About
Ranch House BBQ knows a thing or two about real BBQ! Competing on the national competition BBQ circuit since the late 1980’s, Pitmaster & Founder Amy Anderson and her competition BBQ team have taken home Grand Championship titles at the Washington, California, Arizona and Nevada State BBQ Championships. And let's not forget the Grand Championship at the Canadian International and the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP in Ireland in 2000!
Amy Anderson, Founder & Pitmaster
LIVIN' THE DREAM
Someone once said to me “Fashion a dream and make it come true!”
Born and raised in good old Olympia, Washington. In my late teens, early 20’s I wanted to spend more time with my mom, Judie Anderson, one of the first women to compete on the National BBQ Circuit. I first joined her on the circuit to cheer her on and when I was ready to compete on my own, my mom made me take a class to become a Certified Pitmaster. After endless pots of BBQ sauces, Rub samples and cooking thousands of pounds of meats, I finally had it perfected the way I wanted it, then I hit the road running. My first competition on my own I won the Washington State BBQ competition…I WAS HOOKED! For many years, I competed against my mom and others under the name “Smokin’ Bullet”. As my mother aged, we decided to join together and competed as “Mad Mama & the Kid.” Throughout the years we collectively taken home countless awards and State Championship Titles in Washington, California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Idaho and the Canadian International & WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP in Ireland.
In 2003 I began growing tired of my 8 to 5 job, and getting more and more catering events I decided to go out on a limb and open my own restaurant. In early 2004, my dream became a reality and I opened Ranch House BBQ & Steakhouse, in my hometown of Olympia, Washington where I take pride in creating authentic award-winning BBQ every day of the week. I start with the freshest meat available. All of our smoked meats are seasoned with my very own award winning rub and smoked “low and slow” with apple and cherry wood that I get from my father’s farm in Eastern Washington, creating my own Pacific NW flavor. Ranch House BBQ & Steakhouse is not only known for great BBQ, we have beautiful hand-cut steaks, chicken, chops and burgers grilled to order, homemade sides and fresh baked desserts and great weekly specials to keep my creative juices going. My focus now is winning the hearts of each and every guest that comes through my door. It looks like we have been successful, as we have been voted the “Best BBQ of the South Sound” since we opened and in 2010, 2012 & 2015 we were voted “Best of Western WA” and in 2018 “Best Roadside Diner”on King 5 Evening Magazine, our local TV network. We have also been featured several times on the Food Network and most recently on TLC’s top 10 BBQ restaurants in the USA “Buzz worthy BBQ”.
As I always say to my guests “you keep comin’, I’ll keep cookin'”!