It was just a few days ago when a coworker of mine said hey, have you seen Bubba J’s BBQ is up and running in cashmere now. Well, I knew that this was coming, but I hadn’t realized that they had started operations. This got me really excited because I like Bubba J‘s and I was really hoping that taking over the old Country Boys location in cashmere would be a positive move.
It was time for a drive to Cashmere
So later on, that day I made the decision and I asked my buddy John, (who works down the hallway), if he would like to go have lunch at Bubba J’s in Cashmere, and so we went yesterday. (6/11/26)
Our plan was to get there as close to 11:00am as possible. (Their regular hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM.) The reason for wanting to get there as soon as they open is twofold. First of all, we wanted to beat the rush, and second I wanted to get there soon after the meat right out of the smoker.
Traffic was a little heavier than expected, but we still got there at about 11:10. I took some pictures, we got inside, looked at the menu, and made our decisions.
What did we order?
My choice was the brisket burnt ends. For me, burnt ends are a little bit of a guilty pleasure, plus I believe the quality of the burnt ends can pretty much tell the story about the quality of the restaurant as a whole.
My buddy John got his “go to” at any BBQ place (And his favorite at Bubba Jays.) The mac and cheese with brisket. I could be wrong, but I think that brisket Mac and cheese from anywhere is the ultimate comfort food. I was all set to order some hush puppies when I found out that we were going to be receiving complimentary ribbon fries. I decided ribbon fries and hush puppies were a little bit overdoing it, so I smiled and said ribbon fries please.
We got our drinks, took our number and sat down at the table.
Happily, it wasn’t that long and then we received our orders.
Was it worth the drive?
Yes.
I have to tell you, the brisket burnt ends were awesome. Lots of bark, really smoky, fork tender, and the flavor was wonderful. Honestly, it’s been a long time since I’ve had burnt ends that good. They were outstanding.
John dove into his brisket, Mac and cheese, and it just seemed to take him to another place. There was not a whole lot of talking at our table while this was all going on.
Just as we’re wrapping up our lunch, I had a chance to talk to pitmaster and co-owner. Randy James, who by this time had already put in a full day’s work. Randy told me that they had finalized the lease on the old Country Boy’s property a little more than three months ago and had been working on it ever since.
Yes, I’m going back
They opened just a little more than a week ago, and things are going well. I had a chance to compliment him on the brisket burnt ends and the outstanding flavor. And he suggested that. Part of that flavor. Came from the well-aged BBQ pit.
I have to be honest; I’m still thinking about that flavor, it was so outstandingly good.
If you are an unapologetic meat eater, you’re going to enjoy Bubba J’s BBQ. Whether it’s pork, brisket, Sausage, or chicken.
My lunch was smoked to perfection.
8 Meats That Are Illegal to BBQ in Washington State
Listen, not that we think you’d ever actually want to throw any of these on the grill—but if you did, just know you’d be breaking the law and could face some serious fines or even jail time. Here are 8 meats that are illegal to have or possess at your BBQs here in Washington State
Gallery Credit: Jordan Verge