06/03/2026
What's on my mind ...Okay, well,.. I officially opened Billie Hill's Hillbillie Barbecue in Manteca, 2009. Well, wait a minute.. let's go back to the beginning,.. back to where it really started.. in the 1960s early 70s, My parents owned a 24-hour truck stop in Winnemucca Nevada. Restaurant, Gas station and Motel. My father leased out the gas station and motel and my family ran the Restaurant. Back in the 60's you could buy from local farmers and ranches. My father made just about everything from scratch, butter, Mayo, salad dressings, sauces, seasoning, pies, bread.. we cut our own meat and steaks, much more. This is where and when I learned to make BBQ sauce and seasoning.. (we didn't call it a rub back then).. sauce making became an obsession..
1997. Opened Wallies Diner in Tracy, Ca. We couldn't keep enough fry sauce and garlic ranch in stock.. and if you were a customer and tasted the fire frys.. you'll know what seasoning I'm referring to.. the same seasoning we used a Billie Hill's on the fried corn and fried green beans.. Both Restaurants were award winning.. we sold our sauses at Billie Hill's 12 different flavors.. in the 13 years we were open, we sold almost 50,000 bottles.. I didn't sell rubs to customers, even though many of you asked for it.. since we've been closed from 2022, I've been asked many times to reopen both Wallies and Billie Hill's..
I thought with almost 2,000 Billie Hill's followers I would try selling the rubs that I had been asked for so many years.. well, there's a hell of a lot more to it then making it in the restaurant.. in fact it cost close to 3k to start, and that's making small batches.. you would think with that many friends and followers I would be able to sell at least a few hundred bottles.. with family, friends.. not one bought any.. most of you didn't even go to my website.. if you did, I know its not the best but I'm a baby boomer not a millennial or gen z.. anyway.. I lowered the price to one dollar over my cost to see if anyone buys.. if not.. that will be all for Billie Hill's and Wallies.. thanks for all the years of you patronage.