Ronald Jones, owner and grill master of Indianapolis’ Bar-B-Q Heaven, surveys baby back ribs smoking on an industrial smoker built inside a former 1920s house on Martin Luther King Boulevard. With a basting brush and his signature cap pulled low, the 85-year-old shellacs Memphis-inspired ribs with a marinade perfected over seven decades. Nearby, his staff—some with him for over 40 years—takes orders and fills up carryout containers.
Jones’ journey began in 1949 with an 11-year-old’s dream of owning a bike. He borrowed 75 cents from his mother and sold barbecue grilled on an overturned milk crate outside Frederick Douglass Park. His grandmother’s marinade—a tasty blend of sweet, tart, and heat—was his signature. By 1952, with his parents’ help, he opened his first location on Indiana Avenue, the hub of Indy’s Black culture.
While finishing high school and attending business school, Jones balanced work and studies, eventually buying out his parents in 1975. In the years since, Bar-B-Q Heaven has attracted celebrities like Redd Foxx, “Moms” Mabley, Alex Haley, and even Michael Jackson.
Jones still works 16-hour days between two locations, including one near his former childhood home. “When people ask me about being in business for so long, I tell them: Make sure whatever you’re pursuing is something you truly enjoy,” says Jones, who remains devoted to serving the barbecue that allowed him to buy his first car at 15.
Bar-B-Q Heaven is more than barbecue—it’s a testament to Indy’s dining history, traditions, and work ethic. 2515 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St., 317-926-1667; 877 E. 30th St., 317-283-0035
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