Always outstanding!!! Best BBQ in NE Ohio! It’s worth the drive… The ribs are finger licking good!
Katherine S.
Hudson, Ohio
Family‑Owned • Hiram, Ohio • Est. 1985
Blazin Bills — Family‑Owned Since 1985
Joseph Piteo started Blazin Bills in a converted ice cream stand with ribs on paper plates. Forty years, one fire, and one rebuild later — the same family, the same ribs, and a 6,000+ sq. ft. home worth driving to from anywhere in Northeast Ohio.
The Blazin Bills Story
Forty Years in the Making
Every championship smokehouse has an origin story. Ours started with a converted ice cream stand, paper plates, and ribs worth driving for.
1985
A Converted Ice Cream Stand
Joseph Piteo opened Blazin Bills in a converted ice cream stand, serving ribs on paper plates with outdoor seating. No frills. Just smoke, fire, and a family recipe that would earn a following across Northeast Ohio.
1988
14 of 15 Cook‑Off First‑Place Wins
Three years in, Joseph entered 15 regional rib cook‑offs and took first place in 14 of them — and second place at the nationals. That record didn’t just prove the ribs. It made Blazin Bills a destination.
March 17, 2004
A Fire Changes Everything
On March 17, 2004, the original Blazin Bills restaurant was destroyed by fire. The building was gone. The recipes weren’t. Joseph and Joyce Piteo began rebuilding immediately.
May 5, 2005
Reopened, Rebuilt, Expanded
Less than fourteen months after the fire, Blazin Bills reopened in a new building with an expanded menu. The regulars came back. New guests found their way. The story continued.
November 2018
A New Home Takes Shape
A land swap with neighboring Great Lakes Cheese Co. on Great Lakes Parkway gave Blazin Bills room to grow. Plans for a purpose‑built 6,000+ sq. ft. facility — with an outdoor patio, koi pond, and waterfall — moved forward.
May 17, 2019
Grand Opening — 6,000+ Sq. Ft. and a Koi Pond
On May 17, 2019, the current Blazin Bills opened its doors. A full-scale BBQ destination: a spacious dining room, a patio with a live koi pond and waterfall, and the same family behind every plate. Same ribs. New home.
14
“In ’88 I signed up for 15 rib cook‑offs, we took first place in 14 of them and we took second place at the national.”
— Joseph Piteo, founder, Blazin Bills
The Family Behind the Ribs
Joseph & Joyce Piteo
Joseph Piteo founded Blazin Bills in 1985 and has run it as a family business ever since. The decision to enter those 15 cook‑offs in 1988 wasn’t a calculated marketing move — it was a bet on the quality of the ribs. The record proved him right.
When the 2004 fire took the building, it didn’t take the business. Joseph and Joyce rebuilt, reopened in 2005, and continued growing. The 2019 move to the current location — 6,000+ square feet, a new kitchen, and a patio with a koi pond — wasn’t a reinvention. It was a homecoming.
Blazin Bills has been proud to support the American Cancer Society and the Geauga County community for decades. That’s the kind of business this family runs.
Visit Us in Hiram →Koi pond patio photography
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Outdoor Patio
A Destination, Not Just a Dinner
The current Blazin Bills location features a large outdoor patio with a live koi pond and waterfall — a setting that makes a meal feel like an event. Whether you’re celebrating with family, meeting friends, or just finally making the drive out from Cleveland, there’s no rush here.
Dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables. Weather permitting, the patio is the best seat in Geauga County.
Get Hours & Directions →
What Guests Say
Why People Drive from Cleveland, Hudson, and Akron
Way out east for me, but definitely worth the drive… The baby back ribs fall off the bone…
Dean P.
Cleveland, Ohio
Best BBQ in Ohio… one of the top 5 meals of my entire life… The beef ribs are what really stole the show.
Adam
Cleveland, Ohio
Come See for Yourself
Ready to Experience It?
View the full menu, plan a catering event, or get directions to our Hiram location. The ribs are worth the drive — we have 14 first‑place finishes to prove it.