What started as a food counter in a San Antonio car wash has grown into a community favorite for the cities it serves. Now with brick-and-mortar locations in San Antonio and New Braunfels, The Big Bib BBQ continues its mission to deliver a high-quality food and dining experience.

How it started

Stanley Shropshire began The Big Bib BBQ in a car wash on the Eastside of San Antonio, his hometown, in 2000. He said he taught himself how to grill by reading library books and experiencing a lot of trial and error.

“Barbecue is a food that you really gotta love to do it because it takes patience, time and a little science behind it as well,” Shropshire said.

He opened the first brick-and-mortar Big Bib on Austin Highway in San Antonio in 2010. Since 2016, the restaurant has also been a fixture inside the Alamodome. The Bib Big BBQ New Braunfels opened up on Landa Street in what was previously McBee’s BarB-Q in 2022. Now fully renovated and rebranded, The Big Bib BBQ has become a local favorite barbecue spot.


What’s on the menu

Shropshire said one of his goals is to serve premium meats at an affordable price. Customers can choose from sandwiches or spuds with brisket, pulled pork or turkey breast. Plate options include other meats, such as rib tips and sausage.

Shropshire encourages every customer who sits down to eat to experiment with the four barbecue sauces they have to offer: Bib Sauce, Honey BBQ, Tangy Gold and Hot ‘n Spicy.

What else?


Respect and service to its local communities is a significant part of The Big Bib BBQ business, Shropshire said. Whether that means donating to local schools, taking time to train Big Bib staff members or supporting other local barbecue joints, The Big Bib BBQ wants to reciprocate the love and patronage from the local community.

“Being able to come into a community which is already a barbecue town, a great barbecue town, and folks saying, ‘Oh well hey, I’m going to give you a try,’” Shropshire said. “That's all we can ask, and I think that's just phenomenal.”