BORN FROM FIRE & FRIENDSHIP

Que49 Smokehouse was created out of passion for the purest and oldest form of cooking — and out of sheer coincidence. Memphis-born Skip Steele and Long Island native Dana Lamel decided to bring the best barbecue to Jonesboro, Arkansas after three years of smoking meat together on the food festival circuit.

Skip Steele opened his first restaurant in Jonesboro in 1980 — he was only 20 years old. Joining a shipping company gave him the chance to travel the world learning different approaches to barbecue. He took that knowledge to the competition level, going head-to-head with other pitmasters in whole hog, ribs, and shoulder, and went on to open acclaimed restaurants across the United States and internationally.

Dana Lamel's love of food began at an early age, preparing meals with his mother. He got his first restaurant job at 14, folding boxes for a local Italian eatery — and was running the kitchen four years later. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, he worked alongside Todd English, opening four restaurants together. In 2016, Michael Mina brought Lamel on as Chef de Cuisine for Levi's Stadium, where — at Michael Mina's Tailgate — he met Skip Steele.

Skip offered Lamel a job at one of his restaurants. Lamel declined — he wanted to work with Steele, not for him. And that's how Que49 Smokehouse was born.

Located right off Jonesboro's Highway 49, Que49 Smokehouse is home to slow-smoked brisket, pulled pork, cherry-smoked ribs, and much more. Redneck and Yankee culture have come together to make barbecue magic — and we can't wait for you to experience it.