Family
The table begins with the people we love and the memories we make together.
Our Story at the Table
Work built the foundation. Family gave it meaning.
Uncle Clarence BBQ is a Long Island family business built from resilience, carried by legacy, and created to bring people together through unforgettable flavor.
Taste the story
Meet the founder
When one chapter changed, Clarence built the next.
Before Uncle Clarence BBQ, founder Clarence C. Mitchell built a career in electrical work and 5G infrastructure. When glaucoma threatened his vision, he faced a decision: let uncertainty write the ending, or use everything work had taught him to build something lasting.
He chose to build. The same discipline, responsibility, and pride he carried throughout his working life became the foundation of Uncle Clarence BBQ.
Clarence comes from a family of laborers—people who understood long days, working hands, responsibility, and the dignity of earning what you build. That history is why work is not a marketing theme here. It is part of the family identity.
This company is not simply a product line. It is proof that purpose can grow from disruption—and that the work we do can continue serving people in a new form.
A legacy carried forward
The man behind the name. The family within the seal.
Clarence Foster Mitchell was a working man, a gifted cook, and someone who used food to bring people together. His rib seasoning and backyard barbecue created memories that lasted long after the plates were cleared.
Clarence built Uncle Clarence BBQ to honor his father’s example—not by freezing it in the past, but by giving it a future. The company seal also honors both of his parents, Clarence and Vergie Mitchell, whose strength, love, and example remain part of the brand’s foundation.
Our mission
Make memorable food. Bring people together. Carry the legacy forward.
Our mission is to bring families and communities together through bold flavor, heartfelt tradition, and honest ingredients.
We make food we are proud to serve at our own table—and products that help other people create memories at theirs.
From our award-winning blueberry BBQ sauce to our seasonings, gifts, and merchandise, everything we create should carry forward a legacy of love, resilience, craftsmanship, and community.
Integrity
Build honestly, communicate clearly, and never take shortcuts with trust.
Craftsmanship
Respect the work, learn the details, and make every product with purpose.
Legacy
Honor what came before us by creating something worthy of carrying forward.
Community
Use food, hospitality, and partnership to make room for others at the table.
How we choose to grow
Growth matters. How we grow matters more.
We do not believe family, history, faith, or struggle should be reduced to a sales tactic. We believe in honest value, sustainable partnerships, and earning customer trust over time.
That philosophy guides how we serve individual customers, business partners, corporate clients, and the communities around us.
Rooted on Long Island
Local is not a limitation. It is our foundation.
Uncle Clarence BBQ is building its strongest home across Long Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Upstate New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and the surrounding region. We welcome customers everywhere, but our first responsibility is to become a trusted part of the communities closest to our table.