If you’ve lived in Lubbock long enough to know the smell of brisket on a west Texas wind, you probably know Bigham’s Smokehouse.
According to the restaurant’s website, Don Bigham opened Bigham’s Smokehouse in 1978. It is now locally owned and operated by his wife, Joyce, and son, Nick Bigham. There are three Lubbock locations for dine-in, carry-out, drive-thru or delivery, plus large-group catering.
Three locations, one family name
- 82nd Street: 3312 82nd St.
- 19th & Quaker: 4302 19th St.
- 50th & Milwaukee: 5012 Milwaukee Ave.
The main phone is (806) 797-9931; email info@bighamsbbq.com. Hours on the company site: the 82nd and 19th locations list 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Sunday and Tuesday–Thursday, and 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Friday–Saturday. The Milwaukee location lists 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Tuesday–Thursday and Sunday, and 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Friday–Saturday. Mondays are not listed for any location on the hours panels we checked — call to confirm before you go.
How the Milwaukee location happened
In January 2021, as the pandemic hammered restaurants, Nick Bigham told KCBD the family was opening a new location anyway. COVID was “very difficult” and “scary,” he said; they scaled back staff because they didn’t know what would happen. The drive-thru, he said, was their “saving grace.”
The 19th & Quaker store, which had a drive-thru, gained business; the 82nd Street store without one lost ground, he told KCBD. That contrast convinced him any new location had to be drive-thru focused. The family chose the old Steak ‘n Shake building on Milwaukee for a west-side presence and hoped to open around March 9, 2021. He also urged Lubbock residents to shop local when they could.
Today that Milwaukee address — 5012 Milwaukee Ave. — is one of the three locations listed on the company site.
Holiday gatherings and catering
Bigham’s advertises large-group catering and deliveries on its site, with a catering pitch aimed at milestones, corporate events and gatherings with friends. We are not inventing turkey specials or limited-time holiday menus that aren’t posted — if you’re feeding a crowd for Thanksgiving week, call (806) 797-9931 or use the catering info on bighamsbbq.com and ask what’s available.
What we still want to ask
Public sources give us the founding year, the family operators, the three addresses and Nick’s 2021 pandemic comments. They don’t give a full oral history — favorite plate, community causes, how Joyce and Nick split the work. We’ve noted an interview request for the Advertising Manager / editor so a future update can add that neighbor-to-neighbor color in their own words.
Planning a Thanksgiving week that mixes cooking at home with a night out? Our Thanksgiving and Black Friday guide rounds up local events and shopping notes. For something to do this weekend, see our weekend guide.
Sources
- Bigham's Smokehouse official website: https://bighamsbbq.com/
- KCBD, Brittany Crittenden, Jan. 22/23, 2021 — Bigham's opening new location amid pandemic: https://www.kcbd.com/2021/01/23/bighams-opening-new-location-amid-pandemic/
- Hub City UnCovered, Thanksgiving & Black Friday guide (post 325): https://hubcityuncovered.com/lubbock-thanksgiving-black-friday-2026/
