After serving as volunteer firefighters for multiple decades and operating a business that provides equipment for fire departments, a family in north Dayton sold the firm and decided to start a restaurant. The result was Company 7 BBQ, and Englewood residents are reaping the benefits.
Company 7 has received an array of national awards for its sauces, of which there are six varieties. The mildest sauce is called “The Rookie” and the hottest sauce is called Commiss. Burns (a Texas-style hot BBQ sauce). Captain Carolina is a vinegar and mustard based Carolina BBQ sauce; Firefighter Sweet is a sweet Memphis style BBQ sauce; Lieutenant Tangy is a thick Kansas City BBQ sauce with a tangy kick; and Chief Smoky is a full, smoky flavored sauce.
“We do our own rub, which is Texas style, meaning heavier on salt and pepper,” said co-owner Patrick Murty who operates Company 7 BBQ with his brother-in-law Will Grilliot, and his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Bill and Mary Grilliot. “The meat is not sauced during the process. Even the ribs are dry. They’re sweetened up a little with brown sugar, but not sauced. We get the pork butts from a farm in Pennsylvania and prepare them in two 1,000 pound slow-cook, hickory wood smokers.
Camaraderie is a staple at every firehouse, Patrick explains, and part of that bond is shared over home-cooked meals. Company 7’s décor evokes the feel of a 1920s firehouse with warm woods and lots of brass. The facility is adorned with fire awards and memorabilia that the family has collected over the past 25 years.
“When we opened, we were one of the new barbeque restaurants in the northern Miami Valley, and we were fortunate to develop a loyal following that has kept growing,” Patrick said. “Even bad barbecue is good, but slow-cooked BBQ is heaven. We cook 12 to 18 hours before we serve. The slow, low cooking infuses tenderness and the most tantalizing of infused flavors.”
Company 7 appeared on The Travel Channel’s Food Paradise and has earned rave reviews and awards for its sauces in national barbeque competitions. The restaurant has a full-service bar with 25 taps that serve draft beers.
“We have a variety of local beers,” Patrick said. “Beer and barbeque is the perfect combination.”
Company 7 plans to sell its sauces in grocery stores in the near future, but for now, customers can buy bottles at the store or online at www.company7bbq.com.