Owner Tom Atkins grabs an up-to-date menu from the serving window at Big T BBQ Friday evening in Centralia.
Big T BBQ is located at 2318 N. Pearl Street in Centralia.
Owner Tom Atkins talks about the menu at Big T BBQ Friday evening in Centralia.
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Tom Atkins started out in Tenino with a small barbecue pit and a table in 2010. It only took a year before Big T BBQ had outgrown its humble beginnings and moved to its current location at 2318 N. Pearl St. in north Centralia.
Atkins had worked at the Ceramic Tile Center for 28 years, until 2010 when the construction industry plummeted. He had a barbecue pit, so he set it up on that corner in Tenino and started selling pulled pork sandwiches and a bag of chips for $5.
A year later, someone approached Atkins about buying the diner, which was previously Mr J’s, a burger and espresso shop. Atkins needed to expand and the diner was the perfect size, so he and his wife, Rose Atkins, struck a deal. Big T’s BBQ opened at its current location on Aug. 28, 2011.
“It was a lot of hours of staying up all night cooking then going to sell and doing it all over again,” Atkins said. “But it’s a labor of love and perseverance has paid off. Got the diner, then it slowly but surely kept growing.”
Big T BBQ currently has a 4.9 rating on over 100 Facebook reviews, a 4.6 rating across over 300 Google reviews and a 4.5 rating on Yelp’s 59 reviews. Atkins never imagined the business would grow to what it’s become now: the premier barbecue joint in Lewis County.
“Absolutely not,” Atkins said. “There were many times that I thought, ‘Well, this isn’t really worth it. Let’s just close the doors and we’ll do something else.’ But this little diner, this building, has been good to us. It wouldn’t die and people kept coming and showed their support and kept us alive.”
What kept Atkins and his wife going, despite doubts whether they had it in them to keep the restaurant going, was the simple fact that they’re not quitters, Atkins said. They had too much pride and ultimately didn’t want to fold that easily. People kept stopping by and saying it was the best barbecue around, which fueled them.
“You get those affirmations and you can’t just walk away from something like that,” Atkins said.
Around that time, the Centralia Steam-Electric Plant was bringing in several contractors from around the country, including many from the south who were no strangers to quality barbecue. It didn’t take long before they were all lunch regulars.
“They’d come in for lunch and say, ‘Man, this is the best barbecue I’ve had since I’ve been back home,’” Atkins said. “You hear stuff like that from the southern boys and it makes you feel good about what you do.”
Big T’s style of barbecue is a little bit of Texas, a smidgen of Kansas City and mix of all kinds of styles. It’s become their own style, a Pacific Northwest blend, created mostly by Rose’s homemade seasonings and rubs. It’s born from hours upon hours of watching Food Network barbecue shows and researching different techniques. Tom said they’re one of the first places in Washington state to offer a smoked meatloaf sandwich.
Rose always owns and runs a preschool and daycare in Tenino, on top of preparing all the rubs and seasonings each day.
“It’s not easy being two business owners,” Atkins said. “But she loves the kids, and she’s got a lot of perseverance, too, so between us, we just keep on plugging away.”
Big T BBQ has managed to keep a steady stream of customers this past month, even with the novel coronavirus outbreak. Atkins selling point has been top-notch quality barbecue with affordable prices. They’ve been able to keep their full menu through all this, as well.
“We’ve got an amazing community that comes out and supports this,” Atkins said.
Even though business has been booming for Atkins, he feels for the local small restaurant owners in the area who are struggling to stay afloat. Many of which don’t have a drive-through window, like Big Ts, or have shut down temporarily until in-house dining restrictions are lifted.
Tom and Rose have done their best to provide help whenever and wherever possible. They worked with a group that was feeding the homeless for a while. The Centralia Police needed a new K9 about six months ago and were putting on a fundraiser to pay for it. Big Ts donated a huge spread of barbecue to help generate money. Even recently, Tom and Rose received a call from the local 911 dispatchers who were wanting to feed their crew. So Tom and Rose stepped up and provided them some free meals.
“It’s not just about us, it’s about the community, it’s about the other people in town,” Atkins said. “Whatever it takes to help others.”
Big T BBQ is open six days a week, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays. It was open seven days a week before the coronavirus, but Atkins and his crew needed at least one day off each week with so many orders coming in lately. Atkins expects to open back up daily as soon as the statewide in-dining restrictions are lifted.
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Reporter Eric Trent can be reached at etrent@chronline.com. Visit chronline.com/business for more coverage of local businesses.
