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

TFP BBQ Ep. 79 - Patrick Feges and Feges BBQ

The husband and wife team of Patrick Feges (rhymes with Regis) and Erin Smith own and operate Feges BBQ in Houston, one of the city's excellent new barbecue establishments. Patrick sat down with us a few months ago to discuss his culinary career and new restaurant, but also chose to share with us a much more important story. 

Most people involved in the Houston dining scene are familiar with Patrick's history as a wounded war veteran, as were we prior to recording. But very few had heard the incredible details of Patrick's war history and harrowing story of survival. Patrick chose to share his story in depth with us, and you can hear the full story in Episode 47 of our podcast as well as the full versions of his culinary history and the opening of Feges BBQ in Episodes 48 and 49. 

All of these episodes were very well received, but we've since had numerous requests from listeners to produce a condensed version of our interviews with Patrick so as it could be consumed within the content of one episode.

We appreciate the feedback and are happy to present you this special condensed episode with Patrick Feges of Feges BBQ. Please tune in for Patrick's amazing personal history as well as his long journey working in the Houston dining scene and finally, along with Chef Erin Smith, the opening of the much anticipated Feges BBQ.

You can visit Patrick, Erin, and the crew at Feges BBQ Monday through Friday and at special events on some weekends

3 Greenway Plaza Ste C210
Concourse Level – The Hub
Houston, TX 77046

BREAKFAST
Monday-Friday, 7-930am

LUNCH
Monday-Friday, 11am-3pm

https://www.fegesbbq.com/

Twitter:@FegesBBQ
Instagram:@FegesBBQ
Facebook: FegesBBQ

TFP BBQ Ep. 78 - John Brotherton's Pit Crew, Liberty Barbecue

John Brotherton has worked tirelessly for years to make his BBQ dreams a reality. With Brotheron's Black Iron Barbecue in Pflugerville, Texas a big success, John has been able to hire a pit crew to help alleviate a lot of his day to day cooking duties.

On the heels of that success, John and his business partners have made plans to open Liberty Barbecue in downtown Round Rock. In our latest episode we talk with John and some of his pit crew including Dominic Colbert and Alanmykal Jackson to discuss the creative menus of both restaurants as well as their respective BBQ resumes.

We also are joined by Joey Victorian of Victorian's Barbecue to discuss the upcoming Barbecue Throwdown taking in place in Austin on Sunday, December 9th presented by HOUBBQ.

Catch Brotherton online at @PFTXBBQ Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram

And www.pftxbbq.com  for more information on his restaurant

PFLUGERVILLE LOCATION
15608 Spring Hill Ln #105
Pflugerville, TX 78660

HOURS
T-Sat 11a–8p
Su-M closed

Liberty Barbecue coming soon
103 E. Main Street
Round Rock, Tx

TFP BBQ Ep. 77 - The Butcher's Ball

We were fortunate to attend the third annual Butcher's Ball event in Brenham, Texas. This meat-centric, all encompassing event showcases responsibly raised high quality products prepared by talented chefs and pitmasters from all around Texas. The participants each prepare a dish to serve and the attendees vote on their favorite dish. The participant whose dish receives the most votes wins the coveted Golden Cleaver award for the year. In addition to the award, the stakes were raised this year with the winner also receiving a thousand dollars. Second and third place awards were also given out.

 

The setting for this event, Rockin' Star Ranch in Brenham, is picturesque and the weather is great this time of year in Texas. All food and drinks (including beer, wine, and liquor) are included with the ticket price. With a wide array of meats, beverages, and desserts to sample along with butchery demonstrations, silent auctions, and live music, this event is a food lover's dream. We're already excited for next year's Butcher's Ball.

 

What makes this event even more special is that it helps to raise funds for the Urban Harvest Farmer's Market Program! (http://urbanharvest.org/farmersmarkets)

 

There are a lot of great barbecue events coming up during the fall and winter and we're going to cover as many of them as possible.

 

Tune in to this episode to hear all of the details on Butcher's Ball, upcoming special events at BBQ joints, and upcoming BBQ pop-ups from us!

 

 

TFP Ep. 76 - Zach Parker from B.E. Scott's Bar-B-Que

The tradition of West Tennessee style whole hog cooking is an endangered species, with only three known business owners staying true to the method of hogs cooked under beds of wood coals. Pat Martin of Martin's Bar-B-Que (multiple locations in Tennessee and beyond), Ramey's BBQ in Parsons, Tennessee, and B.E. Scott's Bar-B-Que in Lexington, Tennessee are still carrying on this tradition.

 

We had the pleasure of dining at all three places on our recent whole hog road trip and were fortunate to be able to sit down with owner/operator Zach Parker of B.E. Scott's to talk about his life growing up in the business and how their restaurant operates. B.E. Scott's was opened in 1962 and owned by Early Scott until 1989 when Zach's father, Ricky, bought the business after working there for several years.

 

Zach grew up working in the restaurant at an early age, learning the laborious step by step method of cooking whole hog from his dad. Zach was going to school to be an EMT when his father passed away in 2013. Zach left school to run the restaurant and carry on both the family tradition and the tradition of West Tennessee style whole hog barbecue.

 

Southern Foodways Alliance produced a great video of the Parker family that we strongly encourage everyone to watch as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQfBqLK8vs4

 

Address: 10880 US-412, Lexington, TN 38351

Hours: 

Monday	Closed
Tuesday	9AM–6PM
Wednesday	9AM–6PM
Thursday	9AM–6PM
Friday	9AM–6PM
Saturday	9AM–4PM
Sunday	Closed

TFP BBQ Ep. 75 - Wyatt McSpadden Texas BBQ Photographer

Wyatt McSpadden's love of Texas barbecue stretches back even further in time than his celebrated photography career which spans five decades. Growing up in a meat market family in Amarillo some of Wyatt's earliest memories involve barbecue. As a young man his hobby of photography began growing into a passion that evolved into a profession.

In our interview with Wyatt we cover his early days photographing the construction of the famous Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, the beginnings of his BBQ photography, up to present day with the release of his latest book, Texas BBQ, Small Town to Downtown, and all points in between. Wyatt has witnessed historic moments in Texas barbecue firsthand including the splitting of the Kreuz/Smitty's businesses in Lockhart, and his career has seen the advancements in both the meat quality of the barbecue produced and the many advancements in technology that have changed the photography world. Like the transition of film to digital, the Texas Barbecue scene has evolved.

Both of Wyatt's books are must-own items for barbecue lovers and are available at all major retailers. Wyatt's portraits of both the food and the people that cook it are beautifully laid out in these books designed by Nancy McMillan

 

Get Wyatt’s newest book at one of his upcoming book signings or buy online

https://www.amazon.com/Texas-Downtown-Smothers-History-Culture/dp/1477316701?crid=2JQYH0WJEAGC9&keywords=wyatt+mcspadden&qid=1539040443&sprefix=wyatt+mcsp%2Caps%2C212&sr=8-1&ref=sr_1_1

If you don’t already own one, pick up a copy of his first Texas BBQ book as well: https://www.amazon.com/Texas-Doris-Smothers-history-culture/dp/0292718586?crid=2JQYH0WJEAGC9&keywords=wyatt+mcspadden&qid=1539040443&sprefix=wyatt+mcsp%2Caps%2C212&sr=8-2&ref=sr_1_2

 

TFP BBQ Ep. 74 - B's Cracklin - Bryan Furman

Bryan Furman left a career as a welder with a goal in mind: to cook and serve whole hog barbecue. Whole hog cooking was a tradition Bryan grew up with, but when his father challenged him with the question of "What's going to make your barbecue better than others?", Bryan decided that serving the highest quality heritage pigs would set him apart from the competition.

Bryan and his wife Nikki opened the original B's Cracklin' Barbeque in Savannah, Georgian 2014. The critical acclaim would come in time, but the Furmans would soon be faced with adversity as their restaurant was badly damaged by a fire. They rebuilt and came back stronger than ever. An Atlanta location would follow, and the Furmans have big plans for further expansion in the future.

 

B's Cracklin' boasts a menu of chopped whole hog, ribs, brisket, and chicken along with family recipes of cracklin' cornbread "hoe cakes" and a great family banana pudding recipe. Don't skip the mustard sauce with Georgia peaches! With a commitment to the highest quality product combined with a dedication to tradition, B's Cracklin' Barbeque is one of the premier BBQ destinations in Georgia.

 

Catch B's Cracklin at:

https://www.bscracklinbbq.com/

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BsCracklinBBQ/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bscracklinbbq/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/377629193/bs-cracklin-bbq/

 

Atlanta

2061 Main Street NW,
Atlanta, GA 30318
678-949-9912

Closed Monday
Tuesday- Thursday 11 am to 9 pm
Friday and Saturday 11 am to 9 pm
Sunday 12 pm until 7 pm

Savannah

12409 White Bluff Road,
Savannah, GA 31419
912-330-6921

Thursday thru Saturday 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM

 

TFP BBQ Ep. 73 - Wayne Baker of Baker Boys BBQ

Wayne Baker grew up in Luling, Texas eating classic central style barbecue. His 
youth was also spent competing in BBQ cookoffs with his dad Phil. Both of these 
experiences helped shape what would eventually become Baker Boys BBQ, opened in Gonzales, 
Texas in 2015. 

Serving traditional Texas BBQ staples like brisket, ribs, and housemade sausage combined 
with unique offerings like their acclaimed stuffed chicken leg, Baker Boys has been a 
welcome addition to the barbecue scene. 

Wayne and Phil Baker cook their meats on gravity fed Stumps charcoal smokers ( https://stumpssmokers.com/ ) which provide a 
consistent heat and different flavor to the meats than is normally found in Texas 'cue.

Catch them online at
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BakerBoysBBQ/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bakerboysbbq

Baker Boys BBQ

1404 N Sarah Dewitt Dr

Gonzales, Texas

Monday - Friday 10am - 6pm

Saturday 10am - 4pm

 

TFP BBQ Ep. 72 - Epic Hogtripping Road Trip Recap

We drove almost 3,000 miles to visit nearly twenty restaurants for our #hogtripping adventure. We recap the trip with our traveling band of BBQ friends Chris Wood, Eric Ulery, Andrew Stowell, Terry Osborn, and Jimmy Ho. Having traveled from east Texas through Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, we stopped at as many BBQ places as we could with the focus of the trip being whole hog cooking.

Stay tuned to the end of the episode for a t-shirt giveaway!

We were fortunate to record interviews with Sam Jones BBQ (episodes 70 and 71) and have episodes airing in the near future with Zach Parker of B.E. Scott's Bar B Que in Lexington, Tennessee and also an interview with Bryan Furman with B's Cracklin Barbeque in Atlanta. Give those a listen to hear about some great family owned businesses.

 

The Carolinas have been hit hard by Hurricane Florence which caused massive widespread flooding and destruction. If you have the means and would like to donate to help this wonderful region of America, one option is Operation BBQ Relief. Operation BBQ Relief is an organization that mobilizes to disaster hit areas and provides meals for those communities. If you'd like to donate, please go to https://operationbbqrelief.org

 

 

TFP BBQ Ep. 71 - Sam Jones and Michael Letchworth Pt2

Sam Jones is one heck of a storyteller and that skill is no more apparent than in part two of our interview with him and Michael Letchworth. This episode details some of the challenges Sam and Michael faced during the construction phase of their restaurant and what they did to navigate the problems that come along with opening a restaurant.

 

In this wide ranging interview we discuss everything from Sam and Michael's strong friendship to their very different musical tastes, the origins of the famous Skylight Inn capitol dome and how Skylight Inn got its name. Sam and Michael are two of the busiest men one is likely to meet and we cannot thank them enough for being so generous with their time and for inviting us to hang out and learn some invaluable lessons about barbecue, business, and life. They're great people with a great restaurant.

 

The barbecue world lost a legend recently, and Sam Jones lost a dear friend when Garry Roark of Ubon's BBQ in Yazoo City, Mississippi passed away. In this episode Sam mentioned a podcast he did with Garry and other barbecue friends. Here is the link to that podcast. We hope you'll give it a listen and keep the Roark family in your thoughts.

https://www.spreaker.com/user/10580793/ep-14-the-big-apple-bbq-part-one

 

 

TFP BBQ Ep. 70 - Sam Jones and Michael Letchworth

Having grown up in a family whose history in barbecue could be traced back to the 1800's, whole hog cooking was something that had always been a part of Sam Jones' world. Despite being reluctant to make barbecue a career as young man, Sam returned to the business full time when his grandfather Pete Jones, founder of Skylight Inn, became ill.

Sam navigated Skylight Inn through tough times after Pete's death and helped make the business thrive and prosper. Sam has a strong business mind and wanted to create a restaurant of his own, still focused on whole hog cooked the traditional way over wood burned down to coals, but something that would stand on its own and not be seen as a carbon copy of the now famous Skylight Inn.

 

Together with his longtime friend and business partner Michael Letchworth, they opened Sam Jones BBQ in Winterville, North Carolina in the fall of 2015. Check out part one of our interview with Sam and Michael where we discuss the history of Skylight Inn and its unique way of cooking and serving whole hog, and how the mindset of not being afraid to ask questions and to learn lead to the eventual creation of better processes for running a successful business and brand.

 

Sam Jones BBQ online at: http://www.samjonesbbq.com/

715 WEST FIRE TOWER ROAD 

WINTERVILLE, NC, 28590

MONDAY — SATURDAY
11AM — 9PM

SUNDAY
11AM — 8:30PM

 

Skylight Inn BBQ online at: https://www.skylightinnbbq.com/

4618 S Lee St, Ayden, NC 28513

Monday - Saturday
10 am–7pm

Closed Sunday