Daily Inspiration: Meet Dan Flower

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan Flower.

Hi Dan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Graduating high school in Wickenburg left a big impression on me and my future. I left this small cowboy community and headed to southern California to become a resident horse trainer. Not finding any BBQ there left me somewhat disappointed. You see, I grew up in the agricultural world raising cattle and horses and BBQ was a big part part of that rural life. As I got involved in the culinary arts and gravitated towards the BBQ world.
Mastering my effort took quite some time and moving back to Wickenburg in 2018 solidified my direction in life. In visiting with my wife about what we were to do in this little burg we decided to open a BBQ joint.
Life’s lessons led me realize that if one is to succeed in business you have to fully understand what the parameters of the business are. To me it means picking a great menu and make the product be the best it can possibly be. As I like to say, “it will be the best BBQ you’ll ever run a lip across. Feedback from our customers substantiates my slogan time and again.
The Onery Hog BBQ,LLC was formed in the great state of Nebraska where my family heritage is from and deciding I wanted to move back to Wickenburg led us to bringing our BBQ company with us.
We operate in a brick and mortar building that was built in 1949 and it is quite quaint. Personal pictures adorn the walls inside and patio spaces await you out doors.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We moved to Wickenburg from western Nebraska in 2018 and were asked to open a BBQ cafe. So we did. A little back story might help readers to understand my passion for Wickenburg and the folks who live here.
I graduated high school in this little cowboy town in 1969 and as most kids do when this big event happens, I moved. My big escape took me to southern California where I became a resident horse trainer. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term let me explain. I was hired by a man whom I met in Wickenburg at one of the guest ranches where I worked part time. after school and on weekends. He knew of my family’s involvement in the Quarter Horse world and invited me to come southern California to live with his family and train horses.
I fell in love with the food there but didn’t find any BBQ and that puzzled me. Growing up on ranches, my family BBQ’d.The culinary arts never interested me until a much later time and when it did I dedicated a lot of effort refining my craft and eventually started turning out some pretty good barbecue.

As Covid came and went things changed in this country but the Onery Hog did not. We continued to serve great BBQ through a pass thru window and never looked back. With the rise in prices for the products that we serve, we haven’t really been keeping up with the inflation. I say that’s ok, you can still come to this cowboy town and get “the best BBQ you’ll ever run a lip across.”

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Brisket is something that Texas claims as their fame in the BBQ world but Arizona is closing in on them. Not that we have more BBQ joints than they do, but we do have some of the best. As a pitmaster I follow the basic rules of doing my craft however I just might go the extra mile. I say that to tell you this. I have been invited to go to Texas and teach them how to do Brisket right.. Now don’t get me wrong, some of the best BBQ’ers in the world come from Texas and parts East of there, I realize that. So we all make great BBQ but, there seems to be difference.
We are Christians and as you walk around our cafe you will see the evidence of that, and we are always happy to share. When there is no light in the world there is only darkness. As long as I am able to breathe I will be breathing life into briskets as well as all the other meats we smoke. I am sure you have all heard the expression “happy wife happy life,” here is the rest of the story, “happy wife happy life, happy man, who gives a damn.” we care about you, both. Come see us for “THE BEST BBQ YOU”ll EVER RUN A LIP ACROSS”

Sincerely, from Wickenburg and the Staff at the Onery Hog Bbq cafe

God bless us all, Dan and Jo Flower

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.oneryhogbbq.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oneryhog
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/onery-hog-bbq-wickenburg