Staff photo by Fritz Busch Cheryl and Tom MacFarland host a soft opening of their new restaurant, Mac’s Smokehouse at the former Fairfax Auto Clinic building on west Highway 19 Saturday. The bar/restaurant holds a grand opening from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on April 1.

FAIRFAX — After months of preparation, a former Twin Cities and South Florida sous-chef and his wife will open Mac’s Smokehouse restaurant/bar in the former Auto Clinic on west Highway 19 on April 1.

Tom MacFarland and his wife Cheryl moved from the Twin Cities to a farm northeast of Fairfax after Tom fell while carrying heavy gear on ice in the Twin Cities. The fall shattered many bones in his legs and feet, causing him to get prosthetics in place of both of his lower legs.

MacFarland underwent surgery several times at North Memorial and as recently as last year at New Ulm Medical Center.

Disabled after working for decades as a paramedic in North Minneapolis and Dallas, and as a sous-chef in his earlier days in near Lake Minnetonka, New York and South Florida, MacFarland found himself looking for a new vocation.

“I just couldn’t stay sitting around being disabled anymore, so we bought the Auto Clinic building and created the restaurant,” MacFarland said. “We got lots of great help from local contractors Jeff Linsmeier, Mike Kiecker and Kelly Albrecht. They did a great job remodeling the building.”

The restaurant features a variety of food, much of which is smoked with apple and maplewood. The menu includes St. Louis-style smoked pork ribs with homemade rib sauce, U.S.D.A. Choice Angus Brisket, barbecue ribs, pulled pork, chicken wings, smoked chicken with homemade seasoning, wild rice, New England Clam Chowder and smoke sausage.

“Everything is homemade,” MacFarland said.

Beverage variety is wide too with 17 kinds of bottled beer, three tap beers and a number of wines and spirits.

Mac’s Smokehouse offers dine-in, take-out and catering. Bar/restaurant hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. They are closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Fritz Busch can be e-mailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.