Barbeque is said to be one of the only “truly American” foods and its history is firmly rooted in “the South.” Red Hot & Blue is honored to be one of the truly great barbeque companies in America delivering tradition and value each and every day.

In the late 1980’s three Southerners and a transplanted Yankee longed for authentic southern barbeque and the great blues music they all loved. Unable to find that winning combination anywhere in the Washington, DC area they decided the only way to get it done was to open a restaurant of their own.

That first Red Hot & Blue restaurant was conceived and opened its doors to rave reviews in Arlington, VA just a few short miles from our nations capital where three of the founders worked on Capital Hill. One of the original investor/founders was then-U.S. Rep. Don Sundquist of Memphis, who served 12 years in the House of Representatives and eight years as governor of Tennessee. Another original investor was the late Lee Atwater, a blues musician and legendary political figure who managed George H.W. Bush’s successful race for the presidency and served as chairman of the Republican National Committee. It was just a group of friends who wanted to eat good barbeque, listen to some good rhythm and blue tunes and make new friends in the process; they were successful beyond their wildest imagination.