Just months after Jeff Gibbs took ownership of Smoker’s BBQ Pit, his business went up in flames.
After taking over the popular barbecue restaurant in March 2023, Gibbs faced an unprecedented challenge: closing his new business venture indefinitely.
The closure was due to a massive fire caused by a lightning strike. The fire broke out in the early hours of June 27, 2023, destroying the interior of the building as well as part of the side.
The wood smokers and the cookbook, which Gibbs says he had to dig through the rubble in the kitchen to find, were preserved.
When Gibbs arrived on site and saw the smoking remains of his restaurant, he was stunned. To this day, he can hardly describe the feeling.
“The only thing I could do was hold on, keep going, rebuild and reopen,” he said.
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After fire disaster “a brand new restaurant”
Now, after reopening in March 2024, Smoker’s BBQ Pit is back and better than ever with a new computer system, new shelving, new kitchen appliances, drywall, flooring, outdoor music, and a new attitude.
“Looking back now, I think it was perhaps a stroke of luck,” said Gibbs. “We have brand new appliances and had to replace everything. We had to make an efficient kitchen even more efficient.”
The grill restaurant also features a new, eye-catching orange roof.
“Ultimately, I have a brand new restaurant for another 18 seasons,” he added.
The surrounding community has been incredibly supportive throughout.
“The community was great,” said Gibbs, 47.
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Smoker’s has been a popular barbecue spot in Ocean City for many years
According to the restaurant’s official website, Smoker’s BBQ Pit is known for smoking pork, beef, chicken and fish on-site, as well as numerous homemade side dishes with a Southern flair.
Located at 9711 Stephen Decatur Highway in Ocean City, Maryland, the company was founded in 1996 by Carl and Jeanne Glenn, passed to Denise Venable in 2011, and acquired by Gibbs in 2023.
Gibbs, himself from Ocean City, is no stranger to the East Coast business world.
“I’ve been in the restaurant business my whole life, selling pizza and pancakes,” he said.
Gibbs and his family also own The Dough Roller, another popular Ocean City eatery.
“The opportunity presented itself and I took it,” Gibbs said of his new business venture at Smoker’s BBQ Pit. “But there is a learning curve. Barbecue is a completely different product, of course. But it’s been a lot of fun.”
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Which Smoker’s Menu favorites does Gibbs recommend?
Gibbs’ favorite suggestion from the restaurant’s extensive menu is ribs, as well as an off-menu item called the “Piggy Melt” – a grilled cheese sandwich with pulled pork on sourdough bread.
“I haven’t changed the menu. I haven’t changed the recipes. Everything is made fresh, just like real, authentic barbecue should be,” said Gibbs, who takes pride in what he and his dedicated staff serve.
His daughter Ava Gibbs – a great help behind the scenes – recommends the “Big Bad Wolf” – a sumptuous sandwich with a smoked sausage, red pulled pork and bacon, all topped with melted cheese and served on an 8-inch-wide hoagie bun.
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Ava, 11, loves wearing her Smoker’s BBQ Pit T-shirt to school. But because the logo on the T-shirt features a pig wearing a chef’s hat and sunglasses and smoking a cigar, Gibbs had a shirt made especially for Ava that doesn’t have a cigar on it.
As for the future of Smoker’s BBQ Pit, with its fun slogan “Come get you sum,” Gibbs said he doesn’t plan on making any major changes. However, he added, “I will never rule out opening another location.”
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Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at [email protected].
