OAKWOOD BBQ

Since 2018, The Oakwood BBQ Company has been the culmination of three friends’ passion, blood, sweat, and dedication to making the best possible food they can. In a way, these guys are masochists for an art form that is a true labor of love: live fire barbecue.

Cody and Zack go way back. Met at the regional science fair in middle school (where Cody had a project about model rocketry, this comes into play later) and then continued their friendship into college at WVU where they studied engineering, cooked together all the time, and dreamed of having a food truck. With that being said, Zack stayed at WVU to graduate with a Masters in Civil Engineering and Cody dropped out (cue Kanye) and went to culinary school.

JC and Cody met in high school through mutual friends and it was immediately love at first beer pong partnership. When Cody was turning 30 many moons ago, he wanted to have a pig roast. The only problem was he didn’t have anything to roast said pig on. Instead of building a cinder block pit like most, him and his best bud JC, who happened to have access to a metal shop, decided they were going to fabricate a 500 gallon offset smoker. Afterwards, the three amigos got together and figured they might as well use the damn thing and The Oakwood BBQ Company was born.

From the rip, Oakwood BBQ has been consistently selling out of food and producing some of the finest hardwood smoked BBQ on the East Coast. The restaurant is a classic walk-up style food stand with an ample outdoor lawn seating area for customers, friends, and family to enjoy a unique culinary experience. Around 11:00 am at each opening, customers start forming a jovial line in front of the BBQ joint that often wraps around the parking lot in anticipation of the smoky goodness that awaits them. Aside from their BBQ staples such as brisket and spare ribs, the menu is constantly evolving and features rotating monthly specials such as the infamous Benton’s Bacon BLT, Beef N’ Chedda, Smokestack Lightning Sausage, and Beef Dino Rib. The dining experience is meant to be fun and social, featuring a curated playlist tastefully pumping out the best tunes to set the mood for a very memorable meal.

Lastly, you might be asking, why the name? Oakwood Farms was the name of Cody’s grandparents’ cattle farm back in the day which is also where he used to launch the model rockets for his science fair projects. Hence the rocket on the pig in the logo. Boom, full circle.

What makes your business unique?

As previously mentioned, The Oakwood BBQ Company was founded by three friends out of a shared love for good food and a drive to create something exceptional. Each of the co-founders hail from Berkeley County, WV and have chosen to put down roots and positively contribute to our local community. They are striving to create a BBQ destination (remember that word) that unites people from diverse backgrounds in a shared flavor experience. Generous portions, high-quality ingredients, and a blissful atmosphere.

So, let us paint a picture for you. Envision Black Draft Distillery in Martinsburg. Envision Vanish Brewery in Leesburg. Envision Breaux Vineyards in Purcellville. What do all of these establishments have in common? They are destinations.

Folks travel to these places because they’ve created venues that are warm and welcoming for hanging out with friends and family. All of these establishments also have another factor in common – they’re built around alcohol and food is an afterthought. While you certainly have folks that do travel for fine wines, beers, and boozes, food trumps and evokes a level of joy that the aforementioned only dream of. Also, not everyone imbibes. They do, however, have to eat.

Are there BBQ restaurants in Berkeley County? Yes. Are any of them obsessed with using high-quality ingredients, creating a blissful atmosphere and achieving a level of quality that BBQ aficionados will literally travel for? No. And THAT, is what Oakwood is all about – creating a food focused destination.

How will the prize money be used?

The prize money will be used to help build permanent ADA compliant restroom facilities to replace the current handicap accessible porta potty adorning the Oakwood BBQ grounds. While this is not a glamorous endeavor, it is of the utmost importance and will provide a much more comfortable and enjoyable experience for our guests.

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