City Barbeque
City Barbeque is an American fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in on-site smoked barbecue and Southern-style sides.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
City Barbeque is a fast-casual barbecue restaurant brand founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1999 by Rick Malir and his wife, Bonnie Coley-Malir. The business began with the opening of a restaurant in a former doughnut shop in Upper Arlington, at 2111 West Henderson Road. That original location remained in operation as of 2025. Delays affecting the restaurant opening led Malir to begin fulfilling catering orders from his home, allowing the nascent business to generate revenue before its first dining room was ready. The brand is built around barbecue prepared in smokers located at each restaurant. Its menu centers on beef brisket, pulled pork, turkey breast, pulled chicken served with Alabama-style sauce, smoked sausage, bone-in chicken, and St. Louis-cut ribs. These proteins are offered both as individual plates and in sandwiches, samplers, shareable meals, and catering-oriented combinations. The menu is complemented by Southern-inspired sides such as green beans with bacon, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, corn pudding, hush puppies, cornbread, collard greens with pork, potato salad, side salads, and baked beans containing brisket. Desserts include peach cobbler, banana pudding, and triple chocolate cake, while limited-time offerings periodically add variety. City Barbeque has developed beyond its Columbus origins into a multi-state company-owned restaurant chain. The referenced company description reports more than 70 restaurants across ten states, with corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ohio. The brand's operating model emphasizes smoked meats prepared on site, a broad selection of barbecue traditions, casual dining, takeout, and catering. Its positioning combines the accessibility of fast casual with preparation methods and menu cues associated with regional barbecue restaurants. The chain has received recognition for both its food and its business performance. Its barbecue and menu items have been acknowledged by organizations and publications including the Kansas City Barbeque Society, Restaurant Hospitality, the National Turkey Federation, and Cooking with Paula Deen. External rankings have also placed City Barbeque among notable barbecue restaurants and chains in the United States, including recognition from Business Insider, Men's Journal, The Daily Meal, QSR, Restaurant Business, and Nation's Restaurant News. In 2023, readers selected City Barbeque as the winner of a Nation's Restaurant News Barbeque Showdown involving prominent barbecue brands. The company has also been recognized as an employer and community-oriented organization. It was named a leading employer among Columbus companies with fewer than 500 employees from 2016 through 2018, received a Pillar Award for Community Service in 2019, and was recognized by TDn2K for fast-casual best practices in the same year. Founder Rick Malir received a Smart 50 Award in 2018 for company leadership. Mike Muldoon is identified as the current chief executive officer. Ownership structure, public-market status, and an official corporate website are not established in the supplied references.
History
City Barbeque was established in Columbus, Ohio, in 1999 by Rick Malir and Bonnie Coley-Malir. Its first restaurant occupied a former doughnut shop in Upper Arlington at 2111 West Henderson Road. Construction and opening delays created an early operational challenge. Before the restaurant was ready, Malir used his home kitchen and facilities to fulfill catering orders, helping sustain the business during its launch period. The original Upper Arlington location was still operating as of 2025. From its beginning, City Barbeque organized its offer around barbecue cooked in smokers at each restaurant rather than relying solely on centralized preparation. The menu developed around brisket, pulled pork, turkey, chicken, sausage, ribs, and other smoked meats, supported by sandwiches, platters, samplers, shareable items, salads, sides, desserts, and catering. Its side dishes draw heavily on Southern and barbecue traditions, including collards with pork, corn pudding, hush puppies, cornbread, baked beans with brisket, and macaroni and cheese. The brand subsequently expanded from its Ohio base into a multi-state company-owned chain. The available reference describes more than 70 restaurants across ten states and places the headquarters in Dublin, Ohio. Specific state-by-state expansion dates are not provided. City Barbeque's fast-casual format combines counter-service accessibility with restaurant-prepared smoked meats and a menu broad enough to serve individual meals, groups, and catered events. The company gained attention through food competitions, restaurant rankings, and trade-publication recognition. Its brisket was associated with American Royal Invitational World Champion recognition from the Kansas City Barbeque Society, while its sandwiches, turkey, and banana pudding were highlighted by food and restaurant publications. The chain was identified as a leading barbecue restaurant in Columbus in 2012, appeared in national barbecue rankings in subsequent years, and was named to QSR's 40/40 list in 2018. Restaurant Business placed it on its Future 50 list in 2017. In 2023, readers of Nation's Restaurant News selected it as the winner of a national Barbeque Showdown. City Barbeque has also received organizational and workplace recognition. It was named a top employer among Columbus companies with fewer than 500 employees from 2016 to 2018. Founder Rick Malir received a Smart 50 Award in 2018. The company received a Pillar Award for Community Service in 2019 and was named a TDn2K Best Practices Award recipient in the fast-casual category that year. Mike Muldoon is identified as chief executive officer. The supplied material does not establish a detailed ownership history, exact expansion chronology, financial information, or a current official website.
- 2023
Barbeque Showdown winner
[1]Nation's Restaurant News readers vote City Barbeque the winner of a national barbecue competition.
- 2019
Community and operational recognition
[1]The company receives a Pillar Award for Community Service and a TDn2K Best Practices Award in the fast-casual category.
- 2018
QSR 40/40 recognition
[1]City Barbeque is included on QSR's 40/40 list.
- 2017
National and industry recognition
[1]Men's Journal includes the brand among the country's top barbecue spots, while Restaurant Business places it at number 48 on its Future 50 list.
- 2012
Named a leading barbecue restaurant in Columbus
[1]Business Insider identifies City Barbeque as Columbus's top barbecue restaurant.
- 1999
City Barbeque is founded in Columbus
[1]Rick Malir and Bonnie Coley-Malir establish City Barbeque in Columbus, Ohio.
- 1999
First restaurant opens in Upper Arlington
[1]The first location opens in a former doughnut shop on West Henderson Road after opening delays.
Products and positioning
A fast-casual barbecue chain focused on meats smoked in restaurant-level smokers, broad regional barbecue selections, Southern-style sides, casual dining, takeout, and catering.
Barbecue entrees · 1999
Smoked meats
The core menu consists of meats smoked in on-site smokers at each restaurant. Offerings include beef brisket, pulled pork, turkey breast, pulled chicken with Alabama-style sauce, smoked sausage, bone-in chicken, and St. Louis-cut ribs. They are served in plates, sandwiches, samplers, and group-oriented combinations.
Side dishes · 1999
Southern-style sides
City Barbeque complements its smoked meats with sides associated with Southern and barbecue cooking. The reported selection includes fries, bacon green beans, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, corn pudding, hush puppies, cornbread, collard greens with pork, potato salad, side salads, and baked beans containing brisket.
Desserts
Desserts
The dessert menu includes peach cobbler, banana pudding, and triple chocolate cake. Banana pudding received external recognition from Cooking with Paula Deen, which included it in a Ten to Try feature.
Foodservice · 1999
Catering
Catering was part of the brand's earliest operating experience: founder Rick Malir fulfilled orders from his home while the first restaurant was delayed. The business continues to present barbecue in formats suitable for groups and shared meals, although the supplied material does not specify current catering packages or service areas.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
City Barbeque partners with Radius Networks for curbside pickup[2]
Reported:
City Barbeque partnered with Radius Networks to upgrade curbside pickup using FlyBuy Pickup, which provides restaurants with customer arrival alerts and estimated arrival times.
Sources2 sources
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