"Built on craftsmanship, pride & consistency."

AbbiJax Bar-B-Q is a locally owned, small-batch barbecue company built on craftsmanship, consistency, and bold, unforgettable flavor. We specialize in high-quality smoked meats prepared using traditional low-and-slow methods, offering holiday meals, game day spreads, catering, and custom orders designed to make hosting effortless and stress-free.

But AbbiJax didn’t start as a business.  It started with a smoker — and a calling.  In 2009, just before my daughter was born, I received my first offset smoker as my very first Father’s Day gift. Around that same time, I was unexpectedly asked to cook for a 200-person wedding at our church. What could have been overwhelming turned into a defining moment. That cook reignited something in me — a passion for serving people through food.

For the next several years, I traveled extensively across the United States and into Canada for a tech career. Everywhere I went, I paid attention to barbecue — the regional techniques, flavor profiles, seasoning styles, and philosophies behind the craft. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was studying. Absorbing. Learning.

In 2011, as my son was about to be born, I made the decision to stop traveling and work closer to home. The transition brought financial challenges, so I started cooking barbecue for friends and family to help make ends meet. My focus was simple: take care of my family. Barbecue became more than passion — it became provision.

In 2013, I attended the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue and had the opportunity to meet several legends in the sport, including Johnny Trigg, known as the “Godfather of Ribs.” I shared an early version of my rub with him and asked a simple question: How do you cook when it’s just you and your wife?  His answer changed everything. Keep it simple. Build flavor on fundamentals.

That advice led me back to the basics — salt, pepper, and paprika — and from there, I rebuilt my signature rub one spice at a time until it became the carefully crafted blend that defines AbbiJax Bar-B-Q today.

That same competition also introduced me to the Fat Boys BBQ Competition Team from Denton, Texas — a multi-generational championship team rooted deeply in barbecue tradition. They didn’t offer shortcuts. They taught discipline. They taught me how to think about brisket — temperature, patience, timing, and respect for the meat. That guidance transformed my cooking.

The very next Monday, I brought that brisket into the office. I never got a single bite. The aroma drew people from across the building, and by the end of the day, I had orders for two full briskets the following weekend.  That was the moment I knew this was bigger than a hobby.

Today, AbbiJax Bar-B-Q is built on pride, precision, and purpose. Every cook is held to the highest standard. No shortcuts. No compromises. Just honest barbecue done right.  I stand behind every cut of meat that leaves my smoker. Whether you’re ordering from our core menu or dreaming up something custom, I’m committed to delivering flavor that speaks for itself.

If you can dream it, I’ll do everything I can to smoke it.

Let’s connect — and let’s make your next gathering unforgettable.

Jon Staten, Owner & Operator, AbbiJax Bar-B-Q