Our Story
In the heart of Welcome, North Carolina, Big Jim Argo learned the intricacies of smoking meat from the local Pitmasters within Davidson County. For 2 decades, Big Jim took his learnings and perfected his craft, passing down secret recipes and techniques to son James Argo.
Having moved to Snellville, Georgia at the age of 11, James wanted to take his North Carolina Roots and combine them with his Georgia influence to develop a legendary barbecue sauce. In 2000, as an addition to a smoked butt that he did for friends, James concocted a sauce that combined the sweet tang of Apple Cider Vinegar & Yellow Mustard with the smoky sweetness of brown sugar and just a hint of spicy heat. It was a flavor sensation that kept friends coming back for more, and soon, the sauce became as much a part of the Argo family legacy as his barbecue itself.
As the years passed, James got married to the love of his life Kelly and together they had 2 beautiful daughters and eventually ended up in Oconee County, Georgia in 2015. Argo's barbecue sauce gained a cult following, not just in Oconee County, but across the state of Georgia as it would always accompany the family to any cookouts, tailgates, pool parties, or any other social gatherings that they would attend.
Fast forward to 2020 during one of those pool parties, James was convinced by two of his good buddies, The Cagle Brothers, to start selling his sauce. It was during that pool party that the name, Oconee Gold, first got mentioned. James made a case of 32 oz mason jars full of his newly named Oconee Gold and had them sold in a week.
Oconee Gold was sold by word of mouth for the next 2 years until Argo was approached by a local general store to sell it on their store shelves. The OG started flying off the shelves of that General Store and gracing the tables of families' homes all over Oconee County.
Today, the Argo family's barbecue sauce, Oconee Gold, is a household name in Georgia and beyond. Oconee Gold is a testament to the enduring power of family, tradition, and, of course, good old-fashioned Southern barbecue. And though he may have left Welcome behind, the spirit of Argo's small town roots lives on in every savory drop of Oconee Gold's BBQ sauce.
Get You Some!