BBQ Smokehouse & Catering

Dear Barbecue Fans, You may be wondering why a classically trained, Mobil 5-Star Chef does barbecue. Frankly, I fell in love…

I´ll never forget the first time I tasted real smoked ribs, juicy chicken and tender pulled pork. I was touring the country, working as a guest chef at some of America´s most prominent restaurants, including Commanders Palace with Emeril Lagasse, Paul Prudhomme´s K-Paul´s, Wolfgang Puck´s Spago and Alice Waters´ Chez Panisse. I cooked (and ate!) in one temple of fine cuisine after another.

And then it happened. On a paper plate. In a strip mall, somewhere in East Texas. I realized that out of the hundreds of meals I’d eaten on my trip, the most memorable was right here in my hand: a heapin’ helping of tender, flavorful beef brisket, served with a dab of sauce and beans on the side.

I knew I’d found my calling. Over the next 20 years, I visited the legendary barbecue capitals of Austin, Texas, Memphis, Tennessee, and Kansas City. I tasted the best regional barbecue in America, collected recipes, talked to the chefs, and experimented.


I discovered that the best of the best use only hardwood in their BBQ pits (never gas), so I ponied up and shipped an all-wood-burning Texas barbecue pit to Sonoma County.

Weighing in at 8,000 pounds overall, our wood-fired barbecue pit is the biggest, baddest wood-fired BBQ pit in Sonoma County! You won’t find any propane or charcoal in this baby, just 100% hardwood.

You won’t find any commercial sauces or pre-packaged rubs in my kitchen. We are so fanatical about quality that I make the sausages myself. Our flavorful side dishes are legendary, the fruit of 20 years of testing and tasting. We even bring piping hot corn bread fresh from our ovens to your party!

At the BBQ Smokehouse, we’re raising the bar in barbecue! Take a look around the website, check out our menus, our services and our client reviews. Then come on over to my barbecue joint and taste the difference!

~ Chef Larry Vito