Tales from the pits, a Texas BBQ podcast featuring trendsetters, leaders, and icons from the barbecue industry

Evan LeRoy's BBQ journey began in the backyard with his dad, took him all the way to New York to cook Texas barbecue, then back to Austin where he made Freedmen's bar one of the premier BBQ destinations in Texas. After a few years at Freedmen's, Evan was ready to strike out on his own. Along with business partners Nathan and Sawyer Lewis, plans were made to open a brewery and restaurant serving Evan's creative menu alongside Lewis' craft beers. While the brewery remains in development, Evan and Sawyer are operating the LeRoy and Lewis BBQ truck parked at 121 Pickle Road next to Cosmic Coffee and Beer in the South Congress area of Austin. Open five days a week for lunch and dinner, Evan and his team of talented cooks (including Brad Robinson who was kind enough along with Evan to join us for this interview) are serving some of the best, most innovative barbecue in Texas; New school BBQ with old school service. With a strong team and a commitment to hyper-local fresh product and the highest quality proteins, the flavor and cooking execution of the LeRoy and Lewis menu is second to none. With rotating items such as sliced beef cheek, Sichuan peppercorn beef ribs, firebox roasted sweet potatoes, and their acclaimed smoked and seared burger (available for dinner only), there is always an interesting and delicious menu available from Evan and crew. Check them out online at https://leroyandlewis.com/ Twitter: @LeRoyandLewis  Instagram: @LeRoyandLewis  121 Pickle Road, Austin Texas (Near S. Congress and just North of Ben White/Hwy 71) Hours: Wednesday - Sunday 11 am - 9 pm

Reveille Barbecue Co. is a newcomer to the barbecue scene in Texas. Currently operating out of a trailer in Magnolia (a suburb north of Houston), Reveille was started by co-owners/pitmasters James McFarland and Michael Michna. James began chasing his BBQ dreams a few years ago and quickly built a resumé working at The Pit Room and Tejas Chocolate and Barbecue. Michael had a passion for cooking barbecue dating back to his days in the armed services and continuing into his career as a firefighter. The two met and became friends years ago and began making barbecue for cookoffs and special events. After several years of dreaming about opening a business, the dream began to become a reality in 2017. With a lot of hard work, planning, encouragement from friends and family, and the purchase of a custom built reverse flow smoker built by Arnis Robbins of the acclaimed Evie Mae's Pit Barbeque, Reveille became a reality. Reveille opened in May of 2018 serving strong representations of many of the smoked meat staples along with non-standard sides such as blistered shishito peppers and a version of Mexican street corn with a Texas spin. Currently open Saturday and Sunday starting at 11 am with plans for expanded hours in the coming months, the future is bright for Reveille Barbecue Co. Be sure to pay attention in the episode to hear about our newest giveaway courtesy of Reveille Barbecue Co.Check them out online at https://www.reveillebbq.com/and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/116218828968987/reveille-barbecue-co/

This week we recap the biggest news and happenings around the world of barbecue, including a big pitmaster departures at Franklin Barbecue and La Barbecue. We also talk about the latest word on upcoming BBQ joints opening in the near future such as The Switch, Blood Bros., Micklethwait, and more. A quick word on our recent Doubleback BBQ pop up as well as a final thank you to everyone who helped make the Santa Fe High School benefit the success it was. Tune in every week to hear more stories and interviews!

Growing up close to Lockhart (the barbecue capitol of Texas) ignited the passion for smoking meat at an early age for Michael Wyont. Soon after attending culinary school, Michael decided to enter the barbecue world, working at Black's BBQ before deciding to strike out on his own.   The Wyonts originally opened the Flores Barbecue trailer - named after Michael's maternal side of the family - in Michael's hometown of San Marcos. There were some logistical issues in San Marcos, and the Wyonts began evaluating options for to grow their business. They eventually settled on Whitney, Texas, where Hali had family roots, and reopened.   It wasn't long after opening in Whitney that Daniel Vaughn made his way to the Flores trailer and wrote a positive article on their barbecue. A short time later, Flores made the coveted Texas Monthly Top 50 list and the crowds grew larger. Armed with a new pit - the first commercial Moberg Smoker - and a new brick and mortar, Flores Barbecue continued to flourish and serve top notch barbecue.   Flores serves the staple barbecue items of brisket, ribs, housemade sausage and sides, but also pays homage to Michael's heritage with specials like carnitas on homemade tortillas as well as Mexican rice. Flores keeps improving on their already strong product and is a name to watch in the coming years as their commitment to quality is unwavering.   Catch Flores Barbecue in Whitney Texas 2222 SH 22 Whitney, Texas Call (254) 580-3576   Open Thursday through Sunday https://www.facebook.com/FloresBarbecue/ Twitter @floresbarbecue https://www.instagram.com/flores_barbecue/  

After deciding to move to Texas, Phillip and Yvette Helberg began looking for a large spread of land where they could live and farm the land. They found a perfect spot outside of Waco to put down roots, and began to make plans for the next phase of Helberg Barbecue. They source responsibly raised meats and plan to use as much product grown on their land as possible for their menu. With unique items like Filipino seasoned pork and homemade Zwieback rolls stuffed with smoked meats, Helberg offers something different from the average menu. After purchasing an old trailer and renovating it, they found a spot to set up shop and serve their barbecue. Open Thursday through Saturday for breakfast and lunch at Pinewood Coffee Bar, Helberg Barbecue is a new addition to the growing Waco barbecue scene. Catch Helberg Barbecue at:https://www.helbergbarbecue.com/https://twitter.com/HelbergRanchIntagram: HelbergBarbecue 2223 Austin Ave, Waco, TX Open Thurs-Sat 7-10:30 for breakfast 11-sold out for lunch  

Phillip and Yvette Helberg met on a cruise ship where he was an employee and she was a guest. The love affair started soon after and Phillip, a native Texan who moved to California to be with Yvette, became interested in cooking. His attention turned quickly to smoked meat following a trip to Texas where he and Yvette had some of John Mueller's barbecue.   They purchased a small retail pit and began experimenting. After a lot of backyard cooks for friends and family, Phillip and Yvette began to think this could become a profession. They started an event planning company which included catering, but soon found the catering portion of their business becoming increasingly popular.   All this time as the business was growing, Phillip missed his home state of Texas. Together they decided to take the plunge and make the move from California to Texas and launched Helberg Barbecue in Waco in the spring of 2018.   Catch Helberg Barbecue at: https://www.helbergbarbecue.com/ https://twitter.com/HelbergRanch Intagram: HelbergBarbecue   2223 Austin Ave, Waco, TX   Open Thurs-Sat 7-10:30 for breakfast   11-sold out for lunch.

We've reached the one year mark of the show, and could not be more excited for how the first year has gone and for all of the things lined up for year two. We reflect back on some of the highlights of the last year in this episode and talk about all of the great people in and around the BBQ world that we've been fortunate to meet through the show.   The most important part of the episode, however, is a bit of news surrounding a tragic event in the state of Texas. Following the horrific school shooting at Santa Fe High School, we were asked by Doug Shultz, a friend of ours and fellow barbecue fan, to help organize what we at first thought would be a small barbecue fundraiser to help the victims' families.   The event, much to our shock, has turned into a massive benefit complete with some of our great friends in the barbecue world and in the Houston area helping us cook and serve the food as well as donating some wonderful prizes that will be raffled and auctioned off to raise money for the Santa Fe Strong Memorial Fund.   Advantage BMW/Mini has generously offered to host and facilitate much of the event. We have been fortunate to have been offered assistance from Roegels Barbecue Co, Pappa Charlies Barbeque, Buck's Barbeque Co., Brett's BBQ, and Bourbon Legends BBQ. Incredible meat donations have been provided by Ruffino Meats and Doreck's Meat Market. Every dollar from the food, raffle, and auctions will be donated to the Santa Fe Strong Memorial Fund.   Event Details:   Santa Fe Strong BBQ Fundraiser Where: Advantage BMW, 400 Gulf Fwy S., League City, TX When: Saturday, June 2nd, noon-4 PM Food: Two meat with two sides plates available with $10 donation   Raffle prizes include autographed Houston Texans memorabilia, chartered fishing trips, BBQ gift cards from Opie's BBQ, Brotherton's Black Iron Barbecue, John Mueller Black Box BBQ, Buck's Barbeque Co., Grizzly coolers, Hopper Moonwalks, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Astros tickets, and much more.   We hope all can attend and help us raise a lot of money for this fund. If you are unable to attend but would like to donate, please go to texasfirstbank.com and donate directly.

Listen in to part two as Will and Nichole Buckman buy their first Oyler and discuss their move to their new location in Old Town Spring, Tx. We also talk about their consistency, selection of meat sources, and their obsession with order accuracy. Be sure to check out Corkscrew BBQ, one of the Texas Monthly Top 10 BBQ Joints, and order the cobbler! www.Corkscrewbbq.com 26608 Keith Street, 77373 Spring, Texas Open Tuesday-Saturday 11am- Sold Out Twitter @corkscrewbbq Instagram corkscrewbbq    

Corkscrew BBQ Interview Part 1 Will and Nichole Buckman had just started a family when they decided to transition from running a small barbecue catering business out of their home to a full fledged business. It was a big leap of faith with two young babies at home, but the risk paid off. Corkscrew BBQ began operating their food trailer in 2011 in Spring, Texas (just outside of Houston) and soon began receiving acclaim. Though both had worked in barbecue restaurants as teenagers, Will and Nichole did not do much market research before they began cooking and selling their barbecue, which helped give Corkscrew its unique flavors and style that set it apart from other restaurants. Alison Cook from the Houston Chronicle took notice of Corkscrew BBQ early on and wrote a positive review which brought them an immediate rush of new customers. Over the next several years the Buckmans continued to perfect their craft and in 2013 made the Texas Monthly's coveted Top 50 BBQ List. The accolades continued to roll in and Corkscrew developed a loyal and large fan base, leading to stout lines and daily sell-outs of their product. In the summer of 2015 a building became available in the Old Town Spring area and the Buckmans were ready. Within a few short months they renovated the building and opened Corkscrew BBQ as a brick and mortar in October 2015. Having transitioned to an Oyler pit during the trailer days, Corkscrew added another Oyler to increase capacity for the restaurant. Cooking on two Oyler pits gives Will Buckman the opportunity to put out a stellar, consistent product while still getting a little more sleep than an offset would allow. In the spring of 2017 Corkscrew BBQ once again made the Texas Monthly Top 50 list, this time being placed in the top tier of barbecue in the state as the no. 7 rated joint. Business continues to boom these days for these two hard working, family oriented business owners. Both Will and Nichole remain dedicated to running Corkscrew full time - the restaurant has never been open without one of them there - while also making time for their family. With the Buckman's commitment to serving only high quality, premium meats and ingredients, Corkscrew BBQ stands out with top notch prime all natural brisket, Duroc ribs, homemade cobbler and sides, and non-traditional barbecue items like tacos with homemade green chile ranch. Corkscrew BBQ is a shining example of how great barbecue can be when quality and customer service are held to the highest standard.   www.Corkscrewbbq.com 26608 Keith Street, 77373 Spring, Texas Open Tuesday-Saturday 11am- Sold Out Twitter @corkscrewbbq Instagram corkscrewbbq  

We love meeting up with fellow barbecue fans to eat and talk 'cue, and there's no better place for that than the tailgate atmosphere that is the Franklin Barbecue line. When we decided to make our yearly pilgrimage to Franklin, we asked if any friends and listeners to the show would like to join us.   A crew of nine of us arrived early on a Friday morning to wait our turn for some of the famed smoked meats from Franklin Barbecue. From Houston to San Antonio to Austin, we convened from different parts of the state to talk barbecue and decided to turn on the microphones!   Some of the topics we discuss include our first eye opening barbecue experiences, which one barbecue joint each of us would want to bring on a deserted island, and what joints we're looking forward to going to next. This episode includes tons of shoutouts including Feges BBQ, Zavala's Barbecue, LeRoy and Lewis, Louie Mueller BBQ, and many more.   Joined by our friends Justin Catrett, Taylor and Terry Osborn, Cory Gregg, Spencer Hoffman and others, we had a blast talking barbecue and then of course eating copious amounts of meat once we got to the ordering counter. Many of our group of course couldn't stop there and ended up at various places such as Terry Black's, LeRoy and Lewis, and Truth Barbeque.   From a semi serious discussion of great barbecue to building a life raft out of Truth cakes, listen in and join us out on the trail sometime!   Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review us on your preferred listening app. Tell a friend and help us grow! Twitter: @bbqpodcast Instagram: TalesFromthePits

The history of barbecue in the state of Texas cannot be confined to one story, one influence, or even one method of cooking. In a state this size with so much history, barbecue styles vary based on different influences throughout the regions of the state. Low and slow or hot and fast? Pork or beef? sauced or dry? Oak or mesquite? We wanted to explore where the primary origins of Texas Barbecue came from and how Texas has not one, but multiple signature styles of barbecue We are documenting Texas' barbecue history in a series of episodes where we will discuss our research and interview people from different regions to help provide a unique insight into what made Texas barbecue what it was and what it is today. We will concentrate our efforts into four primary styles with unique traditions. Here's a quick overview: East Texas draws much of its barbecue roots from slavery in the 19th century which resulted in a heavy southern barbecue influence. Pork is prevalent in this region and saucing of meat is a common occurrence. South Texas to this day maintains a rich barbecue tradition of barbacoa due to its proximity to Mexico and large Mexican American population. Central Texas barbecue draws from its Czech and German immigration with sausages made from meat trimmings and simply seasoned meats. Meat Markets sold barbecue from the counter and patrons grabbed items like pickles and bread off the store shelves, leaving unused condiments to be shared. West Texas barbecue origins go back to cattle trails and live fire cooking. Mesquite is the prominent wood type and logs are burned to coals with meats cooked over direct heat to give a distinct grilled flavor. Listen in to this episode as we get prepared to dive headfirst into this project! Note that we will continue our more standard episodes in between as the interviews and locations will take some time to cover. These will be marked with BBQ History in the title. Please remember to subscribe to us in your favorite podcast app!Catch us on twitter @BBQPodcast and on instagram at TalesFromthePits

The conclusion of our interview with Patrick Feges of Feges BBQ Leaving Killen's BBQ and joining the staff at Southern Goods afforded Patrick Feges the chance to continue composing smoked meat dishes in non-traditional ways, and also made it possible for Patrick to cook whole hogs more often. Whole hog cooking had become a passion for Patrick, and his reputation as a talented hog cooker was growing in Houston. While Patrick was furthering his career in preparation for owning his own business, so was his wife and eventual business partner, Erin Feges. Erin's resume included stints at fine dining restaurants in New York as well as running the kitchens at Plonk Wine Bistro and Main Kitchen at the Marriott in Houston. Erin's experience developing menus for Blacksmith Coffee and Anvil Bar along with a position at Camerata Wine Bar made her one of Houston's most well-rounded and versatile chefs.   After years of searching for the right spot and right opportunity to utilize their diverse skill sets, Erin and Patrick were given an opportunity to open a Feges BBQ outpost in the food court at Greenway Plaza. With an expansive and creative menu of smoked meats and sides, Feges BBQ has been an immediate hit amongst its early diners. While plans are still in place for a more traditional restaurant brick-and-mortar, the Greenway Plaza set-up provides these two talented chefs with the opportunity to build an audience and make their mark on the barbecue scene.   Be sure to follow Tales From the Pits on Twitter @BBQPodcast and Instagram @ Talesfromthepits     Feges BBQ WWW.fegesbbq.com Twitter: fegesbbq   Location: 3 Greenway Plaza Ste C210Concourse Level – The HubHouston, TX 77046 Monday-Friday, 11am-3pm If you've never been to 3 Greenway plaza, here is a video on how to park: https://twitter.com/twitter/statuses/984784762861744128

Join us for part two of our interview with Patrick Feges of Feges BBQ.    After receiving his medical discharge from the Army and completing culinary school, Patrick Feges embarked on his cooking career. Following a brief stint manning a Mongolian grill, Patrick got an opportunity at one of Houston's longest established great restaurants, Brennan's. Working in a high volume fine dining restaurant was a vital step in Patrick's career, and when Underbelly opened Patrick saw another chance to become an even more versatile chef.   While at Underbelly, Patrick continued to hone his barbecue craft and began doing pop-ups at bars under the Feges BBQ name. The creative freedom given to the staff at Underbelly allowed Patrick to begin using non-traditional ingredients to start developing his own brand of barbecue. After a successful stint at Underbelly, Patrick was offered a position at acclaimed chef Ronnie Killen's new barbecue venture, Killen's BBQ.   Killen's BBQ was a high volume, high quality barbecue restaurant from the beginning and helped Patrick learn how to pace a line and process orders rapidly while cooking in large quantities daily. With one year running the block and managing the kitchen at Killen's BBQ under his belt, it was time for Patrick to take the next step in his career. An opportunity as a sous chef came about when fellow Underbelly alum Lyle Bento opened Southern Goods in The Heights. Patrick was given the chance to continue working towards opening his own barbecue restaurant while adding smoked elements to the Southern Goods menu.    

We have told a lot of stories about people in the barbecue world and the different paths that have taken them to a career in smoked meats. While we have respected all of these stories, we are honored and very humbled to have Patrick Feges tell his story on our show.   After joining the Army after high school, Patrick was deployed to South Korea and later to Iraq right in the thick of the war in 2004. It was in Iraq that Patrick was struck by a mortar and gravely injured. Through a series of incredible circumstances Patrick survived his injuries. With his combat days over, Patrick continued to serve while awaiting medical discharge. During this time he was given a Brinkman pit from a fellow serviceman, which started him on his path to barbecue which included some incredible detours at some of the best restaurants in Houston such as Brennan's, Underbelly, Killen's Barbecue, and Southern Goods.   Tune in to this episode to hear Patrick's incredible story of survival and be sure to subscribe to the show as we will post additional episodes with Patrick that delve into his extensive career in the culinary world and the opening of Erin and Patrick Feges' first barbecue restaurant, Feges BBQ. Erin's incredible resume as a chef working for some of the top chefs in the country as well as running the kitchens for Plonk Bistro, Marriott's Main Kitchen and developing menus for the Clumsy Butcher Group paired with Patrick's smoked meat prowess and culinary background make Feges BBQ one of the most unique and creative barbecue menus around.   Feges BBQ WWW.fegesbbq.com Twitter: fegesbbq   Location: 3 Greenway Plaza Ste C210Concourse Level – The HubHouston, TX 77046 Monday-Friday, 11am-3pm If you've never been to 3 Greenway plaza, here is a video on how to park: https://twitter.com/twitter/statuses/984784762861744128      

Tales From the Pits has been traveling and eating barbecue. We've been out on the BBQ trail quite a bit over the last couple of months, and the foreseeable future looks just as busy. In this episode we reflect on new restaurant openings including our extended thoughts on Loro, the new Asian smokehouse restaurant from acclaimed chef Tyson Cole and Aaron Franklin of the world famous Franklin Barbecue. We've also been to the newly opened Feges BBQ in Houston and provide some early feedback on their newly launched venture. Also included in the episode are some words on recent trips to Bodacious Bar-B-Q, LeRoy and Lewis BBQ, Banger's in Austin on their recent whole hog cooking, and much more. The near future looks bright on the BBQ front as we'll be going to both the Houston BBQ Festival and the Red Dirt BBQ and Music Festival. We're getting deeper into research and recording for our History of Texas BBQ Series and will be continuing on the road with that in the coming months. We also get into the early entries we've received in our Yeti cooler full of goodies giveway and some fan shoutouts from some of the many great listeners that have contacted us. Catch us out on the road and say hi and be sure to subscribe, rate, and review us on your preferred listening app. Tell a friend and help us grow! Twitter: @bbpodcast Instagram: TalesFromthePits