C&J Barbeque began within a gas station on Harvey Road in College Station in October 1981, Director Reagan Manning said.
Her parents, Chip and Jo Manning, purchased the gas station and convenience store with the goal of having more space for their catering food truck business, which was previously operated out of their house, Reagan said.
But drawing on her late father’s lifelong love for barbecue, Reagan said Chip added a barbecue pit at the gas station and began smoking two briskets a day, serving up hot links, sliced beef and chopped beef sandwiches.
Now, 45 years later, C&J Barbeque’s three locations across Bryan and College Station have grown from serving 15-20 pounds to over 2,000 pounds of meat daily, she said.
How we got here
In 1997, Chip and Jo converted the convenience store to a barbecue restaurant and took out the gas pumps, Reagan said. In 2002, the couple expanded to Bryan, and in 2006, C&J Barbeque’s Southwest Parkway location opened in College Station. The Bryan location relocated from Texas Avenue and was rebuilt in August 2022 on Briargate Drive, now serving as the company’s largest location. It houses catering operations and offers event rooms, she said.
“The vibe’s a little different at each [store], the menu is pretty much the same,” she said. “The original store is what you think of when you think of a small-town Texas barbecue restaurant. ... It just kind of has that small-town barbecue feel.”
As Jo is retired from the business, Reagan and her brother, Justin, oversee restaurant operations.
“The business has been here for over 40 years, but it’s the same family,” Reagan said. “We have such a good relationship with the community. We’re only a business because of them, so it’s been really important to our family to give back to the community as much as we can.”
On the menu
C&J Barbeque, which is open daily, has grown from its single barbecue pit to seven pits capable of holding up to about 200 briskets, Reagan said. The Bryan location alone has served up a one-day record of 115 briskets during a game day at Texas A&M University.
Besides its popular brisket, the barbecue menu includes other favorites like pork belly burnt ends and jalapeno cheese sausage, she said, as well as traditional barbecue staples such as turkey, pulled pork and chicken. The menu includes lunch and dinner specials as well as a children’s menu and sides, including the popular ranch potatoes.
To keep the menu fresh, C&J Barbeque rotates a side of the month, featuring dishes such as enchilada mac and cheese in April, a cold broccoli salad in summer, Dr. Pepper glazed beans in July, and Cajun vegetables in January, Reagan said.
“We care to always be learning. We know that we don’t know everything about barbecue and that we can always be better, and so we’re constantly looking at what we’re doing, looking at how we can be better, while trying to also be somewhat affordable,” she said. “Our business model is ... for people to eat with us a couple times a week, not once every other month as a novelty because lunch is going to be $60. That’s not realistic for most people.”
C&J Barbeque
- 4304 Harvey Road, College Station
- 2112 W. Briargate Drive, Bryan
- 105 Southwest Parkway, College Station
- www.cjbbq.com
