Once again, the Gold winner for Best Barbecue is the locally loved Como Smoke & Fire. The restaurant opened over 13 years ago with a vision to bring great barbecue to Columbia — general manager Matt Hawkins says it’s his staff who brings that vision to life.

“The restaurant has grown and continues to grow because of our hardworking staff,” Hawkins says. “We have staff that has been with us since our opening day, which is fairly unheard of in this industry. Our staff is our family and we love watching them grow.”

Everyone on the Como Smoke & Fire staff embraces high standards. Hawkins says the staff holds standards for everything, from food quality The Works Bowl from Main Squeeze. down to cleaning bathrooms and windows. These standards come back to two values: consistency and respect. Como Smoke & Fire strives to be consistent in giving their customers the best experience possible, while treating each customer like family as soon as they walk through the doors.

“We want our customers to know when they come in, they’re going to get a great meal,” Hawkins says. “We know that we mess up sometimes, but when we do, we fix the situation so the customer will want to return again. It comes back to consistency and respect.”

Over the years, Como Smoke & Fire has expanded to a second location and introduced countless mouthwatering specials and new dishes. The restaurant sponsors multiple youth sports leagues, local wildlife rescues, community nonprofits and Columbia Public Schools. Hawkins is grateful for the community consistently returning to his restaurants, saying he and his team at Como Smoke & Fire love supporting the community in return.

This is Como Smoke & Fire’s tenth Gold win for Best Barbecue, which Hawkins cites back to his staff’s commitment to hard work, consistency and respect. “We have big ideas and plans for the future, and can’t wait to grow more with the entire community,” he says. “Thank you for showing out and coming to our restaurants. Without you all, we don’t get this.”