The Beginning
Every Good Barbeque has a Story!
We believe folklore is a mixture of truth, exaggeration, cold drinks, and BBQ. Around here, that’s usually where the best stories begin.
Ours started at an auction. It wasn't the kind of place you'd expect to find history—but sometimes history has a way of finding you.
Louis and Jon weren't searching for history.
They were searching for an old off set stick Smoker.
One Saturday morning, they found themselves standing in the middle of a country auction, hoping to bring home a weathered offset smoker. It wasn't the prettiest pit on the lot, but it had character—smoke-blackened steel, worn handles, and the unmistakable look of a pit that had spent decades feeding friends and neighbors.
When the bidding ended, the pit belonged to them.
As they started loading it onto the trailer, the auctioneer waved them over.
"Hold on, boys... you'll want this too."
He pointed toward an old cedar box sitting quietly beside the smoker.
"We didn't bid on the box," Jon said.
The auctioneer smiled.
"Didn't matter. Around here, that box's always gone with the pit."
No one seemed to know where it came from.
No one could remember who had put it there.
Everyone simply agreed...
The box belonged with the pit.
So the cedar box went home too.
They figured they'd bought an old smoker.
Turns out...
They'd brought home something far more valuable.
Inside were handwritten recipes stained with smoke, faded photographs, newspaper clippings, letters, and stories about two unforgettable men...
Merle Cracker and Earl Cracker.
Some folks claimed they were legendary pitmasters.
Others insisted they were nothing more than gifted storytellers.
Most agreed they were probably a little of both.
The deeper Louis and Jon dug into the box, the more they realized something.
Whether every story was true wasn't nearly as important as what the stories represented.
Family.
Friendship.
Good food.
Laughter around the fire.
And the kind of memories that grow a little better every time they're told.
So they made a decision.
They'd keep opening the Cedar Box.
One story at a time.
One recipe at a time.
One piece of questionable history at a time.
Today, that's exactly what 2 Crackers BBQ & Fixin's is all about.
Great barbecue.
Good company.
Stories worth sharing.
Whether they're fact...
or just really good folklore.
So pull up a chair.
The smoker's warming up.
The Cedar Box is open.
And we're just getting started.
— Louis & Jon
Caretakers of the Cedar Box