CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — There’s something about that special taste, a familiar greeting and a full belly that make you feel right at home.
That sense of comfort is exactly the inspiration behind Big Eu'es BBQ in Cuyahoga Falls.
There's just so many people, who appreciate when they walk in, and speak to [our staff], they know their name," said owner Eugene Wilson Jr.
As a child, Wilson watched his own father perfect his perfectly tangy barbeque sauce.
"The sauce is my dad's original recipe. We make it the same now as he did, just some bigger portions and the [customers] go crazy over it. Some people say, ‘just gimme a bottle, I'll drink it.”
Wilson remembers his dad spending in their home kitchen.
"He was a cook at home Sunday meals. I mean every holiday, BBQing stuff like that.”
Wilson went on to work in the restaurant industry for around two decades, before deciding in 2016 that it was time to share his dad's special flavors with others.
“It was just time maybe to get my own stuff together and we happened to find this place overnight. I was thinking about my dad and I came over and…it was just, I mean, almost a dream come and with what happened and how we got it.”
Asked if he ever considered tinkering with his dad’s recipe, Wilson says, no way.
“No, no. We just gotta keep it the same. As the saying goes, if it ain't broke. Don't fix it."
Eugene senior passed away three years before Big Eu'es opened – but his spirit lives on here – not only on the walls of the restaurant, but also in each item on the menu – including ribs, chicken, pork, brisket and turkey sandwiches and wraps, as well as sides like collard greens, fries and mac and cheese. You can even buy Eu'es famous sauce.
Wilson says, pushing through the pandemic wasn’t easy – but they had no shortage of customers lining up to bring Eu'es back to their homes – here, they’re known for their carry out and and also do a big catering business.
"We give really nice portions," Wilson told 3News anchor Jay Crawford. "I mean, we wanna make sure customers get their money's worth."
It’s a new place to create memories – in honor of the dad who created so many for him.
“Right now? [My dad]...he probably would be just happy, just proud of me.”
*Editor's Note: The video in the player above is from a previous report.