Theresa and Darren - Carter's BBQ

By Terry L. Watson

Photos Provided by Carter’s BBQ

For Darren and Theresa Carter, barbeque has become everything for them. They are the owners of Carter’s BBQ, a BBQ food trailer and catering business based in Cleveland, OH. Some of the products they offer are St. Louis Ribs, Pulled Pork, Smoked Brisket, Grilled Chicken, and more.

Darren was born and raised in Cleveland. He graduated from Bedford High School and later attended Cleveland State University. While in college, he became president of the college chapter of the NAACP. Under his leadership, the chapter was awarded and recognized for being the best in the nation.

When not running their business, Theresa also works as a software engineer and has many years of experience in application development and training. A Cleveland native also, she has a Bachelor’s degree in IT (Information Technology) and a Master’s degree in Teaching and Learning with Technology. Theresa is a woman of faith and says her passion for education fuels her life. Additionally, she loves spending quality time with her husband and family, which she says is very important. “I adore all my children, whether biological, adoptive, foster, god-children and others,” she says.

Theresa and Darren state that working side-by-side can be challenging, as they seek to balance life and work with children and other responsibilities. “Though when you love what you do, it’s all worth it,” they said.

Darren’s love for cooking began growing up as a child in Cleveland. He recalls how he watched his father cook on his barrel grill. “I was amazed at how much work he put into cooking, and by the responses people had when they ate the food he cooked. I knew then, even as a child, that when I grew up, I wanted to do the same thing,” Darren shares. Theresa keeps her mother’s recipes alive through her side dishes. She grew up being in the kitchen with her mom and learned first hand the work and love her mother put into cooking.

As Darren began his cooking journey, he would follow a similar path that his dad created by cooking for his family. He admits that he burned a lot of food. He didn’t become discouraged but stayed the course and eventually became a better cook. He became a student of his craft and learned the processes and nuances of cooking barbeque. He studied other pitmasters to learn their cooking techniques and methods. Darren’s cooking skills improved, and soon he was cooking using his own sauces and rubs.

Darren says his family always loved his food, but the real test was to get the public’s approval. Darren’s love for the craft of BBQ began to show as he posted his smoked meats on social media. His followers began to comment on how they would love to taste his food. “I began to sell rib dinners, and the response was great. We sold out of everything,” he says. He would also cater an event, and the response was the same. Those experiences took place in 2019 and Carter’s BBQ was born. While the world was responding to the Covid 19 pandemic, Darren and Theresa took a step back and planned their next move for the business. Looking to take their love of BBQ to the next level, in 2021, they purchased equipment, including a custom smoker and BBQ trailer to enable them to share their BBQ all over the Greater Cleveland area and beyond.

Darren says he is inspired by the craft of BBQ and the legacy of those who cooked before him. “These are our enslaved ancestors who tended the pits, which we believe are true pitmasters, to our mothers, fathers, and grandparents who carried those traditions on to us,” he says.

Darren’s love for fatherhood and family encouraged him to establish the community groups, Cleveland Dads Group and All Geared Up - A Family Bike Event. Recently he created a Facebook group titled “The Unknowns Black Pitmasters,” which can also be found on Instagram. “I use these social media platforms to share the history of African Americans and BBQ, and to highlight current black BBQ enthusiasts who are carrying on our ancestor’s traditions,” he says.

Darren says his passion for the art of BBQ and the gratitude he feels when he can feed people make it all worth it. It also pushes him to become the best at what he does with fire and meat.

Theresa and Darren have plans to make Carter’s BBQ a full-time operation in the future, which will provide them with more flexibility and freedom. To learn more about Carter’s BBQ, please visit their website.