I discovered BBQ Pete’s at my first visit to the Washington State Fair in Puyallup almost 30 years ago. Their slow-roasted, tender ribs and pork sandwiches became my all-time barbecue favorites, and that hasn’t changed after all these years.

In those early years, we often planned Sunday drives to BBQ Pete’s old restaurant in Tacoma to enjoy a late lunch. We were always amazed at the servers doing the honey drops for our sides of cornbread. The server climbed a tall step ladder, turned around with the ladder steps facing his or her back, and dropped a glob of honey from a wooden honey dipper over the shoulder into a small bowl without looking at it. It was a perfect shot every time.

One day, I asked a server if he’d ever missed the bowl.

“Once,” he said.

I was impressed. But then I learned that there was an incentive for hitting the mark.

“When we miss, we have to clean up the mess,” he said.

I imagined the spilled honey on the table and carpet. Yeah, that would be a big mess.

BBQ Pete’s moved to an industrial area in Kent, Washington, years ago, and they continue serving their fabulous food every year in the log cabin at the fair. But there’s now a new location. On September 4, a second restaurant opened at the Lakewood Town Center in Lakewood, Washington. The restaurant in Lakewood is open for takeout and sit-down dining.

The address of the Lakewood location is 6111 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd. SW, Suite A. The restaurant is located just north of the Safeway supermarket off Gravelly Lake Drive, between Crunch Fitness and Wing Stop. It’s open Tuesday through Saturday.

The Kent location at 6621 South 211th Street, Suite 106, now has a drive-through for those who prefer ordering and picking up food without leaving their cars.

For more information, visit BBQ Pete’s website.