‘Bicycling Brisket Bandit’ Snatches Beef from Indiana BBQ Joint

The owner of an Indiana restaurant claims a "Bicycling Brisket Bandit" has stolen over 30 pounds of brisket right from their smoker.

READ MORE: Five Exotic Meats to Try During Your Next Indiana BBQ

As someone who has prepared and smoked brisket on multiple occasions, I can confidently say it's not for a quick dinner night. For one, you've got to make sure you take the time to trim your brisket so it cooks evenly. You also need to make sure it's well seasoned. The hardest part is monitoring your beef for several hours while it takes a bath in smokey goodness. When using a stick burner rather than a pellet grill, this becomes even more challenging as you have to manage fire and temperature on top of all those other elements. That said, if someone were to snag my brisket after all that work, I would be very peeved. Plus, brisket isn't cheap.

Trouble in Elkhart

Two barbeque restaurants in Indiana have recently fallen victim to brisket theft. Smokin' Fatty's BBQ is located on the north side of Elkhart and was infiltrated after hours on July 5 while the restaurant was closed. According to WSBT News, the subject made multiple trips to the restaurant on a bicycle before taking anything. On the third visit, he entered the building via the back door, which was left unlocked by mistake. He then stole two 17-pound briksets out of a smoker pan and placed them in a backpack. (Yes, a backpack.)

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Who is the 'Bicycling Brisket Bandit?'

Restaurant security cameras were able to capture footage of the incident, and the owner of Smokin' Fatty's, Sam Snyder, shared the images on social media. He refers to the thief as the "Bicycling Brisket Bandit." Snyder told WSBT News that he hoped the meat was put to good use. Apparently, the briskets still had 13–14 hours left to cook. If the thief tried to cut a slice off, he was likely disappointed. Then again, he may not have even noticed, given the fact that he stole them on a bike and just threw them in a backpack.

Unfortunately, just across town, another barbeque restaurant fell victim to a similar crime. However, the two incidents appear to be completely unrelated. WSBT News reports there was an alleged theft at Bill's Bar-B-Que on Benham Avenue in Elkhart. This time, the victims were teenagers. The group of vandals were caught breaking one of the restaurant windows and were attempting to steal a credit card processing machine. They were unsuccessful; however, the 'Bicycling Brisket Bandit' is still on the loose.

Elkhart Police Investigation

I reached out to the Elkhart Police Department, who confirmed this is an active police investigation. Elkhart Public Information Officer Jessica McBrier told WKDQ that police were notified of the incident on July 10 and are now searching for the subject. Anyone with information about the burglary is asked to call the Elkhart Police Department at (574) 295-7070 or leave an anonymous tip on the website.