This Merced restaurant is a favorite of locals, with tri-tip and live music. See where it is
A first date over barbecue was the foundation that led Rob and Jana Nairn to open their own business, The Tri-Tipery. Located in Ballico about 9 miles northwest of Atwater, this outdoor restaurant has evolved into a community-gathering spot for locals and neighboring communities to enjoy.
Many people like to categorize the food as barbecue, said Rob Nairn, but he feels that there is a fusion of Hispanic and Asian flavors as well.
Antonio Cervantes-Rodríguez has been the chef at The Tri-Tipery for several years now. He trained at the Institute of Technology after his love for cooking started in his youth.
His parents worked in the fields and when he came home from school, in order to eat, he had to cook his own food. That sparked his love affair with cooking.
“He has great culinary skills. So he throws different influences in and that’s what really has made the menu amazing,” Jana Nairn said.
While working at The Tri-Tipery, Cervantes-Rodríguez has created dishes like the “Triple-Threat” that includes smoked chicken breast, smoked pork belly, and crispy bacon with bacon aioli all on a sandwich roll. He has also brought a flan bread pudding that customers love.
“Some of the customers say ‘Oh, this is the best tri tip we’ve found, like right here in the Merced area and Modesto, Stanislaus, so everybody likes it,” Cervantes-Rodríguez said.
Rob and Jana Nairn first met in college where they both earned degrees in AgriBusiness at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Upon graduation they moved to Ballico, Jana’s hometown, where they have resided ever since.
“A delightful community to be a part of, we enjoy it for sure,” Jana Nairn said.
Since 2010, the Nairns have been distributing produce to schools through their company Ag Link. In 2015, the company grew to the point where they needed to find a facility to store their trucks and inventory.
They found a commercially zoned lot in Ballico but in order for the county to approve they needed to offer something to the community. The couple wrestled with the idea of opening a fruit stand, but one day Rob Nairn had an idea that took Jana by surprise.
“...I told you I said let’s just open a barbecue restaurant and you were like what?” Rob Nairn said.
“We’ve never done anything in the restaurant industry you know so I was like, are you crazy?” Jana Nairn said.
Owners saw a need for a local lunch spot
Living and working in the community for so long, they saw a need for a lunch spot that locals could enjoy instead of traveling about 10 miles to the surrounding areas.
The first stages of The Tri-Tipery started out as a pop-up tent, then quickly transformed into what customers can see standing today in Ballico.
Many customers might remember the food truck but it was sold during COVID due to the difficulty of managing it. Also their location on Highway 120 in Escalon took a hit during this time and was bought out.
The years following COVID were marked by supply chain problems and labor shortages.
Currently they are facing the effects from the minimum wage increase in California. In order to compete, they are having to match this hike in wages.
“So to keep people you have to go up; and, now food, the price goes up,” Rob Nairn said.
Customers can try popular menu items such as the “Wagon Wheel” which is made up of oak-fired, sliced tri tip on garlic bread; or, the “Fifty-Fifty” that features smoked, sliced tri tip and slow cooked pork belly with honey mustard and coleslaw.
The past few years they have brought in live music on Friday nights and more recently on Saturday nights. Another popular special that they offer is $1 and $1.50 beers all day Friday and from 4 p.m. until closing on Saturdays.
For the month of June live music has been offered every Friday and Saturday night. Upcoming artists include Morgan Mallory, Night Life, California Creedence, and Troublesome.
Those interested in performing can reach out through social media @tri_tipery or email tritipery@gmail.com.
