A new barbecue catering business is bringing the experience of the backyard get-together to various small businesses across Greater Cincinnati this spring and summer with a series of pop-ups designed to be fun for the whole family.
Celia Jo’s BBQ’s owners, husband-and-wife team Eric and Savannah Batke, said they want their concept to provide a laid-back and fun environment that allows friends and family to hang out as long as they want and enjoy some delicious barbecue.
“BBQ has always been laid-back and grassroots, but it’s often targeted at ‘dad’ and not the entire family,” Eric told CityBeat via email. “Celia Jo’s is named after our niece for that exact reason. We want kids to like our food just as much as dad. Bright colors, smiles and simple ingredient menu items are what you can find here.”
“Dad” shouldn’t worry about the quality of the meats at Celia Jo’s, however, the Batkes say. Eric has been cooking barbecue for his friends for years and briefly worked as a smoker for Eli’s BBQ before deciding to start the pop-up. Eric says they’re also one of a handful of barbecue spots around Cincinnati that use real wood splits to cook their meats low and slow in a manual offset smoker.
“This process is very labor-intensive, requiring managing a real fire for 12 hours at a time. The difference is all in the taste,” said Eric.
True to their family-focused approach to barbecue, Celia Jo’s menu is traditional, but there’s something on there for everyone. The meats include brisket, pulled pork, pork belly, smoked chicken and ribs, but Celia Jo’s also carries gluten-free buns and offers two vegan options: pulled jackfruit, which is similar in texture to pulled pork, and corn ribs with a vegan sauce. For kids, or kids at heart, there is also the Celia Dog — an all-beef smoked hot dog with barbecue sauce, optional coleslaw and, as a nod to their niece’s favorite food, Flavor-Blasted Goldfish crackers on top.
And no barbecue meal is complete without the sides. Celia Jo’s offers classic Southern-style sides like mac and cheese, mashed potatoes and honey butter cornbread, alongside a smoked pecan Caesar salad and esquites (Mexican street corn). And even if you’re full, you can’t skip dessert: Dirt Puddin’, complete with gummy worms, or Banana Puddin’ with vanilla wafers.
If you need some help deciding what you’re trying first, the Batkes have some suggestions.
“The smoked brisket is the best. We source USDA Prime brisket and slow-cook on real wood splits in an offset smoker for over 12 hours,” Eric told CityBeat. “People who have had it say it’s the best brisket in Cincinnati. People also really love our smoked pecans. They are very savory and smoky, not sweet. They are very unique and have a cult-like following.”
Celia Jo’s isn’t just about the food, though. Eric and Savannah want the atmosphere to match.
“The whole idea of Celia Jo’s is found right in front of you when you enter our website: ‘BBQ with all your friends,’” Eric said. “We want Celia Jo’s to be somewhere that people stay for hours just hanging out with their friends and family.”
As they begin their run of pop-ups this spring and summer, Eric and Savannah say they’re strategically choosing locations that encourage patrons to stay and hang out. In turn, the Batkes are also hoping Celia Jo’s can uplift other small businesses.
“We want to be a small business that helps elevate the small businesses around us. We want to pop up at a place, bring them new customers and, hopefully, be able to benefit one another in the process. We have a small but loyal community around us so far, and we hope that continues in 2025!”
Celia Jo’s next pop-ups are Saturday, April 12 and Saturday, April 19 at Elliott Coffee in Dayton, Kentucky. You’ll also be able to find them at Golden Gelato in Covington, at Maifest in Covington’s Mainstrasse Village and at Walnut Hills bar and coffee shop King Pigeon throughout the spring and summer, with more on the horizon. You can see their current pop-up schedule here.
More info: celiajos.com.
This article appears in Apr 2-8, 2025.
