FAIRFIELD COUNTY – If you spend enough time around Fairfield County, eventually somebody is going to feed you.
Church program? Food.
Family reunion? Food.
The Candy Lady? Food.
Community event? Definitely food.
And if Darreyl Davis and Joe Seibles are anywhere nearby, there is a good chance a grill is already smoking.
I caught up with the duo of Two Men and a Grill at Fairfield Central High School. They weren’t there for a meeting.
“We’re out here feeding the band,” Darreyl told me. “It’s giving back to your community.”
That pretty much sums up Two Men and a Grill.
Yes, it is a business. They have contracts. They cater events. They cook for organizations and government agencies. They have even cooked for a few celebrities.
But Darreyl and Joe have developed a habit that would make most businesses’ accountants cringe: they occasionally forget the part about charging for their services. Often, apparently.
“Darreyl keeps saying we’re a business,” Joe said, laughing, “but we give away a whole lot of food, too.”
Darreyl and Joe are already familiar faces around Fairfield County. Both serve on the Fairfield County School Board —Darreyl represents District 7 and Joe represents District 4.
Their food business started simply: they were already spending plenty of time cooking for other people and at community events, so they figured they might as well get their own setup.
So in 2023, they went looking for a grill… in McCormick. They hauled that first grill back to Fairfield County late that same day.
Joe said he spent the ride home repeatedly looking behind them into the darkness.
“I’m still looking back, wondering whether we lost the grill or not,” he said.
Nothing builds a new partnership quite like two hours of wondering whether your major investment is still attached to the truck. Thankfully, it was.
They named that first grill Big George, after Darreyl’s father.
“He’s a big gentle giant,” Darreyl said. “He’d give you the shirt off his back.”
And apparently Big George started something. Naming the grill after a man known for generosity set the tone for everything that followed. Because one grill became another. Then another.
Today, Two Men and a Grill has four large grills and an assortment of commercial cooking equipment.
The heavyweight of the group is Big Bertha. And Big Bertha ain’t playing.
She comes equipped with a grill, warmer, fryer and smoker, allowing the guys to handle almost anything an event throws at them without dragging half the kitchen along.
So What’s Cooking?
The better question might be: what isn’t?
Fish. Hamburgers. Hot dogs. Chicken. Ribs. Sausage. Essentially, if it can be smoked, fried, or seared, they’ve mastered it.
That versatility has allowed the business to grow considerably in three years. They’ve handled concessions at Drawdy Park, where, Joe joked, they sometimes draw a bigger crowd than the baseball games. They have also worked with Fairfield County government and are currently preparing to cook for hundreds at a county employee appreciation event.
But their grills have taken them beyond Fairfield County, too. They have cooked for NBA player GG Jackson and for Keith Mitchell of the R&B group After 7. They’ve even appeared on WIS-TV, cooking for station staff during a live interview.
Not bad for two guys who started off buying a grill they weren’t completely sure would make it home.
Two Men, Four Grills?
The name is still Two Men and a Grill. The math, however, has gotten questionable.
There are still two men. There are now more than two grills.
But I guess Two Men and Four Grills Plus a Fryer, Warmer and Smokehouse doesn’t fit quite as nicely on a business card.
Having multiple setups does serve a purpose. Darreyl and Joe use that to their advantage by splitting up—one heading to Ridgeway while the other handles Winnsboro or elsewhere—ensuring they never lose the personal touch.
And that may be the most interesting part of their story. The business has grown, but the mission hasn’t changed much.
They still show up for churches. They still cook for senior citizens. They still support young people. They still feed community organizations. And sometimes, like the day I interviewed them at Fairfield Central, they simply show up because somebody is hungry.
More Than Barbecue
When I asked what he wants people to know, Darreyl didn’t talk about his ribs. He talked about people.
“In order to be successful, you’ve got to have people that believe in you,” he said. “With faith in God, and the people in this community believing in us, it’s an inspiration to keep us going.”
Joe’s message was a little more direct. He wants you to know that if you’ve got a family reunion, revival, community event, or pretty much any occasion where people need food, give Two Men and a Grill a call.
And really, their story feels bigger than just grilling.
It’s the story of two local guys who took a risk on a grill and a long drive home. They worked hard. The community showed up. And, in return, they keep showing up for the community.
That’s how hometown businesses become more than businesses. They become part of the place.
And somewhere in Fairfield County right now, a gathering is starting. The charcoal is getting hot. And Big George or Big Bertha are likely right in the middle of it.
