A Texas BBQ podcast highlighting the food, personalities, and traditions of the Lone Star State’s smoked meats.
Episodes
Monday Jun 28, 2021
Monday Jun 28, 2021
To 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 desserts that are all handled with great care and attention, they’ve elevated the classic BBQ menu to a higher level. Add in some creativity on specialty sausages and sides and Goldee’s is one of the most exciting stops in the entire state.
Instagram: @goldeesbbq
Website: www.goldeesbbq.com
Hours of operation: Fri-Sun 11a-3p (or sell out)
4645 Dick Price Road
Fort Worth, TX 76140
Monday Jun 14, 2021
Monday Jun 14, 2021
Evie 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.
Friday May 28, 2021
Friday May 28, 2021
We’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 BBQ, Evie Mae’s Pit Barbeque (twice), Pitforks and Smoke Rings, Rejino BBQ, Tom and Bingo’s BBQ, Hill Barbecue, Brick Vault Brewery and BBQ, Convenience West BBQ, Goldee’s BBQ, Dayne’s Texas Craft BBQ, Zavala’s Barbecue, Smokeaholics BBQ, Guess Family Barbecue, Helberg Barbecue and Cooper’s BBQ.
We recap the trip in this episode, answer some listener questions, and at the end of the episode make a special announcement about some big plans we have for the summer.
Interested in sponsoring the show? Contact us!
Instagram: @talesfromthepits
Email: talesfromthepits@gmail.com
Monday May 17, 2021
Monday May 17, 2021
Ernest 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 of building out a brick and mortar restaurant in the picturesque downtown of Seguin and in the fall of 2020 opened Burnt Bean Co. Serving traditional central Texas style barbecue with some unique twists on side and dessert items, Burnt Bean has been an immediate hit both with the locals and the BBQ hounds that travel the state in search of great barbecue.
Hours of operation:
Thu-Sat: 11a - 3 or sellout
Sun: 8a - 3 or sellout
Burnt Bean Co.: @burntbeanco
Ernest Servantes: @popeofbbq
David Kirkland: @sprdav_1
This episode was sponsored by Texas Pickle Company, producing artisan pickles since 2013. Available in Houston at Central Market, Dozier’s BBQ, and Houston area Total Wine & More locations. Visit them on Instagram (@atexaspickle) and check out their website (www.texaspickleco.com)
Monday May 03, 2021
Monday May 03, 2021
How 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 and even house made bread at some establishments. Are those relevant when building a list?
How much impact does fast service and indoor dining count versus a slower service and porta potties in the Texas Heat?
Listen in and let us know on social media what you consider important when comparing two BBQ joints!
Monday Apr 19, 2021
Monday Apr 19, 2021
Two 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.
Monday Apr 05, 2021
Monday Apr 05, 2021
We 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.
Monday Mar 22, 2021
Monday Mar 22, 2021
Andrew 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 dream.
After close to a year working in the industry, Andrew saw a job posting for Cattleack BBQ which had at the time recently been named the third best joint in Texas by Texas Monthly. He applied and was hired to join the small team at the standout Dallas restaurant owned and operated by Todd and Misty David.
For the last three years Andrew has been a valuable member of the Cattleack team that produces upwards of ten different proteins each day, helping to manage the eight fires burning simultaneously to cook the expansive menu of incredible food. From Central Texas staples like brisket, multiple sausages and pork ribs to creative items like pastrami, burnt ends, and wagyu beef bologna, the menu at Cattleack is as impressive in its quantity as it is in its quality.
Learning from Todd David has helped elevate Andrew to a level he could only have dreamed of in those early years when he first discovered his love for barbecue. Andrew’s passion for learning and commitment to helping produce great barbecue has carried him a long way in the business and should sustain him for years to come.
Monday Mar 08, 2021
Monday Mar 08, 2021
We 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 a coin to decide who would have to argue the “pros” of why each place receiving multiple votes deserved the top spot and who would have to argue the “cons” side. Spoiler alert: it was pretty hard to find many cons amongst these great joints.
Who do you think deserves the title of “Top BBQ Spot in Texas?” Is it a classic like Louie Mueller or Snow’s? The brisket king and single most influential spot in the state, Franklin Barbecue? A relative newcomer like LeRoy and Lewis or Goldee’s? Current top ten stalwarts like Truth Barbeque or Tejas? Someone else? Let us know your thoughts!
Instagram: @talesfromthepits
Twitter: @bbqpodcast
Tuesday Feb 23, 2021
Tuesday Feb 23, 2021
The 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 and modernize some of their processes to help bring the historic place into the new age of barbecue while still retaining the key elements of what made Dozier’s such a beloved place to the locals.
With the mantra of “evolution not revolution,” Jim and the Dozier’s team have refined some of their cooking methods while still producing the classic meat market style barbecue for which this restaurant and wild game processor has long been known.
Dozier’s carries a number Texas made products in their market that you won’t find at the big box grocery stores and has expanded the business to include a large outdoor patio and stage for live music. Dozier’s BBQ is a throwback classic with modern touches and they’re doing a great job of bridging the gap between old school and new school.