mom was raving about a cooking class she attended and ended up buying up all the leftovers for her staff the next day. Turns out, that was Steelbelly! We booked them as our wedd...
ing caterer, and they did not disappoint! They accommodated a tasting during the busy holiday season since we live out of state which was much appreciated. Day of, they showed up on time and set up in a flash. The food was excellent! Highly recommend!
Kristy D
5.0
10/13/2025
The food and service was amazing!! Could not have asked for anything more! Highly recommend.
Hunter T
5.0
10/13/2025
If you are thinking about booking a food truck or catering service for your wedding, look no further. Russ & Kimberly make AMAZING food, that all of our guests really enjoyed. We w...
ere never left wondering what was needed before our big day either as they reached out proactively to make sure everyone was on the same page. I can't give them enough stars. HIGHLY recommend!!!!
-Hunter & Tessa
Casey Q
5.0
9/30/2025
Such a great catering choice for our backyard wedding! We did food truck style and it was a hit! The girls who worked the event were very friendly. I’m still getting messages telli...
ng me how amazing the food was! 10/10 would recommend.
Miranda A
5.0
7/22/2025
The team at Steel Belly were amazing! They were super communicative and accommodating. Very efficient and a seamless part of our day! And the food is AMAZING. Many of our guests to...
ld us throughout the night that this was the best wedding meal they've had! I can't recommend them enough.
Laura D
5.0
7/21/2025
The food was AMAZING and the service definitely exceeded expectations! Kim and the other staff were so sweet and even our guests had great things to say about them. They were very ...
helpful and made the day stress free for us! They needed almost no direction for set up, and at the end of the night got all extras packed up and put away for us.
All our guests raved about the food, especially the brisket and mac and cheese!
Many thanks to Steel Belly BBQ
-Luke and Laura
Catherine B
5.0
7/21/2025
Great service, better brisket! We booked Steel Belly without trying their food for our welcome party, but we had high hopes based on what we’ve seen online. And truly the food was ...
beyond our expectations! Russ is so easy to work with and really knows barbecue. Our guests were WOW’d and kept asking who made the food. Thanks for making our event amazing!
Jessica P
5.0
5/06/2025
Steel Belly BBQ had AMAZING food at our wedding!! Every guest we talked to commented that the food was so great and we heard no complaints! Russ & Kim were great to work with as th...
ey were easy going and each employee was so welcoming & helpful! I would HIGHLY recommend them for any wedding or event!
Liz A
5.0
10/12/2024
We had Steel Belly for our wedding, and I can’t recommend them enough. The food was incredible, and the service was perfect. Russ was willing to accommodate dietary restrictions an...
d added shrimp skewers to our menu that were phenomenal (honestly, the best shrimp I’ve ever had). Our guests loved it, and they had only positive things to say (including our guests from Texas and Kansas City who are tough BBQ critics). The value we got for the price was unbeatable.
Tessa M
5.0
9/20/2024
We felt so lucky to have discovered Steel Belly Barbecue during our search for vendors, it was the best decision we made! Russ is amazing to work with, he changed dates multiple ti...
mes for us to travel and trial food. Then, the team traveled over 3 hours to us and served 150 guests so efficiently. The food is hands down AMAZING and multiple guests told us it was the best wedding food they have ever had. We would recommend Steel Belly to anyone, and we are now customers for life!
Melissa O
5.0
8/23/2024
Working with Steel Belly BBQ for our wedding was fantastic! Russ and his team work so hard to make your special day exactly what you want and are always willing to go the extra mil...
e. Our guests raved about the food on our day and several awarded it "Best wedding food they've ever had!". We would absolutely recommend Steel Belly for your special day!!
Erin A
5.0
1/03/2024
Steel Belly Barbecue LLC takes the cake in the wedding vendor department! Highly recommend for a wedding, and any event really! You will not be disappointed! I promise. It’s beyond...
the high quality food that will have you begging for seconds… but also their professional service which is exactly what will make your wedding even more flawless! Our guests raved about the meal at the wedding and still do when we see people over a year later! Don’t second guess and book them TODAY!
Beverly P
5.0
12/11/2023
Steel Belly Barbecue did an amazing job for our wedding dinner catering! We wanted something different than your traditional chicken and beef and Steel Belly delivered! From day 1 ...
of emailing with them, they were responsive and were quick to answer any questions we had about the catering services. Russ was wonderful and easy to work with in getting everything we needed. We knew we had nothing to worry about as we got closer to our wedding date! We were also able to have a tasting before our wedding to ensure we got exactly what we wanted to serve for the wedding. Our guests all LOVED the food. If you are looking for some great BBQ in the area, be sure to consider Steel Belly from Algoma, WI! Excellent food, excellent service overall! We will continue to seek them out for all our BBQ cravings!!
Cher S
5.0
12/06/2023
The absolute best BBQ!!! Food was amazing and Russ and his team provided professional service with attention to detail. Highly recommend Steel Belly Barbecue for weddings or any ...
event!!
Viktor M
5.0
11/28/2023
Steel Belly is by far the best BBQ I've had anywhere in the Midwest. The brisket and turkey were big hits! We had a ton of compliments on the food from our guests. Our goal was to ...
have a fairly personal and relaxed reception at Pamperin Park in Green Bay, and Steel Belly fit our vibe perfectly. Russ and his team are very easy to work with and incredibly down-to-earth. When we placed our order we asked Russ to add a salad to the order and he took care of it even though it wasn't originally on the offered options. I can't recommend Steel Belly enough!
Eden S
5.0
11/27/2023
We had a very unique backyard wedding but Russ and his team made it so easy to get exactly what we wanted for dinner. He was super flexible with customizing our meal, and was so re...
sponsive and quick. A dream to work with, and our guests RAVED about the burgers. 10/10 recommend!
