Evelyn Mae’s BBQ was founded in 2018 by owners Anton and Ariel Lockett. These high school sweethearts share a love for cooking that has blossomed into a catering business, food truck, and now a full-service restaurant housed in Buchanan, Michigan. We are proud to serve up high-quality smoked meats, scratch made sides and sauces and creative cocktails. 

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Prior to starting the business, the couple grew their craft at Central Michigan University, cooking for friends and family off of a portable grill Ariel bought Anton from the dollar store. The two have spent over a decade perfecting their recipes and have been growing quite a following around Southwest Michigan! Anton hand selects prime cuts of meats, seasons them in house made dry-rubs and smokes them all night in our smoker at the restaurant, while Ariel is the mastermind behind the delicious sauces and sides. 

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The business was originally named “Lockett Down BBQ,” a play on their last name. However, when things were starting up in 2018, the Locketts suffered a terrible loss of their first daughter, Evelyn Mae Lockett, when Ariel went into labor early at 20 weeks. Evelyn was born on January 31st, 2018 and survived for an hour and a half, at only 13 ounces and 10 inches long. Anton and Ariel renamed the business “Evelyn Mae’s BBQ” in honor of their daughter as a way to keep her name alive and is a reminder of our family-focused service we love to provide. 

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After successfully running a food truck and catering business, including headlining the Berrien County Youth Fair and the KitchenAid Senior PGA in 2022, the Locketts took the next big step and bought the old Wheatberry Restaurant in Buchanan in October of 2022. Fifteen-2-Twelve opened its doors February 2nd, 2023 and has been a hotspot in Berrien County since opening day! Between the great community we serve and the staff that holds the place together, we can’t wait to see what the future holds!