There are a lot of sauces out there that claim to be the best BBQ sauce, but few back it up. 1934 BBQ was not only voted Top 3 in the world by NBBQ&A and BBQ Superstars, but it also has the taste, sales, and customer base to prove it. The 90-year-old recipe has deep roots and deep flavor, which is why it lines the “top shelves” of over 300 specialty and high-end grocery stores. What’s the “secret sauce” in their secret sauce? It’s the perfect combination of exceptional ingredients and a commitment by founder Fredrick Khoury to honor his family’s traditions and legacy.
“Although most things throughout the decades have changed, our sauce has not. We still make our Original sauce the same today as in 1934 without additives or preservatives. All our products are made with the highest quality ingredients available.”
Khoury has been in the food and restaurant industry for over 35 years with titles including restaurateur, chef, and various leadership positions with international food corporations. You could also say that making and supplying great food is in his genes.
The History of BBQ – From Syria to Ellis Island to Waco and Barbeques
Khoury’s Lebanese grandparents immigrated to the United States in 1912 and made their way from Ellis Island all the way to Waco, Texas. After forming a social club, they decided to have a BBQ fundraiser for charities and community projects. Just like most people in the early 1900’s hundreds, they had no real idea of how to cook barbecue the way we know it today.
“They experimented and figured out how to cook meat low and slow were some of the ‘true’ pioneers of Texas barbecue as we know it today. I grew up being a part of the organization, and over the years, realized they were making some of the best barbecue in the world.”
He adds that around the same time, Blacks, Coopers, and other big names in Texas barbecue were starting up in Lockhart, Texas. “The first barbeque dinner in1934 hosted several hundred people,” Khoury shares, “but it grew quickly to over 3000. My grandfather made the ‘Original’ sauce for the initial barbecue dinner, and it was such a hit, it was used for all future events.” For over 60 years the sauce was served to hundreds of thousands of Texans but never sold.
Khoury decided years ago that one day he would manufacture and sell his grandfather’s barbecue sauce. And in 2017, the year the barbecue sauce was created became its namesake, 1934.
The 1934 Bloody Mary and More
Not long after the 1934 BBQ sauce started flying off shelves, Khoury was asked if some of the spices used in the BBQ sauce could kick up a Bloody Mary mix. “Ten years ago, I never imagined I’d be in the Bloody Mary mix business. Initially, I sold a concentrated ‘shot’ product to enhance any bottle or homemade recipe. But at the request of a liquor store owner, I developed a ready-to-use mix.”
Transitioning from concentration to ready-to-use required creating a new recipe, which took Khoury just 13 tries to perfect. “You’ve seen the awards, right? Bloody Mary fans love it.” It was voted the “best” Bloody Mary in the world’s largest international competitions for 2019, 2020, and 2021. “Winning once is a big deal, winning three years in a row is unheard of.”
Khoury’s years of experience in the industry prepared him well to create products that are consistently a hit. “In my past work experiences, I created menus; I created a number of recipes for the different restaurants that I was involved in. And serving hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people over all those years, you get a really great understanding of what the general population likes.”
Khoury took that knowledge and expanded the Original 1934 sauce into additional flavors, each with a foundation of the original with just a slight ingredient differentiator that packs a powerful flavor punch. “We added a smoke flavor, using smoked ancho chilies rather than liquid smoke like everybody else. And it’s a unique flavor that people like.” Then they added a sauce with a little heat for those fans who love a spicier flavor. He also created a sweet onion sauce, which is quickly becoming a favorite.
“We are sticking to the roots of our past history. Companies make flavors today like peach/mango, or a sauce made with coffee, but at 1934, we stick to a traditional barbecue sauce. And 1934 is Central Texas’ first and oldest sauce.”
Standing out amongst a myriad of sauces is difficult, but when you have the “secret sauce” to a great traditional barbeque sauce, then it is easy. 1934 BBQ stands out and has the top rankings in all the competitions it enters. It also has a founder who is unwavering in his commitment to quality and tradition. With a 90-year-old recipe rooted in his family’s history, 1934 is being added to shelves of grocery stores known for top products with high-quality ingredients across the country. From its humble beginnings at a charity barbecue in 1934 to winning international awards, 1934 BBQ has a legacy of flavor, authenticity, and pure Americana that everyone wants to take a bite of.
Greg Grzesiak is an Entrepreneur-In-Residence and Columnist at Grit Daily. As CEO of Grzesiak Growth LLC, Greg dedicates his time to helping CEOs influencers and entrepreneurs make the appearances that will grow their following in their reach globally. Over the years he has built strong partnerships with high profile educators and influencers in Youtube and traditional finance space. Greg is a University of Florida graduate with years of experience in marketing and journalism.
