POULSBO — The search for barbecue in Little Norway is finally over. Now the question is which delicacy to try and what sides will accompany it.

Carol Tong and Stephanie Ryan, along with their trusty jack-of-all trades Molly Walters, and the rest of the crew at Wild Horse BBQ in Poulsbo Village opened the doors Jan. 13 and it’s been nonstop delicious fun ever since.

However, the excitement began long before the trio went into business together, when Tong, Walters and Ryan got together for a cookie-making party for their children’s schools.

“We started with a couple of barbecues at the Ryan Ranch and all of our friends wanted to come,” Ryan said, noting that at those gatherings, friends and guests sampled different recipes and were asked to provide feedback on blank sheets of paper. “It was a blind taste test and we found certain ones kept coming up.”

With the thought of opening a barbecue restaurant in Poulsbo in mind, the trio began searching for the ideal location before settling down in Poulsbo Village.

“We looked everywhere including an old fire station,” Tong recalled with a bit of the infectious laughter that fills the restaurant.

Once the location was selected, a three-day trip to Oregon helped firm up their plans as Tong said the trio went everywhere imaginable to find ideas.

Walters designed the logo and along the way, the trio picked up a pair of jackelopes, Buck and Spike.

“Buck even has a barbecue stain on his chin,” Ryan noted.

The walls are adorned with black-and-white photos Ryan has taken at the various rodeos and other events she’s attended while competing as a barrel racer and the wood veneer is from an old ranch in Reno, Nevada.

“One of my friends bought a stack of boards for $20 and we went and picked them up,” Ryan said.

However, when it comes to the wood used to give their barbecue a distinct flavor, the trio selected apple wood over other staples such as hickory and mesquite.

“We went with apple wood in honor of the Pacific Northwest,” Tong said.

Everything from the bourbon pecan pies to the corn poppers with honey and cheesy spuds are made from scratch, and yes, they do use real cream butter, Tong said.

For first-timers and those who don’t know exactly what they want, the crew gladly hands out samples of everything, Ryan said.

“Samples are always given, that way they get exactly what they want,” she said.

With a bevy of regulars already in place, Wild Horse BBQ employees strive to make everyone feel right at home, Ryan said.

There’s even a kids’ menu that features chicken drummies and homemade mac-n-cheese.

“We’ve gotten great comments from our customers and everybody loves to work here,” Tong said.