Woman-owned TJ’s Grillin’ aims to dish out ‘good food with friendly prices’ to Yelm community

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People who have driven by Yelm’s Long Shot since Halloween of last year might have smelled the aroma of barbecued foods wafting through the air.

The source of that scent is none other than TJ’s Grillin’, which is owned and operated by Yelm residents Terri Anthony and her daughter, Jennifer Anthony.

Since opening up on Halloween 2024, Terri and Jennifer have been serving up treats, not tricks, from their food truck located in the parking lot of the Long Shot, a local gun store. Both businesses can be found at 16910 Highway 507 in Yelm. TJ’s Grillin’ is open from roughly 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, though Terri and Jennifer warned that opening times may vary until 11:45 a.m. or noon.

“It’s been awesome so far. We’re getting a lot of positive feedback. Facebook reviews have been phenomenal, and the people that are showing up have been awesome. It’s been a wonderful experience. We love Yelm,” Terri told the Nisqually Valley News on Tuesday, Jan. 7. “We haven’t had a single negative experience. It’s nice to hear people say our burgers are the best they’ve ever eaten or even the best they’ve eaten in five years. It feels good to hear. We’re trying to give good food and quality at a reasonable price. I think it’s being appreciated.”

Terri said Jennifer came into a little bit of money and sought to invest it so she “wasn’t looking at empty pockets” in six months. After a discussion between the two, they began to put together recipes and file paperwork, and eventually the two found a trailer.

Since opening, TJ’s Grillin’ has earned a reputation for dishing up high-quality ribs every Saturday. Her husband, who obtained his food handler’s permit with the opening of the business, smokes the ribs each weekend for the local food truck.

“People know between around 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. that ribs will be ready. We sell out pretty often, too,” Terri said.



“People love the ribs out here. They’re only on Saturday’s, and they tend to sell out,”Jennifer added. “There’s a lot of good people and good support. It’s been fun.”

Terri said she and Jennifer grind their hamburger meat, which features good fat content to deliver a strong, beefy flavor in their burgers.

“We have everything from just a regular burger to the Kitchen Sink Burger. We have singles and doubles, and we also have the Long Shot, which is named after the Long Shot business,” Terri said. “We were nervous because Mr. Clinton with the Long Shot is a foodie, but when he finished his meal, he said it was a five-napkin burger.”

Terri also highlighted the business’s French dip, which includes a spin on French onion soup. She said the sandwich is constructed with sliced roast beef and topped with melted Gruyère cheese and grilled onions. Once the sandwich is finished, customers are given a side of au jus sauce to dip it into.

Jennifer mentioned the barbecue beef sandwich, which features barbecue beef, homemade barbecue sauce and melted Swiss cheese. Though she isn’t typically a fan of Swiss cheese, she said it’s hard not to enjoy it on that particular sandwich, which is made with fresh sourdough bread.

“Everything is homemade. We don’t like to sit there and get frozen patties that are coming out of the freezer or frozen fries. We prioritize quality and prices,” Jennifer said. “We’re family-owned and women-started. It’s pretty awesome. This is the biggest thing I’ve ever done in my life, and it’s awesome being a partner with this woman.”

Terri added, “None of us are taking a salary right now. We’re putting it back into the business. We love this community. We love the people. We came from a big city, and it was like ‘wow, people actually smile here.’ We’ve been here since 2013 and plan on staying. This is home for us.”