MADEIRA, Ohio — Monday marks the start of the sixth-annual Cincinnati BBQ Week — seven full days of celebrating the city's favorite and underrated barbecue restaurants.
One of the featured restaurants this year is Megan's Barbecue in Madeira, a family-owned restaurant that is approaching its first anniversary.
Owner Michelle Lehman said the restaurant's story began decades ago. While serving in the Air Force, she opened a restaurant in Nebraska and named it after her daughter, Megan, when she was just 7 months old.
Years later, Megan developed an interest in the restaurant business, inspiring the pair to open a restaurant together.
WATCH: Learn more about this small-run BBQ restaurant
Today, the restaurant is a family affair. Michelle's brother smokes the meats overnight, while family members and friends help keep the operation running.
"It takes all of us to be able to do it," Lehman said. "It’s small ran. There is only 5 of us and we are all related. We just enjoy making it and doing it. People just seem to have smiles on their faces when they leave and that is what we are happy about."
Lehman said the restaurant has also become a big part of the community, participating in local festivals and events throughout the year. Megan's Barbecue recently participated in the All Saints Festival and is gearing up for Pride Fest and Fourth of July celebrations in the coming weeks.
That community presence is one reason the restaurant is excited to be part of Cincinnati Barbecue Week, an event that shines a spotlight on local restaurants while encouraging people to support the small businesses that help make communities unique.
You can find all the restaurants taking part in Cincinnati Barbecue Week by searching for it on Instagram.
