Ranch House BBQ

RANCH HOUSE BBQ knows a thing or two about real bbq! Competing on the national competition bbq circuit for 13 years now (be sure & check out all the trophies!), Pitmaster & Founder Amy Anderson and her competition bbq team have taken home Grand Championships at the Washington, California, Arizona, and Nevada State BBQ Championships. And let’s not forget to mention the Grand Championship at the Canadian International and the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP in Ireland in 2000!

Born and raised in Olympia, Anderson and Co-Founder Melanie Tapia were looking for a new home for their established bbq catering company. It was during this time that the FoodNetwork chose to film them while competing at the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational in Lynchburg, Tennessee under their team name of Mad Momma & the Kids. Shortly thereafter, they stumbled across the” original Ranch” and immediately knew it would be the perfect roadside bbq house. After several months of remodeling, the doors to the historic Ranch were re-opened in April 2004.

Where is the “original” Ranch House BBQ now?

Ranch House BBQ was destroyed on the morning of Monday 12/3/07 by a huge mudslide that came rumbling through the property. The 100' wide & 15' high wall of mud and debris swept through taking everything along with it. It swallowed up the water and septic systems, tore apart the restaurant and outbuildings, destroyed the smokers that made Anderson’s signature barbecue meats and even the checkered curtains that made customers feel welcome.

BUT, with the help of overwhelming community support, Ranch House BBQ would rise from the smoke…ughh, we mean the mud! Within 48 hours from the disaster, the Governor Hotel had offered complete use of its vacant restaurant space, which includes kitchen facilities, a dining room twice the size of the original space, and utilities, to Ranch House BBQ. Owners Anderson and Tapia were amazed - surely the Governor Hotel wasn’t serious! Oh, but they were! And here we are!

What is to become of the “original” Ranch House BBQ that sits alongside such a quiet little creek only 10 minutes from here? Our dream is to rebuild and make our way back home. But, for now - this is home!