Our Story
Steamin’ Steve’s, LLC is a family-owned and operated company offering quality, small-batched barbeque sauces, rubs and seasonings. Our story begins with our catering customers always requesting barbecue sauce or inquiring if we had one. Not a sauce man by nature, Steamin’ Steve knew he couldn’t rely on just any barbecue sauce for his dry rubbed ribs and smoked meats – it had to be his own. And so, the challenge was accepted. Using his creative cooking methods, and with nearly two decades of cooking experience behind him, he got to work. And soon, in our own family-kitchen, Steamin’ Steve’s Sweet Heat barbecue sauce was born. A little more tinkering lead to two additional flavors – Steamin’ Steve’s Mild and Hot.
By 2015, customers of the catering services, family and friends began requesting our signature sauces by the mason jar. In 2018, the desire to share our sauce with people continued, and to keep up with demand, we began to have our sauce manufactured in a small facility out of state. Today, we are proud to say that our family now manufactures our sweet and savory barbecue sauces just outside of our hometown in Unicoi, Tennessee. In 2019, we listened to our loyal customers again and added two of our signature rubs and seasonings, both of which pair perfectly with our barbecue sauces.
Throughout the year, you can find the Steamin’ Steve’s crew continuing to share our family barbecue products at butcher shops, markets, fishing shows and expos and participating in demos. We enjoy bringing our family barbecue products from our table to yours!
The Family
Steve – “Steamin’ Steve”
Steve is the founder, owner, and head chef of Steamin’ Steve’s BBQ. He takes pride in knowing his name is the one on that bottle of sauce you love. He also acts as the head of product development and he is an absolute wizard at coming up with products that can transform anyone into a great cook.
Go to Sauce: The Next One I Come Up With
Go to Rub/Seasoning: The Next One I Come Up With
Joyce – “Saucy Momma”
Joyce is Steve’s wife and co-owner of Steamin’ Steve’s BBQ. When it comes to the catering operations she is head of all things non meats. Those sides and desserts you love, well that’s all Joyce’s doing. Her most important role on the team is Head of Comedic Relief, keeping the family on their toes as no situation is too serious for Joyce!
Go to Sauce: Sweet Heat “Mild”
Go to Rub/Seasoning: Sweet Mesquite
Akira – “Lil’ Steamin”
Akira is Steve’s daughter, right hand woman in product development, and head of social media marketing. They both share the freakish superpower of being able to pinpoint individual ingredients in any recipe. Because she was raised in a house with a BBQ aficionado Akira’s standards of good BBQ are sky high.
Go to Sauce: Sweet Heat “Original”
Go to Rub/Seasoning: Garlic Herb
Donnell – “Da Sauceman”
Donnell had no idea what he was getting himself into when he married into this Southern BBQ patriarch. Hailing from the North, Donnell just tries to stay out of the way of these Southern BBQ pros. He is the head of sales, photography, taste testing, and any other job nobody else wants to do. He is best at the taste testing job though.
Go to Sauce: Sweet Heat “Mild”
Go to Rub/Seasoning: Tennessee Heat