There’s history here. Part of our inaugural issue in 2019, the cover feature of our beloved food issue in 2022, and again now. You could say we’ve been as vested in Nicole and Josh House’s journey as they’ve been in ours. But knowing what they’ve done for the community—what they continue to aspire to and invest in—that’s no surprise. They give. It’s who they are.
If you don’t know their Pickles & Bones Barbecue (first of all, where have you been?), born as a food truck in 2015, it transitioned to a carry-out-only spot in 2017, hosting All Hail the Biscuit breakfast pop-ups in ’19 and ’20. Those were so popular that in 2021, Nicole and Josh opened a stand-alone, sit-down AHTB brunch shop—running two overlapping businesses amid family, school and community commitments. Which turned out to be … a lot.
“We were getting burned out,” Nicole admits. “Neither one of us wanted to walk in the doors at one point. We needed a break.” The solution? Fuse both concepts into one menu—and one location. “People had been asking us to do P&B as a sit-down since the start. So we decided to expand things here, and try and blow it up.”
It worked. After a short closure at the AHTB location (plus paint, training and re-org), the new Pickles & Bones opened late last year to quiet, wood-smoky fanfare.
“Consolidating into one staff, one spot, we’re a much tighter-knit group—it was a good move,” says Nicole. “We’re happier cooking again, and it’s showing in the food.” An understatement for sure. The new combined menu features AHTB faves during breakfast hours, with weekly features, all-new sandwiches and snacks added to the classic P&B smoked meat options—which Nicole has cause to boast about.
“The meat is better with our new smoker.” No humble brag there—the custom-built 1,000-gallon smoker arrived last summer, the catalyst for reinventing their small business, and reinvesting in themselves. “The quality of what we’re doing is way better. I think the barbecue is the best it’s ever been.”
But that’s just half the story. This family biz is known for opening its doors to the community. “I believe you get back what you put out into the world,” Nicole offers with a quiet smile. “A lot of these things are spur of the moment, not planned, responding to a need—those are the really awesome ones because they come from the heart.”
Last December 25th, Nicole and Josh decided to offer Christmas lunch. For free. No questions, just show up. “We had no idea what to expect,” she laughs. “We did 246 people in 38 minutes—and it was the best Christmas we’ve had in a long, long time. I could see that it mattered … it really mattered.”
During COVID, they offered lunches to students in the Milford school district—again, all free, for nearly nine months. Free meals, too, for Veterans Day, 9/11, Police Week, first responders, tornado relief—the list is long, and the generosity unmatched, not the least of which includes countless “dine-out” nights benefiting school PTOs, clubs and teams.
Josh himself recently responded on P&B’s social, inviting fans to ask him anything—one commenter called out how much they give back. His answer? “We’ve always believed that if we expect the community to support us, we need to support the community in return. We’ve always tried to make it a priority … it’s been part of our mission since day one.” Well, Josh and Nicole, mission accomplished.
PicklesAndBones.com | 877A Business 28, Milford | 513.317.2214
“Schools and food insecurity are the big two for us,” Nicole smiles. “Hence the fundraisers for school groups and clubs—because the food stuff resonates.”
