The Story of Oklahoma Joe’s Smokers & Grills

We’ve always gone further for flavour. Joe Davidson knew that in order to succeed, he’d have to build smokers that far exceeded expectations. So when he saved up $2,000 to design and manufacture twelve meat smokers, he poured his heart and soul into them.

The result? People bought up all twelve at the 1987 Oklahoma State Fair, and Joe received orders for over 100 more. He hit the road and sure enough, the smokers were a hit everywhere he went. This spark grew into the flame where Oklahoma Joe’s was first forged.

Someone’s got to be the best in the world,
so why can’t it be us? Joe Davidson

By the time 1994 rolled around, Joe and his team had slowly and steadily grown too big for the original factory. They built a brand new facility in Stillwater, Oklahoma and expanded to 150 employees with the capacity to craft 100,000 smokers a year. Like pouring a fresh batch of hot coals in the smoker, things really started heating up.

In the midst of this growth, Joe was smoking butts and taking names at barbecue competitions all over the country. Starting in the 1980s and continuing for decades, Joe has won more than 300 competitions, including impressive victories at the Jack Daniel’s World Championship, the American Royal World Championship and the Memphis in May World Championship.

Barbecue competitions are something the whole family can gather up and do as a team. Joe Davidson

Char-Broil bought Oklahoma Joe’s from Joe Davidson in 1998. By combining the thoughtful design of Oklahoma Joe’s with the manufacturing resources of Char-Broil, Oklahoma Joe’s has been able to constantly improve and innovate products. Today, we continue to craft high-performance smokers and grills that help you go the extra mile for the flavours you seek and the people who matter. Come join us in this beloved craft and stay a while.

Our Story