OUR STORY
Because the love for barbecue doesn’t just happen overnight.
Who’s Bee?
Oh hey - I'm Brendan Hague, but everyone calls me Bee. I’m the proprietor and pitmaster of Bee’s Barbecue. Now that intros are out of the way, let’s get to the meat of our story.
Born & Bred in Madisonville.
Born and raised just down the street from the shop on Erie Avenue, I spent my childhood being taught the love of food and cooking from my parents. I watched my father build community gardens throughout Madisonville, teaching me the importance of sustainability, local ingredients, and appreciation for the time, care, and patience it takes to source food. And while my mother’s delicate and artistic hands have crafted some of the most beautiful pottery this world has seen, they also held a special place in the kitchen - anything that emerged from the oven felt and tasted like love.
Campfires and BBQ Revue.
My love for barbecue is rooted in the time I spent camping as a kid, learning how to build fires, then learning how to cook with it. Once that seed was planted, you could usually find me riding my bike to BBQ Revue (formerly on Madison Road). I would cut grass, do chores, anything at all to earn money so that I could get my hands on barbecue; I didn’t know at the time that my love for the taste of barbecue would eventually lead me here.
Bee’s Barbecue LLC
After years of smoking meats for friends and family, Bee’s Barbecue became a reality in 2017. We began doing pop-ups around the city, but it was our residency at Dutch’s Larder in Hyde Park every other Sunday that really brought our barbecue to the masses. With the line wrapped around the larder and out the door onto the patio, we were always blown away by the love and support we felt from everyone who showed up on Sundays.
Bee’s Barbecue - Madisonville
They say that everything comes full circle, so when we were looking for a storefront to call home, there was no doubt in my mind where I would look. Opening a business in Madisonville only seems right; for me, sharing my love of barbecue in the neighborhood where I grew up is an honor. Madisonville is a proud, compassionate, and diverse community that I am proud to call home for Bee’s Barbecue.
