Black Kettle BBQ

Black Kettle BBQ Proudly serving Parma, Ohio and all surrounding communities of North East OH.

Black Kettle BBQ is a Roadside BBQ food service experience; offering signature and classic Americana BBQ offerings, scratch sauces and freshly made sides. 100% Post Oak Smoked!

What's going on Smokeys,A post to further my professional and personal embarrassment. I am asking everyone to consider s...
06/03/2026

What's going on Smokeys,

A post to further my professional and personal embarrassment.

I am asking everyone to consider supporting the other Northeast Ohio BBQ operators who have advanced into the Cleveland.com "Best Of" voting. Not saying we would win at all....just saying the vote this year is placed better with the other four operators for your service.

While Black Kettle BBQ was honored to be included among the finalists, we are not currently operating a storefront and therefore do not have the daily opportunity to serve guests the way the other businesses in this category do.

The operators listed alongside us show up every day, open their doors, light their fires, and serve their communities. They have earned their place through hard work, consistency, and dedication to their craft. I have personally supported each of them as a customer and have tremendous respect for what they do.

Being considered among Northeast Ohio's best is a distinction that should be accompanied by the ability to serve the public daily, and at this moment Black Kettle BBQ cannot do that.

For those reasons, I would encourage you to support the businesses that are actively carrying the banner for barbecue in our region. They are all deserving operators and outstanding representatives of the craft.

As for Black Kettle BBQ, I remain committed to finding a path back to serving you. My goal has never changed. I simply want to provide quality food, value, and service to the people who have supported us throughout this journey and those that still have not been our guests yet.

Thank you for the kindness, encouragement, and patience you have shown us. I can't suffer the embarrassment of winning this thing and standing next to another more deserving operator who was permitted to put in the work and is doing it. I have more respect for the Hospitality Industry and myself then that.

I'm sincerely asking you to put your vote where it will matter for your service and theirs.

Respectfully,

Ed Michalski Black Kettle BBQ

(I'm asking to save me from the embarrassment I didn't think we would get through given the circumstances. But more over I'm asking you to celebrate those who are actively serving YOU because they, like us, would not exist without you)

What we have here Ladies and Gentlemen is a Wedding Rehearsal Dinner of soon to be Mr. Joe And Mrs. Sarah Logan at the C...
05/23/2026

What we have here Ladies and Gentlemen is a Wedding Rehearsal Dinner of soon to be Mr. Joe And Mrs. Sarah Logan at the Chalet in Strongsville! We served Rich and Maureen and their oldest boy Matt a bunch of times last year and then I met Joe and Sarah Parma Heights Frights and they immediately asked if we cater weddings; I'm sure I replied with my standard of "exceedingly well." Maureen booked us and has been a superior example of an amazing client!

I have never and I mean never received the privilege to serve such an amazing group of people gathered together this happy with a real sense of love and togetherness. They made me feel like part of the family! To be around such love and care restores my commitments to be a part of such occasions. (I am not confused why I do this work! Its a privilege to serve where there is love and appreciation!)

Either the BBQ is good or these are just the most gracious people ever! I'm gonna say the latter because I'm not that good of a cook to receive this much merit; but they definitely are a loving, caring, and appreciative lot! And even better than that they are all Smokeys!!! (Let's Go!!!)

Last little note about the group and I'll quit gushing on them. I was privileged to be approached by Joe's Grandfather and the man at 94 years old has more in the tank than most 40+ year olds I know....but that ain't the cool part what the cool part is is Pappa introduced me to his Mrs. And then told me that I'm going to be his caterer at their 74th (yes 74th! ā¤ļø) wedding anniversary! And if that ain't a display of the capability and capacity to love and be loved, I don't know what is! Beautiful!

Not my first wedding or rehearsal but this one is definitely gonna stick out as a fond memory of what it is to be of service and to receive being served! It's collaborative, pleasing to all involved and free!

May God Bless Sarah and Joe with years of happiness and harmony working towards and through the goals of a partnership in marriage!

I love my Smokeys! Tent, Trailer, Ice cream Shop, Challet, Golf Course, Fair Ground, Lake Erie Pier.... it don't matter where next, sincerely it doesn't ....they cross county's lines and I've seen it....they come and we grow together! How do you think I got there in the first place? It's love.

Didn't stop anything.... minor inconvenience to the inevitable.

Hospitality..... Viola!

(Hospitality is the generous, friendly, and welcoming reception of guests, visitors, or strangers) And that definition doesn't contain 1 oz. Of BBQ in it and it's a two way.

(Psst....that's "the man" right there behind my. shoulder in the red. 94 šŸ†šŸ’ŖšŸ»)

šŸ”„ šŸŽ®

What's going on Smokey's!I need to speak to you directly because you deserve honesty from me.Black Kettle BBQ was built ...
05/21/2026

What's going on Smokey's!

I need to speak to you directly because you deserve honesty from me.

Black Kettle BBQ was built around real wood-fired barbecue. No gas. No shortcuts. No pretending. Just time, smoke, fire, and work.

The response from all of you has honestly exceeded anything I expected. We were effectively capacity-capped almost immediately after opening.

Unfortunately, I have reached a point operationally where I cannot responsibly continue the current storefront operation the way we are presently configured.

The reality is simple: I do not have enough approved cooking capacity at this location to properly meet demand while maintaining the standards I set for food quality, consistency, safety, and service.

At a certain point, it is no longer responsible for me to continue asking guests to make the exchange of their time, money, and trust while knowing there is no feasible path to responsibly expand the operation here in a way that meets demand without compromising those standards.

I explored expansion options for a larger exterior smoker system. After extensive discussion and evaluation, that path is not moving forward here in a feasible way.

What makes this especially difficult is that Black Kettle BBQ actually has more approved cooking capacity on our Mobile Food Service Trailer than we currently have available at the storefront operation.

Because of that reality, I have made the difficult decision to close the current storefront chapter rather than compromise the product, compromise safety, or operate in a way I do not believe in.

I want to be clear: This is not because Black Kettle BBQ failed. It is šŸ’Æ because we succeeded and look to continue to succeed.

You supported us heavily. You gave us a real shot. And I will never forget that.
This decision is being made because I refuse to become something I am not just to stay open another week.

I believe deeply in hospitality, craftsmanship, and doing things correctly ā€” even when it costs me personally.

Our next chapter will likely involve returning to the trailer platform while we continue exploring opportunities in municipalities that better support the operational realities of traditional wood-fired barbecue at scale.

To every Smokey, every employee, every supporter, every person who stood in line, shared a post, told a friend, or trusted us with their lunch/dinner table: Thank you.

You mattered to us every single day.
This is not the end of Black Kettle BBQ. But it is the end of this chapter.

And Iā€™d rather leave standing on principle than survive by lowering standards.

Thank you for allowing me to serve you.

ā€” Ed

Black Kettle BBQ

Everything that man needed to grow is contained therein.

05/17/2026

Saving you all the trouble for tomorrow. 5/17/2026 we will be closed.

Tune in though

Its simple matter of understanding how to take a 416 and fashion a 416A and a 416B šŸ˜œ šŸ˜‰ šŸ˜ Smokey Good Things 3803 Brookpa...
05/15/2026

Its simple matter of understanding how to take a 416 and fashion a 416A and a 416B šŸ˜œ šŸ˜‰ šŸ˜

Smokey Good Things 3803 Brookpark Rd. 44134

05/13/2026

What's going on Smokey's

We will be serving tomorrow 5/14/2026 at 3803 Brookpark Rd. Parma OH 44134 beginning at 11:00AM.

We look forward to serving you!

05/09/2026

We are closed today 5/9/2026 and tomorrow 5/10/2026.

05/08/2026

We are closed today 5/8/2026.

05/07/2026

We are closed today 5/7/2026

Beef short ribs in the house!!
05/02/2026

Beef short ribs in the house!!

Address

3803 Brookpark Road
Parma, OH
44134

Opening Hours

Thursday 11am - 3pm
Friday 11am - 3pm
Saturday 11am - 3pm
Sunday 11am - 3pm

Telephone

+12163851195

Website

http://blackkettlebbq.square.site/

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