Stubb's BBQ
A Texas barbecue brand built around C.B. "Stubb" Stubblefield's sauces, marinades, rubs and other grilling products.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Stubb's BBQ is an American barbecue-food brand associated with Texas pitmaster, restaurateur and musician's host Christopher B. "Stubb" Stubblefield. The business began as Stubb's Bar-B-Q, a small restaurant that Stubblefield opened in Lubbock, Texas, in 1968 after serving as a mess sergeant during the Korean War. The restaurant became known not only for smoked meats but also for its informal hospitality, live music and association with touring country, blues and roots musicians. Stubb later moved to Austin, where the brand's restaurant and music identity continued to develop. The packaged-food business emerged from demand for Stubb's sauce. Stubblefield initially bottled sauce by hand and sold it through personal contacts, restaurants, trade shows and specialty channels. Retail distribution expanded in the early 1990s, with McCormick identifying 1992 as the beginning of the brand's sales to retail grocers. A widely repeated part of the brand story is Stubb's appearance on the David Letterman program after musician Joe Ely helped introduce his sauce to a broader audience. The resulting attention helped turn a local restaurant product into a national packaged-food business. Stubb's product portfolio is centered on Texas-style barbecue flavor rather than on a single regional sauce profile. Its core range includes original, spicy, mesquite, brown-sugar, bourbon and reduced-sugar barbecue sauces, as well as wet marinades, dry rubs, seasoning blends, cooking sauces, liquid smoke and baked beans. The brand's marketing emphasizes bold flavor, high-quality ingredients, handmade origins and the emotional language of Stubb's supposed secret ingredient, "Love and Happiness." Its principal slogan is "BBQ the Way It Ought to Be," while the phrase "Texas in Every Spoonful" has also been used in brand positioning. McCormick completed its acquisition of One World Foods, the privately held seller of Stubb's sauces and related products, in August 2015. McCormick announced a cash purchase price of approximately $100 million, subject to closing adjustments. At the time of the transaction, McCormick described Stubb's as a leading U.S. premium barbecue-sauce brand and said it intended to maintain the business's Texas headquarters while expanding distribution, household penetration and product innovation. The acquisition placed Stubb's alongside McCormick's other grilling brands, including Grill Mates, Lawry's and McCormick. The packaged-food brand and the Austin restaurant and music venue are related through Stubblefield's legacy but are not the same operating business. This distinction became important in a trademark dispute that began in 2015, when One World Foods challenged the use of the Stubb's name by the restaurant company in connection with additional restaurant and catering locations. The dispute concerned the scope of the parties' historical arrangements and the use of the Stubb's marks across packaged food, restaurants, catering, entertainment and merchandise. The restaurant ultimately agreed to changes affecting certain uses of the name while retaining the identity of its main Austin music venue. Stubb's remains an active McCormick brand sold primarily through grocery, mass retail, club, e-commerce and foodservice channels. It continues to draw commercial value from the combination of a recognizable founder story, Texas barbecue associations, a broad grilling-product assortment and strong connections to live music and Austin culture. Product availability and exact flavor assortments vary by market and over time.
History
Stubb's BBQ traces its origins to Christopher B. "Stubb" Stubblefield, who was born in Navasota, Texas, in 1931. He grew up in a large family that worked in cotton farming and later served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. As a mess sergeant, he developed experience preparing food for large groups. After his military service, he returned to Texas and pursued barbecue as a restaurant operator and pitmaster. In 1968, Stubblefield opened his first Stubb's Bar-B-Q restaurant in Lubbock. The early establishment was modest, with a small dining room and a large cooker used to prepare smoked meats. The restaurant's appeal extended beyond food. It became a gathering place for musicians and other members of the Texas country, blues and roots scene. The combination of barbecue, hospitality and live music became central to the Stubb's identity and later influenced the development of the Austin venue. Stubblefield eventually moved to Austin. During the 1980s and early 1990s, his sauce became increasingly important to the business. He had traditionally made and bottled sauce in small quantities, sometimes using improvised containers. Demand grew beyond what could be sustained through hand production, so production was moved to partners capable of making the sauce at larger scale while preserving the intended recipe and flavor profile. McCormick's historical account identifies 1992 as the point at which Stubb began selling the sauce through retail grocers. Publicity helped accelerate the transition from local restaurant specialty to packaged-food brand. Musician Joe Ely helped introduce Stubb and his sauce to a broader audience, including through Stubb's appearance on the David Letterman program. The exposure generated increased consumer interest and helped create demand outside Texas. The brand expanded from its original barbecue sauce into marinades, rubs and additional grilling products. In 1994, Stubb introduced chicken and pork marinades, making the brand more useful for home cooks who wanted barbecue-style flavor without reproducing the entire restaurant process. Stubb died in 1995. His Austin restaurant and music venue opened at 801 Red River Street in 1996, after he had participated in planning but before he could see the completed venue. The Austin location preserved the connection among barbecue, live music and the founder's personal story. Over time, Stubb's became an important cultural name in Austin's live-music circuit, while the packaged-food business developed separately through retail distribution. The sauce range broadened in the 2000s. Smokey Mesquite Bar-B-Q Sauce was introduced in 2004, and the company later added further flavor variations and product forms. Stubb's products were certified gluten-free beginning in 2010, according to the brand's own historical account. In 2014, the brand introduced Cookin' Sauces, combining sauce and seasoning components intended to simplify weeknight meals using fresh ingredients. In June 2015, McCormick announced an agreement to acquire One World Foods, the company selling Stubb's packaged barbecue products. The acquisition closed in August 2015 for approximately $100 million in cash, subject to closing adjustments. McCormick described Stubb's as a leading premium barbecue-sauce brand with strong sales growth and said it planned to expand distribution in the United States and internationally while keeping the business headquartered in Texas. After the acquisition, Stubb's became part of McCormick's broader grilling and flavor portfolio. The separation between the packaged-food business and the restaurant and entertainment business produced a trademark dispute. One World Foods sued Stubb's Austin Restaurant Company in 2015, claiming that certain newer restaurant and catering uses exceeded the scope of the parties' historical arrangements. The defendants argued that the restaurant, catering and entertainment businesses had coexisted with the sauce business for many years and disputed the packaged-food company's interpretation of trademark ownership and licensing. The litigation included disagreements over additional venues and the use of the Stubb's name on restaurant services, merchandise and related activities. In 2017, public reporting indicated that the restaurant business agreed to name changes affecting certain uses while the principal Red River music venue continued under the Stubb's name. Stubblefield's legacy received further recognition in 2019 when he was inducted into the American Royal Association Barbecue Hall of Fame. The retail brand continues under McCormick ownership, with sauces, rubs, marinades, seasonings, liquid smoke, baked beans and related products sold through modern grocery and retail channels. Its current identity combines a Texas-origin story, a recognizable founder portrait and name, a broad home-grilling assortment, and the cultural associations of Austin barbecue and live music.
- 2019
Stubblefield inducted into Barbecue Hall of Fame
[1]C.B. Stubblefield is inducted into the American Royal Association Barbecue Hall of Fame.
- 2015
McCormick announces acquisition
[3]McCormick announces an agreement to acquire One World Foods, the seller of Stubb's packaged barbecue products.
- 2015
McCormick completes acquisition
[3]McCormick completes the purchase of One World Foods for approximately $100 million in cash, subject to closing adjustments.
- 2015
Trademark litigation begins
[4]One World Foods files suit against the Austin restaurant company over the scope of Stubb's trademark use.
- 2014
Cookin' Sauces launched
[1]Stubb's introduces Cookin' Sauces combining sauce and seasoning components for simplified meals.
- 2010
Products become certified gluten-free
[1]The brand states that its products began carrying gluten-free certification in 2010.
- 2004
Smokey Mesquite sauce introduced
[1]Stubb's Smokey Mesquite Bar-B-Q Sauce enters retail distribution.
- 1996
Austin restaurant and music venue opens
[1]The Stubb's venue at 801 Red River opens in Austin, combining barbecue and live music.
- 1995
Stubblefield dies
[1]C.B. Stubblefield dies in May, leaving the brand to continue under his name and recipes.
- 1994
Chicken and pork marinades introduced
[1]The brand expands beyond barbecue sauce with marinades designed for home cooks.
Products and positioning
Authentic Texas-style barbecue flavor for home grilling and cooking, combining a founder-led pitmaster story with broad retail convenience. The brand uses the slogans "BBQ the Way It Ought to Be" and "Texas in Every Spoonful" and presents "Love and Happiness" as part of its distinctive heritage.
Barbecue sauce · 1992
Stubb's Original Barbecue Sauce
The flagship sauce and principal expression of the Stubb's brand. It is marketed as a Texas-style barbecue sauce for ribs, chicken, burgers, pulled pork and other grilled or smoked foods.
Barbecue sauce
Stubb's Specialty Barbecue Sauces
A family of flavor variations including Hickory Bourbon, Smokey Mesquite, Smokey Brown Sugar, Spicy, Simply Sweet Reduced Sugar, Dr Pepper and Jalapeño & Honey. The assortment allows the brand to serve different sweetness, smoke, heat and flavor preferences.
Marinades · 1994
Stubb's Wet Marinades
Liquid marinades created for meats and other grilling ingredients. The first documented retail marinades included separate varieties for chicken and pork, extending the brand beyond finishing sauce into preparation and flavor development.
Dry rub
Stubb's BBQ Rub
A dry seasoning blend intended for meat, poultry and grilling applications. Rubs reinforce the brand's pitmaster positioning by giving consumers a dry seasoning option before smoking or grilling.
Smoke flavoring
Stubb's Liquid Smoke
Liquid smoke products, including Hickory Liquid Smoke, provide smoke character for home cooking when consumers are using an oven, stovetop or grill rather than a full smoker.
Cooking sauce and meal solution · 2014
Stubb's Cookin' Sauces
A product platform launched in 2014 that paired bold sauce flavors with seasoning components. The line was designed to help consumers prepare quick meals using fresh ingredients and Stubb's flavor bases.
Prepared side dish
Stubb's Baked Beans
Prepared baked beans sold as a barbecue side dish. The product extends Stubb's from sauces and seasonings into ready-to-serve foods commonly associated with barbecue meals.
Marketing campaigns
- 2018Tailgate campaign
United States
McCormick identified Stubb's and Frank's RedHot as participating brands in a 2018 tailgating campaign, using barbecue and hot-sauce products to connect with sports-viewing and outdoor-eating occasions.
Outcome. The available source confirms the campaign positioning but does not provide a standalone Stubb's sales result.
- BBQ the Way It Ought to Be
United States
The brand's long-running positioning platform emphasizes traditional barbecue flavor, Texas heritage and the idea that Stubb's products bring restaurant-inspired results to home cooking.
Outcome. The slogan remains part of Stubb's current brand presentation.
Brand decisions
2015
McCormick acquires One World FoodsM&ABackground
Stubb's had developed into a premium packaged barbecue brand with expanding distribution and strong recent sales growth.
Action taken
McCormick purchased 100% of One World Foods, the privately held seller of Stubb's barbecue sauces and related products.
Aftermath
Stubb's became part of McCormick's grilling portfolio. McCormick stated that it would retain the business's Texas headquarters and pursue wider U.S. and international distribution.
Acquisition consideration. Approximately $100 million in cash, subject to closing adjustments (2015)
2015
Trademark enforcement against restaurant expansionOtherBackground
The packaged-food company and the Austin restaurant company had historically operated in related areas under the Stubb's name, but disputed the scope of the restaurant business's authorization for additional locations and services.
Action taken
One World Foods filed a federal lawsuit seeking to restrict certain restaurant, catering and related uses of the Stubb's marks.
Aftermath
Public reporting in 2017 indicated that the restaurant business agreed to name changes affecting certain uses while the principal Red River venue continued operating under the Stubb's name.
2014
Launch of Cookin' SaucesProduct launchBackground
Stubb's sought to expand beyond traditional finishing sauces and make its flavor system useful for faster everyday meals.
Action taken
The brand introduced Cookin' Sauces combining sauce and seasoning components for use with fresh ingredients.
Aftermath
The launch broadened Stubb's positioning from barbecue accompaniment to a wider meal-solution platform, although detailed sales results are not publicly available in the cited material.
2010
Adoption of gluten-free certificationStrategyBackground
The brand states that Stubb's products began receiving gluten-free certification in 2010, broadening their appeal to consumers seeking gluten-free packaged foods.
Action taken
Stubb's incorporated gluten-free certification into its product positioning and packaging program.
Aftermath
The certification became part of the brand's consumer-facing heritage and product information.
Sources7 sources
- 1Stubb's Storymccormick.com
- 2Stubb's Bar-B-Q Sauces, Marinades and Rubsmccormick.com
- 3McCormick Completes Acquisition of Stubb'sir.mccormick.com
- 4One World Foods, Inc. v. Stubbs Austin Restaurant Companygovinfo.gov
- 5Stubb's Bar-B-Q the Restaurant Will Have to Change its Nameaustin.eater.com
- 6American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame biography for C.B. Stubblefieldamericanroyal.com
- 7Tailgate campaigndc.citybuzz.co
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