The name C.B. Stubblefield may not ring a bell when it comes to African American History in Lubbock. But the name Stubb’s BBQ likely does. ‘Stubb’ opened a restaurant because of his love of two things…Cooking and music. We caught up with two of his grandson’s who are now brand ambassadors and are continuing the legacy that started right here in Lubbock.
When ‘Stubb’ opened his restaurant in Lubbock it was a tough time for African American business owners. ‘Stubb’s’ grandson, Rocky Stubblefield, says “it was a lot harder you know some people didn’t want to go to his restaurant because he was African American and there were others that went and those are the people who helped him become as famous as he did.”
Rocky and his brother Reggie Stubblefield both stepped up to the plate and are continuing their grandfather’s legacy. Rocky explains, “the restaurant started in Lubbock in 1968. We actually celebrated our 50th Anniversary last year and he was friends with musicians and with Austin being the music capital of the world and he followed his musician friends they kinda brought him here. Rocky tells us his grandfather was a really friendly person saying, “he would give you the shirt off his back. He used to have me wrap these bottles with electrical tape and take them around in his Cadillac and he gave me my first job. He would make you work hard if you wanted something. He was a good man and we are just trying to make him proud.”
Longtime buddies, Don Caldwell and Terry Allen, agree their friendship started because of Stubb’s BBQ. Don says, “the way I got to know Stubbs is because he would bring BBQ to our recording sessions, it didn’t matter who was recording, he would come between 2-3am and bring BBQ for everyone and beer.” Terry Allen tells us, “then that night we were recording really late, it was probably about 3 in the morning, then there was a pounding on the door and there was Stubbs with tons of BBQ for all the musicians, that was kinda classic thing that he did. Anytime you were playing somewhere or recording.”
Caldwell says BBQ wasn’t the only thing they had in common. “Before long everybody would go and jam at Stubb’s BBQ, everybody from all over Texas would come in, they would want to play at Stubb’s little joint.”
His grandsons have continued that same tradition in Austin. Rocky says the reason they continue is, “it’s continuing his dream he used to always say ladies and gentlemen I’m a cook and I want to feed the world. And by getting his sauce into as many people’s mouths as possible is continuing his dream. It’s just part of the Stubblefield legacy, continue the amazing things we’ve done with Stubb’s BBQ sauce we sell this all over the world now it used to be just Lubbock and its now all around the world.”
We asked Reggie what the secret to Stubb’s BBQ was and he said, “Stubb’s. That’s the key.” And so we had to ask what about the key to Stubb”s BBQ sauce…and just like his grandad said on David Letterman years ago, “love and happiness.”
