Tales from the pits, a Texas BBQ podcast featuring trendsetters, leaders, and icons from the barbecue industry
208 episodes - English - Latest episode: 13 days ago - ★★★★★ - 156 ratingsA Texas BBQ podcast highlighting the food, personalities, and traditions of the Lone Star State's smoked meats.
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Episodes
Ep. 158 Pitforks and Smokerings
July 12, 2021 06:00 - 58 minutes - 53.4 MBIsaac Arellano never dreamed he’d one day turn his family’s full service gas station into a BBQ spot, but life has a funny way of working out. After delving into the competition cooking world a bit, Isaac got bit by the barbecue bug and quickly started down the path that has lead so many to retail BBQ in recent years. Along with his wife Ashley, Isaac began to explore the idea of selling the barbecue he was working so hard to produce in his backyard. This along with encouraging words from h...
Ep. 157 - Goldees Barbecue
June 28, 2021 05:23 - 41 minutes - 45.5 MBTo those that have followed the cooking careers of the Goldee’s BBQ crew it comes as no surprise that this Fort Worth joint has quickly ascended to “must visit” status on the Texas barbecue bucket list. After learning from some of the best in the business, this group of childhood friends built out their own restaurant and opened in early 2020 firing on all cylinders. Goldee’s persevered through a tumultuous 2020 and came out stronger. With a menu of Central Texas classic meats, sides and de...
Ep. 156 - Evie Mae's Growth and Expansion
June 14, 2021 06:14 - 55 minutes - 50.7 MBEvie Mae’s Barbeque grew from humble beginnings in Arizona to a trailer outside of Lubbock, Texas and just recently celebrated five years in their brick and mortar location. Along the way came many accolades along with plenty of hurdles but Arnis, Mallory, and their dedicated team have kept working and continue to put out some of the best barbecue in the state. An opportunity arose in 2020 for Evie Mae’s to expand their business and they are about to open a second location inside of a Uni...
Ep 155 - 20 Stop BBQ Tour and a Special Announcement
May 28, 2021 06:27 - 47 minutes - 49.4 MBWe’ve been hitting the BBQ trail hard in 2021, but no road trip was bigger than the one we had planned for May. With proper planning and a little help from friends we were able to cram in 20 BBQ meals over the course of five days. Traveling from Houston to Austin to Lubbock to Marfa to Fort Worth to Waco and back home, we were able to try some of the absolute best barbecue in Texas at the following places: Valentina’s BBQ, La Barbecue, Franklin Barbecue, LeRoy and Lewis BBQ, Interstellar BB...
Ep. 154 - Burnt Bean Co.
May 17, 2021 05:36 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBErnest Servantes had made a name for himself in the competition barbecue circuit and on food television for years, earning the reputation of a smart, talented chef. Ernest and David Kirkland met and became fast friends during their competition days, and as both were ready to move away from the wild world of “one bite BBQ,” they turned their attention to retail barbecue. Ernest and David started doing pop ups in small town Seguin, Texas and quickly built a following. They began the process o...
Ep. 153 - How do you compare BBQ Joints?
May 03, 2021 05:25 - 39 minutes - 36.3 MBHow many factors, and how important are those factors when comparing BBQ joints? Andrew and Bryan discuss sides, full menu strength, desserts, and the many elements that go into an experience factor. Is house made sausage a must, and does a strong protein menu with average sides outrank a joint with a larger selection of quality items? Years ago commercial pickles and generic sides were standard fare but the evolution of barbecue now includes everything from sides to desserts to pickles an...
Ep. 152 - Brett's Barbecue Shop 2 Years In
April 19, 2021 05:46 - 1 hour - 55.4 MBTwo years and a pandemic after our first interview we revisit Jacqueline Herrera and Brett Jackson at Brett's Barbecue Shop, one of the nation's smallest barbecue joints. We discuss introducing new meats to their customer base, managing a successful social media presence, future plans, and much more.
Ep. 151 - Brisket and Main
April 05, 2021 05:12 - 46 minutes - 42.5 MBWe recently were able to sit down with Joe and CJ from Zavala’s Barbecue and the Brisket and Main podcast for a fun and candid sit down about restaurant life and how they’ve navigated through the obstacles they face in the restaurant business. The most recent hurdle Zavala’s faced was extensive damage to their restaurant following the ice storm that hit Texas in February. Zavala’s is slated to reopen this coming weekend and will be back to slinging some of the best barbecue in Texas.
Ep.150 - Andrew Castelan, part of the Cattleack BBQ team
March 22, 2021 05:09 - 47 minutes - 43.4 MBAndrew Castelan got bit by the BBQ bug while going to college, which started him down a path that is all too familiar to us fellow barbecue hounds. His interest in live fire cooking eventually lead to him building his own pit as well as purchasing a Mill Scale pit. But Andrew knew that if he was going to truly chase his dream, he would have to leave his desk job behind and try his hand at cooking large scale retail barbecue. With the tremendous support of his wife, Andrew began to chase his ...
Ep. 149 - Which is the best barbecue joint in Texas?
March 08, 2021 07:29 - 39 minutes - 36 MBWe recently asked on Instagram which barbecue spot would you say is the best in Texas. It’s the age old debate amongst our fellow BBQ nerds and often spurs spirited back and forth. It’s the question Texas Monthly tries to answer every four years and with their new Texas Monthly list coming later in 2021, we felt it would be a good time to start the discussion as well. The submissions we received were varied and spanned much of the state. We decided to make it fun with the two of us flipping...
Ep. 148 - Jim Buchanan and Dozier's BBQ
February 23, 2021 08:01 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBThe restaurant industry is never a smooth ride, and no one knows that better than Jim Buchanan. Jim’s tireless determination and no quit attitude has helped sustained him through a number of trials and tribulations in the hospitality industry. After Jim’s brick and mortar location in Galveston didn’t work out as he’d hoped, he received a call from the owners of Dozier’s BBQ, a 64 year old establishment in the growing city of Fulshear, Texas. Jim was given the opportunity to join Dozier’s a...
Ep. 147 -1701 Barbecue
February 08, 2021 14:07 - 48 minutes - 44.4 MBBlue Broussard, a lifelong native of Southeast Texas, left the security of the family business to chase a dream and open up his own BBQ joint in Beaumont. This historic East Texas city has long been known for its distinct style of barbecue that varies greatly from the Central Texas flavor profiles that is prevalent throughout much of Texas these days. Taking a risk, Blue decided it was time to introduce Central Texas barbecue to Beaumont. Though the 1701 Barbecue menu has some nods to Beaum...
Ep. 146 - The Return of Smokin' Z's
January 25, 2021 14:17 - 27 minutes - 25 MBWhen we first visited Smokin’ Z’s BBQ, Zaid and Mallory Al-Jazrawi were serving up quality barbecue in the Galveston area in 2018-2019 when they were faced with a problem many growing barbecue businesses face: the need for pit expansion to keep up with demand. Unfortunately, following the arrival of their new 1,000 gallon pit, health department permitting issues threw a wrench into the plans for Smokin’ Z’s BBQ. While they were going through the back and forth to navigate the always mudd...
Ep. 145 - Cade Mercer CM Smokehouse
January 10, 2021 21:32 - 29 minutes - 26.9 MBCade Mercer grew up in the Seguin and New Braunfels area with cooking always as a major part of his life. After working in restaurants during high school, Cade started his cooking career at Rudy’s BBQ shortly after trying college. To grow his skills, Cade went to culinary school and then entered the fine dining world. Follow brief stints at restaurants near his hometown, a fateful call from Reid Guess, then head chef of Lambert’s, resulted in a job that would begin his path into modern bar...
Ep.144 - Things we are thankful for
November 25, 2020 10:00 - 34 minutes - 31.5 MBThis year has seen more than its share of challenges for everyone, the barbecue world included. In this episode we discuss some of the good things that have happened around barbecue this year that we’re thankful for. Tune in to hear about some of the new happenings in BBQ, some menu items and restaurants that continue to wow us, and more.
Ep. 143 - Season Two, back on the road
November 17, 2020 04:54 - 29 minutes - 27.1 MBAfter releasing an episode nearly every week for almost three years, we were ready for a bit of a break. But what 2020 had in store was not something we could have ever planned for or wanted. After a long period of staying mostly close to home, we're starting to venture out safely for one of our favorite activities, barbecue road trips. As it's been such a delay, we thought we might as well act like a podcast and call this the start of a new season! So, welcome to season two of Tales Fro...
Ep, 142 - A Socially Distanced BBQ Run
June 08, 2020 13:20 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MBHaving just completed our first BBQ road trip since the quarantine began, we discuss our experience going to four places, safety and social distancing measures we personally implemented as well as those we’ve seen at the places we’ve been to during the pandemic. One positive to come from the coronavirus situation from a customer standpoint is it has provided opportunities to get food from places that previously had been more difficult to dine at. There are number of ways to support your fa...
Ep. 141 - Three years of Tales
May 26, 2020 05:27 - 39 minutes - 35.9 MBWhen we started this podcast three years ago we had no idea what the show would become or the places it would take us. We are incredibly grateful to all of the amazing people in the BBQ industry that have given us the gift of their time and their story. From our first episode breaking down the 2017 Texas Monthly top ten list to interviews with some of the top BBQ cooks and pit fabricators and everything in between, we’ve had the time of our lives helping to provide a platform for these ta...
Ep. 140 - Supporting BBQ through tough times
March 14, 2020 01:21 - 39 minutes - 36.1 MBThe world, and more recently the United States, has begun to deal with the effects of novel coronavirus (COVID-19). As large events cancel, corporations and school districts suspend operations, and people begin to stay home in large numbers, the inevitable decline in sales that small businesses will experience is frightening for many Americans. Barbecue restaurants operate on tight budgets and slim profit margins and have begun to prepare for a slow down in business as best they can. In a...
Ep. 139 - Truth Barbeque Houston , scaling a barbecue business
March 09, 2020 07:00 - 49 minutes - 45 MBIn August of 2015 Leonard Botello and family opened up a tiny BBQ joint just outside of Brenham, Texas. There was no big grand opening, there was no meeting of the #BBQFam or podcasts, and no social media campaign. That is precisely how Leonard wanted to launch. Bryan noticed the name change from "J's BBQ" (not to be confused with LJ's which was to open later) to "Truth Barbeque" as he drove back and forth from Austin to Houston. Gone were the old school rectangular pits and in their place ...
Ep. 138 - Five of our favorite things in BBQ February 2020
February 24, 2020 07:00 - 40 minutes - 36.8 MBOn our way back from a recent road trip we came up with five of our favorite things happening in BBQ right now. We discussed the following topics: What's old is new again Breaking away from the brisket bubble Accessibility of great BBQ Expansion of quality BBQ joints The full meal experience Take a listen and if you like our show please make sure to tell others, and if you visit a BBQ joint or buy a pit from someone you found out about on the show, please let them know!
Ep. 137 - Hurtado Barbecue
February 17, 2020 12:13 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBThe DFW barbecue scene is blowing up, and popups, food trailers, and brick and mortars are opening around town. Brandon Hurtado has progressed through popups and food trailer into a retail store front, bringing his spin on Hispanic influenced Texas Barbecue to the game. The brick and mortar retail establishment is having the grand opening Sat Feb 22, 2020 at 205 East Front Street, Arlington, TX - go check it out! In our episode we talk about his background, what Tex Mex influence means...
Ep. 136 - Texas BBQ: A look back and a look forward
February 10, 2020 07:00 - 43 minutes - 40.2 MBTexas BBQ has seen massive growth in the last 10 years and many of us have been lucky to witness it firsthand. The epicenter has shifted and morphed from Central Texas; top tier BBQ is available in every major city and most towns. With the popularity, the supply and demand economics of the growing world of BBQ have altered the price of a BBQ meal from a modest blue collar staple to a luxury - but is this a bad thing? BBQ has also embraced more cultural influences of Texas, growing beyond th...
Ep, 135 - Bare Barbecue
January 20, 2020 07:00 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MBWhen Justin Earley and Steven Bailey began fine tuning their barbecue skills they did what many in the current generation of pitmasters did, they turned to books and videos. While knowledge requires both learning and practice, the wealth of information available today provides a great starting point. Their chimichurri, made by Justin's mother, helped them land a spot in Texas Monthly's Best Texas BBQ Bites of 2019 and Daniel Vaughn wrote a positive review of their menu in January of 2020. T...
Ep. 134 - Q&A
January 13, 2020 12:57 - 38 minutes - 35.2 MBWe answer listener submitted questions to kick off 2020 Our prediction of BBQ trends for the year Tips on cooking pork steaks BBQ Pit recommendations And more! Mentioned in this episode: Butcher saw - Weston 47-1601 Butcher and Bone Saw with 16 Inch Stainless Steel Blade (47-1601), 16 Inch, Stainless Steel https://www.amazon.com/Weston-Butcher-Stainless-Steel-47-1601/dp/B001BQAQ88 Cut Resistant Gloves - Premium Cut Resistant Gloves - Food Grade - Level 5 Protection, High Performan...
Ep. 133 - 2019 year in review
December 30, 2019 07:00 - 47 minutes - 43.8 MB2019 was another whirlwind adventure for your hosts and we had an amazing time interviewing, eating, and cooking BBQ. In this episode we recap our year including some of our favorite bites and even our worst ones too. We hope 2020 will be as fun, rewarding, and challenging as 2019 was. Some of the events we had the pleasure to attend: Charleston Wine+Food Sausage Wars Red Dirt BBQ and Music Festival Windy City Smokeout Smoked Dallas The Butcher's Ball Houston Vs Austin HOU BBQ Throwd...
Ep. 132 - JNL Barbecue - Ben and Sarah Lambert
December 16, 2019 07:00 - 28 minutes - 26.3 MBBen Lambert started cooking meat over fire at an early age, hunting and cooking animals with his dad. After a varied career that included everything from working as a tattoo artist to a slaughterhouse job to being a meat cutter at an old school joint, Ben eventually made his way to Austin where he’d meet his wife Sarah. It was in Austin that his professional cooking career began to take shape. Ben worked at a well regarded place for its time, Blue Ox BBQ, and when a job opened up at Frankl...
Ep. 131 - Shane Stiles and Lance Kirkpatrick of Stiles Switch
December 09, 2019 07:00 - 40 minutes - 36.9 MBShane Stiles' dream to open a quality barbecue restaurant came to fruition in 2011 when the craft barbecue scene was just emerging. Franklin Barbecue's brick and mortar had recently opened and the sides at the vast majority of BBQ restaurants were an afterthought. Shane reached out to Lance Kirkpatrick, a veteran pitmaster whose recent foray into fine dining had faltered, and the stage was set for Stiles Switch BBQ and Brew. Two years after open Stiles Switch landed a spot in the TMBBQ top...
Ep. 130 - Bryan Bingham
November 25, 2019 07:20 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MBBryan Bingham turned his passion for barbecue into a job at a historic and highly touted restaurant in Longview, Texas. Bryan began working at Bodacious Bar-B-Q on Mobberly Avenue in the summer of 2017 and by fall of 2019 he was running the entire restaurant with a very small staff. Bryan and Bodacious on Mobberly blend traditional barbecue with inventive, modern specials as well as anyone in the state, and it's easy to see why people travel far and wide to visit them. Bodacious has a lon...
Ep. 129 - The Continuing Evolution of BBQ
November 11, 2019 06:03 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MBThe legacy of BBQ is anchored in tradition and multi-generational families, passing methods down from a time when smoking meats with wood was a necessity rather than a luxury. However in the last 10 years more has changed than likely at any time in history. It started with higher quality meat sourcing, not just in the grade of meat but including hormone free meat, small farms, and select breeds. In the east and south, some BBQ pit masters are raising their own heritage breed hogs. BBQ res...
Ep. 128 - Texas Pickle Company
November 04, 2019 08:00 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MBPickles and barbecue have become a strong tradition. Pickling was invented for the same reason meats were salted and smoked; preservation. The acidic pickle also helps digestion of fatty meats. Most barbecue joints will offer free pickles along with bread and onions as standard condiments but these are off the shelf products, made with artificial dyes and other suspect ingredients. Even though free condiments can cost a BBQ joint thousands of dollars, more and more are moving to a gourmet o...
Ep. 127 - Tejas Burger Joint
October 29, 2019 07:00 - 34 minutes - 31.4 MBTejas Burger Joint A side project on a slow day was the genesis for what would become a standalone business. The second step was a glance at a store window while sitting at a stop light. Listen in as Scott Moore discusses their signature burgers, launching a new business, and the details of what it takes to make a dream into a reality. This is the Wendy's Training Video, the music starts at 4:00 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbVDQKcxg00&t=240s Tejas Burger Joint https://www.facebook.c...
Ep. 126 - Butter's BBQ
October 21, 2019 08:00 - 45 minutes - 35.5 MBAndrew Soto quietly launched his BBQ joint two years ago but the secret is out - he and family are cranking out great BBQ in the small town of Mathis, Texas. If an article by Daniel Vaughn and making the Texas Monthly Top 25 new BBQ joints wasn't enough to put him on our must-visit list, our buddy Abe Delgado of the I Crush BBQ Show told us to quit procrastinating and make the trip. After a recent visit we sat down with Andrew to discuss his journey to the top 25, his struggles along the w...
Ep. 125 - The Growing South Texas BBQ Scene
October 14, 2019 08:00 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MBWe take a long overdue road trip to the southern tip of Texas, where barbacoa is king but Central Texas BBQ has continued to take a foothold. We hit up Butter's, Teddy's, and 1848 BBQ. We even got to take a firsthand gander at the SpaceX Starship prototype. While we did not get to revisit Smoking Oak or stop by Smokin' Moon, we did get to revisit Vera's Backyard Bar-B-Que which still cooks whole cow heads in an literal pit in the ground and is one of our must-experience stops for those who ...
Ep. 124 - Teddy's Barbecue
October 07, 2019 08:00 - 36 minutes - 33.1 MBJoel And Jesse Garcia grew in a barbecue cooking family, and Joel gravitated towards the world of craft barbecue as an adult working in Austin. Joel worked for several acclaimed BBQ joints in Austin while Jesse went to culinary school and began working in fine dining. When Joel and his wife decided to move back to the Rio Grande Valley area so that their son could grow up closer to family, the reality of Joel and Jesse opening their own place started to become more of a reality. After helpi...
Ep, 123 - BBQ Openings and Closings
September 23, 2019 09:00 - 24 minutes - 22.6 MBSome recent openings, closings, and moves have occurred in the Texas BBQ world and we catch you up with a number of them. Also tune in for an announcement from Jim Lero of Lillian's BBQ. We had a great time with the crew from Zavala's BBQ at the Smoked Dallas fest and would like to thank them again for allowing us to lend a hand. We would like to recognize Tin Roof BBQ for bringing their dual Oyler rig out to Beaumont to help the Giving Bak Foundation, helping to feed first responders and ...
Ep. 122 - Backline Smokers
September 16, 2019 12:19 - 40 minutes - 37.5 MBRyan Newland's path to pit building started with fabrication. Building unique set designs for Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Pink his innovative work set the stage for custom one-off pits that he would build after moving to Texas. Probably currently most well known for the hog cookers at Banger's in Austin, he collaborated with Sunny Moberg to build a wild motorized pit for Smoke Draw BBQ that you have to see and his pits are beginning to show up at many well known barbecue joints. From the San...
Ep. 121 - Sausage 101
September 09, 2019 06:00 - 53 minutes - 49.3 MBIt's taken us three years of making sausage before we felt like we could truly speak on the art of craft sausage. A number of people have asked us to do an episode similar to our Ribs 101 and so here it is - Tales From the Pits Sausage 101. This is a crash course in the basics of making fresh cooked sausage; from what equipment to buy, to the best tips we've learned, and finally we provide a base recipe for you to enhance. Mentioned in the episode and a great resource is the A&M Creative Sa...
Ep. 120 - Robert J Lerma
August 26, 2019 08:00 - 40 minutes - 31 MBAfter an enlightening visit to Lockhart and Taylor BBQ joints, Robert Lerma moved to Texas. While holding down a full time job his passion for capturing the essence of Texas barbecue in the people, restaurants, and food launched a photography business that has set him apart as one of the top in the segment. While still maintaining his weekly job his photography gig has taken him across the world. He has built a special bond with those he chooses to work with and has been able to capture mome...
Ep, 119 Bradley Robinson and Chud Pits
August 19, 2019 08:00 - 34 minutes - 31.3 MBBradley “Chud” Robinson is one of the most talented people in barbecue. As one of the pitmasters at the great LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue, he helps produce some of the best fire cooked meats in Texas. As if that full-time job wasn’t enough, Bradley also builds BBQ pits. LeRoy and Lewis cook a lot of their food on pits he’s built or modified. Chud BBQ Pits are custom built to order and Bradley currently offers offset backyard smokers, 250 gallon propane tank based pits, and his Chud Box direct ...
Ep. 118 - Pork Steak Run, upcoming BBQ Events, and Listener Questions
August 12, 2019 08:00 - 36 minutes - 25 MBIn this episode: - Recap of a 9 stop BBQ run with 3 top 10 BBQ joints - Upcoming BBQ fests - Listener Questions In the heat of the summer it can be uncomfortable downing brisket at every stop of a barbecue run, especially if you like the moist side of the brisket like we do. The rich, fatty meat can drag you down if you don't pace yourself. We came up with the idea to do another run focused on pork steak with some sausage thrown in. First time BBQ run buddies Tom Weldin and Derek Wedel jo...
Ep, 117 - Pustka Family Barbeque
August 05, 2019 09:00 - 38 minutes - 35.5 MBDustin Pustka, a classically trained chef who'd worked in professional kitchens for years, had grown tired of that aspect of the food world and began gravitating towards a less fussy, more comfort style of cuisine. Having grown up cooking barbecue with his family, it was a natural progression for him to return to those roots. Dustin and his father launched their BBQ food truck north of Austin in the small town of Hutto, Texas in October, 2017. While the early days were a struggle, people so...
Ep. 116 - Austin Smoke Works
July 29, 2019 08:00 - 25 minutes - 23.8 MBAustin Smoke Works have been building some of the barbecue world’s most sought after smokers for years. With a pit design that includes an insulated firebox and efficient draw of smoke through the cook chamber, some of the best Texas barbecue has come off of Austin Smoke Works pits over the last several years. Jimbo Glass, who has been building pits with Austin Smoke Works since its early days alongside founders John Lewis Sr. And John Lewis Jr. recently took over the company from the Lewi...
Ep. 115 - Windy City Smokeout and Feges BBQ
July 22, 2019 06:10 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MBWOW One of the largest food events of the year is held every July in Chicago. Windy City Smokeout brings together some of the biggest names in BBQ and country music. We were fortunate to have had the opportunity to join the Feges BBQ team this year to help prepare and serve their menu to the festival goers. The logistics of preparing, cooking, and serving this volume of food for a three day event is incredible, and we learned a lot about just how much work it takes to put together an opera...
Ep. 114 - Helberg Barbecue one year later
July 08, 2019 09:00 - 54 minutes - 50 MBFirst year growth To say the first year in business for Helberg Barbecue was eventful would be a massive understatement. From the early beginnings in their small trailer to multiple accolades, personal and professional growth, and now a brick and mortar building in addition to their food trailer, Phillip and Yvette Helberg have gone on quite the ride. We sat down with several members of the Helberg team to discuss the journey so far, each person's role in the business, and the future for t...
Ep. 113 - BBQ Road Trips Part 2
July 01, 2019 09:00 - 43 minutes - 39.9 MBRoad Trips that maximize the stops within short timelines In the second installment of our BBQ road trip tips we provide sample itineraries for the hardcore BBQ fan trying to sample as many restaurants as possible in a short amount of time. We give tips on what to order, timing of each stop, and various other pieces of advice to maximize your time in order to get in as many stops as possible in both Austin and Houston. We also discuss which Dallas/Fort Worth stops should be on your list. T...
Ep. 112 - Panther City BBQ
June 24, 2019 09:00 - 36 minutes - 26.3 MBChris Magallanes and Ernest Morales are longtime friends who grew up cooking backyard barbecue and eventually foraying into competition cooking. Trips to places like the former John Mueller Meat Co. inspired them to start cooking more Central Texas style retail barbecue, and they soon began to envision a food truck business. After honing their craft serving at bars, breweries, and wherever they could find to help grow their business, Chris and Ernie jumped at the opportunity to set up at Re...
Ep. 111 - Cattleack Barbeque part two
June 12, 2019 09:00 - 43 minutes - 40.3 MBListen to part one of our episode with Todd David of Cattleack Barbeque to hear about his early days of cooking barbecue and starting the business. In part two of our talk with Todd, we discuss the effect being named the third best BBQ joint in Texas by Texas Monthly has had on the business and the pressure to live up to such acclaim. Todd also talks about his whole hog cooking process, his desire to keep learning and tweaking his products, and the unrelenting commitment to making great b...
Ep. 110 - Todd David of Cattleack Barbeque
June 10, 2019 09:00 - 40 minutes - 36.7 MBTodd David was a barbecue fan long before he owned a barbecue restaurant. He was grilling and smoking meats as a young man growing up in St. Louis, and that passion only grew once he moved to Dallas. It would be a long time, however, before BBQ would become a business for the David family. Toddn ahis wife Misty owned and operated a commercial cleaning and restoration company in Dallas for many years and would host monthly barbecue lunches for their customers. Over time the lunches grew in v...
Ep. 109 - Zavala's Barbecue
June 03, 2019 09:00 - 45 minutes - 41.3 MBA tradition of family cookouts in his youth was the inspiration for Joe Zavala to buy his first smoker when he and his wife Christan became homeowners. As Joe tinkered with his cooks and his brisket game grew stronger, he launched an ambitious (but not exactly profitable) plan to cook and deliver his barbecue to customers all over the Dallas and Fort Worth area. With encouragement from Christan and longtime friends C.J. and Drew, Zavala’s Barbecue began serving in pop up form at a few even...